Stygian is working to construct a narrative rich, character and horror genre convention breaking experience, which draws from the works of horror author, H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft’s works are known for centering on decadent civilizations, religion (especially in regards to Lovecraft’s famous Cthulhu Mythos), and the nature of humanity. In the interview, we discuss these themes of the game in detail.
When asked about Stygian in its relation to its Lovecraftian influences, Oral said that:
It’s important to note that Stygian is set in a once human world that now resides in a realm where Lovecraft’s alien beings, the Old Ones, have awoken. In Lovecraft’s mythos, humans originated from the Old Ones’ scientific experiments, and the human race was created to be slaves.
The player is not alone in their hopeless journey, however, because companions will accompany the player’s character throughout their struggle to survive. The Outsider, a protagonist in Lovecraft’s short story, “The Outsider”, will join the player through the travels in Arkham, in search of the “Dismal Man”.
In Lovecraft’s original story, the Outsider is a being that lives in an ancient castle, forgotten by time and society. The only knowledge of the world outside his dark and isolated environment comes from the books he reads that line the shelves of the stone walls. At one point, the Outsider leaves his castle to interact with the world outside, but upon meeting a group of individuals, they flee from him, terrified by his ghoulish appearance.
I asked what kind of role this character might play in the story of Stygian as a companion to the player’s character.
Phil Fry: The protagonist of “The Outsider” is a companion of the player’s character. What kind of role will the companion play in the story? What kind of interactions might occur between the player and the fallen soldier?
Apart from the cast of companions that will make appearances in Stygian, the players themselves will be able to choose from eight different character archetypes that all have their own unique origin stories and specialties.
A unique gameplay feature of Stygian, is that players may find that their characters develop mental illnesses in response to the events that they witness and struggle to comprehend. For example, players have Sanity points that they can lose after different scenarios. Players will be able to re-gain their sanity through Belief Systems. Some players may choose to take on a Humanistic belief in their decaying world, or others a more Nihilistic.
Either way, Belief Systems, and the mental condition of the character will affect dialogue options. Mental Illness may even benefit some players in certain combat situations. If a player develops Psychopathy, they can increase their chances to inflict critical damage, but they may lose sanity after killing a foe.
My next question asked Oral about this direction of character traits.
Fry: The characters of Stygian are not perfect beings. They’ve accepted the world’s end, and they appear to be motivated by their own interests. What is Team Cultic hoping to accomplish by presenting more realistic character designs and representations?
Apart from combat scenarios, Oral also had this to offer about mental illness in Stygian:
When asked what might happen if a player so chose to repress their inner demons, Oral said that:
I’d like to thank Can Oral and Cultic Games for taking the time to respond to my questions and providing interesting information about their upcoming game.
From these answers, players can be sure to experience not only a horror game unlike any other, but also an experience that takes the CRPG genre in a direction not yet explored with character behaviors and traits.
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is set to release in November of 2017. If you’d like to keep up with the latest updates to the game, you can check out their Kickstarter page linked above, or visit their Twitter account @Stygianthegame.
