In Rays of the Light is a remake and reimagining of the original 2012 indie game The Light. The initial project was a “test of the pen,” which marked the beginning of my journey in the world of game development. The game contained a general moral concept associated with the danger and harmful consequences of human activity: with endless wars and political struggle, the desire for enrichment, with technical progress, which has a strong effect on our lives, both in a positive and in a negative way. The final message of the story was that Mother Nature will breathe a sigh of relief when humanity as a species disappears from the face of the Earth.
The original game was a small sketch with 15-20 minutes of gameplay. The reference for the location was the real-life territory of the Moscow Humanitarian University, in particular, one of its educational buildings. During my student years, I spent a lot of time in this building, which has always impressed me with its seemingly simple but strict monumental design. It was the majestic image of this building that originally inspired the creation of the project.
In 2019, it was decided to re-release the project with a complete revision of the visual and gameplay parts. The game was practically recreated from scratch. A lot of interactive objects, kerosene lamps, a game machine, a puzzle with an electrical panel, plot text notes were added. Some variability was also introduced – now, depending on the style of passage, you can get one of two different endings. In this case, the very concept of “light” has a great sacred meaning.
The main film shown to the player in the lecture hall has been completely redesigned. For the video, many fragments from military chronicles, filming of disasters and emergencies were used. We also used our own materials filmed in abandoned territories, as well as images of fairly well-known objects in Russia. For example, in one of the scenes there are shots of the ancient Dormition Church in the city of Kondopoga, Republic of Karelia. Unfortunately, in 2018 the church was set on fire and completely burned down.
The remake of the game also got a more formalized storyline, which, with the help of notes and details of the environment, tells us about the latest events that took place in this God-forsaken place. Unlike the original version of The Light, the player becomes more clear about what happened many years ago and who the main character is.
This project has become for me something more than just a game. This is a statement that once again calls for thinking about what is important and what should not be forgotten.
In rays of the Light
Sometimes You
– First-person meditative quest
– A metaphorical philosophical story revealed in the study of details and surroundings
– Beautiful visuals and melodic soundtrack (composed by Dmitry Nikolaev)
– Two endings
– Remake of "The Light" (2012) game
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