Game Play

The game will have nine levels. In this chapter you will find detailed description for each level. However, because the group developed a full prototype for the first level and a sketch prototype for the fourth level, these ones will have a more "in depth" description.

Level One - "Charon's Boat" (full prototype)

In this first level, the main goal is to collect the Obolus and give it to Charon. That is the way Charon will let Hermes pass to the second level. To succeed, Hermes must overcome the traps (rocks that destroy themselves in its path and lava spitters) and the monsters of the first circle: Hell Wasps and Pit Worms. Then, he must find the hidden Obolus and give it to Charon. For that, he will need the power of telekinesis.

Level 1 Map

When Hermes passes on the first checkpoint, he receives a message from Charon: "Can you find me?". That is a clue for the player that he must find Charon. Charon will tell him what to do next.

Right after the first checkpoint, Hermes will have to deal with the lava spitter, Hell Wasp and Pit Worm. That is a great opportunity to find out that his heart will accelerate when he touches this things. If the heart goes above 180 beats per minute, Hermes will die and the game ends.

While he can't escape from fire (at least not yet, he will need a fire gem for that), he can kill the Hell Wasps and the Pit Worms. However, there are some tradeoffs. If Hermes kills a Hell Wasp near a Pit Worm, the Pit Worm will eat the dead Hell Wasp and increase its size. As the Pit Worm gets bigger more damage can be inflicted to the player.

The destroying rocks must be stepped carefully in order to Hermes not fall over the sting rocks and die.

Hermes must continue its journey to the bottom right of the map where he will meet Charon. Before that, he will need to use its axe to go through the roots that block his way.

When Hermes gets close to Charon, there is a dialog between them:

- If you don't pay the price, you shall not pass!

- I'll bring you what you demand!

- Find me the Obolus!

Hermes must turn back and fetch the blue gem that will give him the power of telekinesis. As soon as he gets the blue gem Hermes must open the items management pop-up and put the blue gem in the lower left slot of the circle of powers and gain the power of telekinesis.

Next, Hermes must find the blue rock (on the other side of the right wall where the blue gem is) and click on it to gain access to the Obolus that is behind. As soon as Hermes gets the Obolus, it will appear in the items management pop-up.

With the Obolus in his possession, Hermes must go again to Charon's domains. Again, there will be a dialog between them:

- Did you bring me the Obolus?

- Yes! Here it is!

If this was the real game, Charon would guide Hermes to his boat and let him pass to the second circle of Hell (second level). For now, the game ends right away and the end game pop-up is displayed.

Fovea Level 1 Prototype Walkthrough

Level Two - "In the Eye of the Hurricane"

The second circle of Hell is where the lustful are caught by a wind storm.

Hermes finds himself caught in the air and has to manage his way out of the hurricane while trying to avoid the moving debris and the people that are flying with him.

Level Three - "Cerberus, the Three Headed Dog"

The third circle of Hell is where the gluttons are plagued by a rotting rain.

Hermes must try to avoid the gluttons that get bigger as they eat the rotting rain that falls, inflicting more damage to him.

It is also the home for Cerberus, the three-headed dog: reptile like, red eyes, black and greasy fur, wide belly, giant claws. This creature acts as the level boss. The red and blue gems can provide some assistance in this fight.

Level Four - "Horribly Heavy Weights" (sketch prototype)

In the fourth level, Hermes faces the opposition of big, strong creatures pushing heavy rocks than can collide with each other or with the hero of this game. His objective is to reach the end of the maze suspended over a scary abyss.

In this level, the game mechanics changes a bit: it is more approximated to a puzzle/platform game and the player has an aerial view of the map. Therefore, the player can move Hermes in four directions, trying to avoid the enemies that start in fixed positions but take random routes, always in straight lines. When the enemies collide with Hermes, he is pushed backwards, taking the risk of falling into the abyss and, in that way, losing the level and having to restart from the beginning.

Along the way, Hermes can find two different power-ups, following the game concept art, which can help him face the creatures: the red gems (fire power) give him the ability of shooting fire balls toward the enemies; the blue gems (telekinesis) give him the ability to “drag and drop” enemies far away from him and possibly taking them to the abyss (these abilities are very helpful when the player has to pass narrow paths). The enemies are also eliminated when they are hit by two fire balls.

This level also incorporates the heart control feature: as Hermes is hit by the enemies, his heart pace will accelerate and when it reaches 180 beats per minute it will explode and the player has to start the level again. He also can cool down the pace by stopping for a few moments.

At the end of the maze, Hermes has to defeat a kind of boss that occupies the exit. This creature doubles the size of the others and follows a more predictable route, always trying to hit the player. It’s also more difficult to eliminate this enemy: Hermes needs four fire balls to defeat him. This level is also punctuated with sound effects, reaching the climax in the final enemy, when the player can hear chants encouraging him to defeat the boss.

[ Because this is a sketch prototype, some of the game mechanics will have to be polished to feature the final version of the game. For example, the blue gem is obtained in the first level and has no counter associated with its usage. The red gem is supposed to be revealed in this level but the capacity of throwing fireballs is a combination of the blue gem and the red gem. The red gem alone only gives fire immunity. ]

Level 4 In Game

Level Five - "Styx Swamp Burning Mud"

The irate, proud, envious and lazy are immersed in the Styx swamp burning mud in this fifth circle of Hell.

To cross the marsh, Hermes must uses the Elegies Demon boat that leaves him near the gate of Dite city - the walls of fine enclose the lower and most terrible part of hell, where the faults are more serious and more terrible are the pains.

Devils keep all persons out of Dite city, locking all doors and the Medusa tries to petrify Hermes. The blue and red gem can be of some assistance for this part of the level.

Level Six - "The Burning Graves of the Heretics"

The sixth circle of Hell is the place for the graves of the heretics in fire.

Hermes must try to escape from the heretics that chase him while avoiding the graves in fire. The red gem can be of some assistance in this level.

Level Seven - "The Three Valleys of Doom"

The seventh circle of Hell is divided in three valleys:

1. The violent against others in a river of boiling blood (Phlegethon), shot and wounded by the arrows of the Centaurs. Hermes must fight the Centaurs.
2. The suicides, transformed into gnarled trees are eaten by harpies (winged monster with a woman's face, vulture body and nail-shaped claws); The wasteful are persecuted and eaten by ferocious dogs. Hermes must fight or escape from the tree branches, the harpies and dogs.
3. The violents against God and nature are subjected to rain of fire. The red gem can be of some assistance if used at the right time.

At the end of the seventh circle there is a huge abyss. Hermes must climb to the back of gerionte, a winged monster with sharp tail that, in a very slow flight, brings him down to the bottom of the abyss.

Level Eight - "One Bridge, Ten Martyrdoms"

The Eighth level is called Malebolge and is divided into ten trenches, interconnected by bridges. Each trench has a martyrdom:

1. Seducers: plagued by horned demons; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to confront the horned demons;
2. Flatterers: immersed in manure; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to escape the manure; perhaps the only way to pass this level is already having the green gem (heart control)
3. Thieves: stuck with their heads down into small holes in the ground and with their feets' soles in fire; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to avoid the thieves but, in this world, the gravity can have a twist at random time intervals and give a twist to Hermes intentions;
4. Fortune Tellers: with their heads facing backwards; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to avoid the fortune tellers but, at random ocasions, the player controls get randomly confused;
5. Corrupts: devils with harpoons force them to be immersed in boiling pitch; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to avoid the devils that try to immerse him in the boiling pitch; again, the red gem can be of some help;
6. Hypocrites: wear lead covers; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to run from the Hypocrites that try to dress him with a lead cover. Hermes can also fight the Hypocrites;
7. Thieves of the sacred: attacked by snakes; once bitten they burn up and turn into ashes to reborn again like a phoenix; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to fight the snakes using the blue and red gem or the combination of the two in the right time;
8. Bad Advisers: wrapped in flames; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to escape from the flames using the red gem in the right time;
9. Sowers of contention: cut to pieces by the sharp swords of demons; some walk holding their heads separated from the torso; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to fight the demons;
10. Alchemists: they have all sorts of diseases, scratch up, swollen and burn with fever; if Hermes chooses this martyrdom he will have to avoid being contaminated by the alchemists while he is trying to escape from a maze.

Hermes can take one of two ways of passing this level. He can walk above the bridge without stepping into the martyrdoms or he can try his luck in one or more martyrdoms and try to find the last of the three gems. The green gem has the power of heart control. If Hermes catches the green gem, his heart is no longer affected by the attack of other creatures except Lucifer. In the presence of Lucifer, the inflicted punishment will have less effect in the heart beat when the green gem is active.

Level Nine - "The Lucifer's Chamber"

This is where flow the three rivers of hell (Styx, Phlegethon and Acheron). The traitors dive into a frozen lake called Cocytus and stand with the head and torso out. In the center of the ninth circle there is Lucifer, with three heads, great wings and stuck from the waist down. After Lucifer there is an underground path that leads to the other side of the earth.

This level is critical for Hermes. Everything is going to be decided here. All the player performance during the game is analised: points, items collected and gems collected. With this information in mind, Lucifer will react differently.

If the player does not have sufficient points, items or gems he cannot be a true enemy for Lucifer. Lucifer will kill him in place with no further explanations and the game ends.

If the player can be a true enemy for Lucifer, he proposes Hermes a deal: to pass his chamber with no further fight and escape through the underground path but "without winning Lucifer and getting out of the Hell by the little door" or trying to beat Lucifer in a final fight.

If the player decides to confront Lucifer, he will have to use all his skills, items and powers collected during the game to beat Lucifer, specially the Divine Power, a combination of the three gems (blue, red and green).