Lore and More!
Introduction
Hey, friend! Atlas here, dropping in to leave a little update about the storyline. For more updates about Parallax, be sure to visit the Writing and Storytelling category.
Warning: This post contains spoilers about Parallax. Read at your own risk!
What is Lore?
Ace and I have been working on Parallax for nearly two years now, and it goes without saying that the story has evolved tremendously from its original plot. One of the most important changes is the addition of lore into our storyline. If you aren’t familiar with the term, here’s a little breakdown…
The dictionary defines lore as a tradition of “passing down knowledge” on a subject or culture. That includes everything from Ancient Norse mythology to legends of Santa Claus. Although Thor and Santa don’t exactly look alike, what they do have in common is the fact that they’re both examples of ancient lore.
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| Santa Claus | Thor (not Santa) |
But the practice of creating lore evolved as it was adopted by pop culture fandoms. For a more updated example, let’s take a look at where Thor is well-recognized: the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), each of the Avengers take a chance at trying to lift Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. The only person who’s able to make it budge (besides Thor himself) is Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America.
Although he didn’t fully lift it, this post-credit scene left fans to speculate about Cap’s worthiness. Later on, in Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor is pinned down by Thanos during the final battle. It seems like all hope is lost, until Thanos is hit in the back of the head by Thor’s hammer. Mjolnir whirs back to its original position: directly into the hands of Captain America. To the fandom’s delight, Steve was in fact worthy!
The reveal in Endgame was much more powerful because of the post-credit scene in Age of Ultron. With that said, the MCU’s use of foreshadowing is just one of the many examples of lore in pop culture.
Lore in Parallax
Ace and I both agreed that we wanted to incorporate elements of lore, one of which included journal entries. Most of the main characters (both protagonists and antagonists) in Parallax will have written logs scattered around the world. Whether they’re in books, a computer terminal, or just a sheet of paper that was left lying around, there are two major reasons why we added these. The images below are examples of journal entries in other games I take a lot of inspiration from.
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| The Last Of Us Part II
While playing as lead character Ellie, the player will find a letter in her trip through Seattle. The author, now deceased, is named Isaac Dixon. In this letter, we get a first-hand report of how Dixon is trying to fight an enemy force known as FEDRA. |
Fallout 4
In the beginning of the game, the player has to break out of a vault. The vault is deserted, and the only thing still working are the computer terminals. Within the terminals are logs from the Overseer that used to run the vault. One of the logs is called “Mutiny,” in which the Overseer explains the growing concern of a food shortage. |
The first reason is to expand the player’s point of view. Since the player only experiences the world through the eyes of Nova, first-person journal entries will allow them to gather a better understanding of other characters’ perspective. Secondly, if the player is anything like the writers of the game, they’re going to appreciate the little details. As they read through the short entries, they’ll connect the dots between real world events. This includes prior character encounters, deaths, mistakes, and victories, all of which occurred some time before the player got there. Below is an example of Lore that we’ve put together through journal entries.
| Damian Journal Entry #4 — (Written by Ace) |
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I have done it! I finally did it! The old fool is dead, Orion is mine, the guilds are at my disposal, multiple insurrections have been stopped and there is nothing that can stop me now! Now is my time. Now is my time to start eliminating these savage monsters. The filthy beasts that poison our world. However, here I am with all the power in the world, but it isn’t enough. I want more. I want something else. I want to go beyond this world. I can’t just solve this problem on this world, I must solve it in every world therefore I shall eliminate all the monsters from other worlds too.
Ever since that day, when I saw that creature float out of that portal, I couldn’t help but want to learn more. There was so much to learn, but that old fool tried to get in my way. But alas he is no more. Nothing shall stop me from coming through with my plans.
I have been conducting more and more research on other worlds and I think I am finally getting somewhere. Some of my insiders have informed me about some ruins that are hidden within the Cryptic Cavern that may hold the key to the secrets that I am looking for. Now this is fascinating, truly fascinating. I suppose it is time for me to pay these ruins a visit.
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In Damian Journal Entry #4, Damian is talking about how he has had Keith Orion killed. He did this so that he could take over Orion. However, little does Damian know that Keith has got some tricks up his sleeve. Keith later on returns as a mysterious character, known only by the name “Mr. K,” who is determined to take down the very company he once led. He is silent and swift, and many people believe that he’s simply a ghost story. Although the world is still mourning the death of Keith Orion, he doesn’t reveal this secret identity until later on in the game. Likewise, his journal entries will reflect a different perspective on the story Damian told in entry #4. To check out a list of all the entries, visit the Journal Entries homepage.
More Lore
Although we still have a lot more story to cover, the journal entries will continue to build that suspense using lore. While I’m heavily inspired by games like Fallout, Days Gone, and The Last Of Us, Ace takes a lot of his inspiration from games like Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts also has journal entries that tie into the concept of a “greater force” in the universe, which is something we’ve been working to incorporate. The picture below shows a godly character in Kingdom Hearts known as the “Master of Masters.” His actual identity is unknown, but his power is beyond what the players can imagine.
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| Cover art for Kingdom Hearts | The Master of Masters in Kingdom Hearts |
In contrast to Kingdom Hearts, Parallax will present this “greater force” later on in the storyline when Nova meets a character known as Leonidas. Leonidas is an ancient deity who has been around longer than we humans can begin to fathom. Like the Master of Masters, he, too, is immortal and equipped with divine power and wisdom. But in his many, many, many years of overseeing the planet that they now live on, never before has he intervened with the destruction that humans present… until now. In short, his intervention significantly impacts the main characters’ understanding of life and death, right and wrong, and everything else in between. The dialogue featured in cutscenes will tie into some of the journal entries presented throughout the game.
Reflection
All-in-all, I’m very proud of where this is going. It’s a lot to take in, I know, but it’s not meant to be easy to understand. Ace, Orcinus, and I all want to make sure that Parallax is the kind of game that tweaks with your moral compass and makes you question your own understanding of the storyline.
Thanks for Reading!
~ Atlas from Atomic Rush Studios
“Rushers Stick Together”
