MISSION
UNKNOWN is a choice-based story by Carl Muckenhoupt that was entered into IntroComp 2021.
This story created a nuanced, well-defined atmosphere in a short period
of time. The experience of poking around in a file directory showed how
different mechanics could provide variety in a full game, but it mostly
used basic text choices in a way
that didn’t intrude on the narrative.
I was struck by the elegant way handling of the player’s decision to begin the adventure. It reminded me of
an earlier discussion about implementing the Hero’s Journey in video games — the
“Refusal of the Call” needs to be handled carefully, and MISSION UNKNOWN was an example of using that decision to define the stakes involved and reflect on the protagonist’s self-perception.
It would be interesting to see how this develops into a complete game.
The prologue used familiar themes and
recognizable conflicts to make its science fiction setting more relatable. It showed a narrator who whose workplace has gradually transformed into something
alienating and uncomfortable. And then it abandoned all that for a voyage into
the unknown.
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