Orpheus (Proof of concept)

Inspiration

There is a lot of inspiration behind Orpheus, from escape rooms to music to the “Invisible House” in Joshua Tree National Park but ultimately, I wanted to embody the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. I was a big fan of Roman/Greek mythology books as a kid and after attending Mardi Gras 2024, Orpheus stood out to me. I decided to look more into the story and found that there are many aspects of the myth that I personally relate to. In the end, I decided to choose “Orpheus” as the title of my game and ever since, the vision has steadily begun to come together. More technically speaking, I want to focus on high quality visual aesthetics and sound design while immersing the player into a unique and well-designed storyline. There are also a lot of parallels between Orpheus and my own personal life for example, The main character grew up in Paris and moved to America for school which is directly inspired by my dad (same circumstances). My family and I also have a strong passion for music, and I want this to be reflected in the game soundtrack.

 

The Tale of Orpheus

In summary, the tale is centered on the legendary musician, poet, and prophet (Orpheus) known for his unparalleled musical talent. According to the myth, Orpheus, son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope, possessed such a mastery of music that he could charm all living things and even inanimate objects with his lyre. His love for the beautiful nymph Eurydice was profound, but their happiness was short-lived when she died from a snake bite. Grief-stricken, Orpheus journeyed to the Underworld, using his musical skills to soften the hearts of Hades and Persephone, who agreed to allow Eurydice to return to the world of the living on the condition that Orpheus would not look back at her until they reached the surface. However, as they neared the exit, Orpheus, overcome with anxiety and doubt, turned to look at Eurydice, causing her to vanish back into the Underworld forever. Orpheus's life thereafter was marked by sorrow until he was eventually killed by Maenads. His tale is a powerful exploration of love, loss, and the transformative power of art.

Major characters (tentative)

Lionel Gaulle -- Main

Annalisa Carr (Anna/ Lis [“Leece”]) -- Wife

Thomas Gaulle -- Son

 

Lionel grew up in Paris, France (2045) but moved to America for school and graduated from [a prestigious university] with a PHD in Quantum Physics and a minor in Music Composition. He went on to work at remote labs around the world as part of a top-secret (privately funded) project to build the world’s first time machine. Lionel made every effort to get promoted through the years and quickly became an executive within the company, “Orpheus” (31 years old -- 2076). At this point Lionel finds the love of his life, Annalisa, and they get married then proceed to have a child, Thomas. Around the time Thomas is entering 3^rd grade, Lionel is presented the opportunity to become an “Orpheus” partner under the condition that he agrees to a brain implant, the same one that all company partners have and this is met with significant opposition from his wife. Lionel understands the potential intelligence that could result from the implant, yet he is still weary and doesn’t want to lose his family. Lionel, after much discussion and convincing, convinces Anna to allow the procedure and proceeds to lead the company closer to their goal. The last scene of the backstory (intro cutscene) shows (unexplained) chaos in the office, Lionel running to the executive bunker/lounge when everything goes dark.

Controls

Use your mouse to look around.

'WASD' to move

press 'M' to store memories

press the corresponding number key to access that memory (e.g. press '1' to access memory 1)

Press 'SHIFT' + the corresponding memory key to delete a memory (e.g. press 'SHIFT' + '1' to delete memory 1)