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Hellion: Mystery of the Inquisition

Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Flying Fish Works
Release Date: Q3 2010

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'Hellion: Mystery of the Inquisition' (ALL) Developer Diary #1

by Rainier on Feb. 21, 2010 @ 10:03 a.m. PST

Hellion: Mystery of the Inquisition uses the latest technology to present an outstanding reality, authentic locations and impressive combats within the 13th century. Hellion also represents an epic plot set in a lively medieval world charged with upgradeable exorcisms and uncompromising brutality according to this period.

Hellion: Mystery of the inquisition is a First-Person-Shooter set in the 13th century. As an armed man of the newborn Inquisition, the player will battle heretics, execute exorcisms, face demons and unintentionally become part of a political and religious intrigue. It is an epic journey through different medieval cultures full of real-life characters, wild animals, rough warriors, powerful Templar knights, deadly assassins and, ultimately, horrifying demons.

„Hellion: Mystery of the Inquisition” - The Vision

Imagine 13th century Europe. The cruel times of religious wars, crusades, great battles, the splendor and supremacy of the Holy Roman Church and the order of the Templar knights... Imagine a world of completely different goals and values, full of blood and darkness... And imagine yourself as an armed man of the newly formed Inquisition whose task is to expel evil from the hearts of men...

In the world of „Hellion: Mystery of the Inquisition” all is dark, gloomy, hostile, and above all – full of uncompromising brutality. It is the brutality we want to emphasize the most, for it best portrays the difference between medieval times and the present day. Eight hundred years ago, when the story of Hellion takes place, most basic humanistic ideas were not even invented. Talking about human rights, democracy or tolerance was more than science fiction, they simply did not exist. Human life meant nothing unless you were a noble man – death, suffering and brutality were ever-present, this was the daily bread for everyone.

What we want to achieve with Hellion is not to simply present the dark ages, but also to put the player in the very center of this evil, brutal world, to make him become a part of it, to make him hear and see what the people of the middle ages heard and saw. But what is important is that we also wanted to achieve the sort of „intercultural” shock you would probably experience if transported straight to medieval times. This is partly the reason why we have decided to create Hellion as a first person perspective game. Playing in fpp makes you and your in-game character one, you can feel what your character feels, for you are the same person and you're watching the world through the same pair of eyes. And so, becoming Godric of Glastonbury will enable you to share all of his dilemmas, hopes or anger. And the great thing about Hellion is that you will eyewitness things never before seen.

From the very beginning, we found the plot of our game to be one of its strongest features. We have created a story that can truly be called an epic, for it touches a great number of important matters, it is multithreaded, multileveled and adult. The conspiracies, intrigues, and smaller and larger political games you will witness, the cruelty of mankind, and finally the sin and depravity are the background for the plot you will be involved in as a young inquisitor knight. We do not intend to hide the fact that we want to play with the gamer's feelings by using the plot to make him commit deeds that are controversial. The player, as Godric of Glastonbury, will fight with fire and sword in the name of the Holy Roman Church; he will embark on a crusade; he will attempt assassinations and do many things that would be considered foul nowadays. But then, this is what makes the game reliable, real and absorbing.

Historical fiction – this label best defines the game. Over 10 extremely different historical settings spread over medieval Europe, a great number of historical characters involved in the plot, the Holy Inquisition fighting against heretics - all this makes the game world extremely interesting and unique. We face several types of historical enemies – from cutthroats to knights; we use medieval weaponry: dagger, sword, crossbow and many others... That makes the game extremely „historical”. But what about the fiction? A few words should now be said about demons and exorcisms.

People living in medieval times were extremely prone to superstition in heart and mind. The belief that demons, ghosts or creatures from the underworld are real was common – as a matter of fact, it was commonly supposed that they live among us. For the purposes of the game, we're taking advantage of this and showing that the demons are real and the church has the power to fight them. It fully justifies the presence and the role of the Holy Inquisition in our game. This institution is the engine that makes the story of Hellion move forward. Standing opposed to dozens of heretic sects, the Holy Roman Inquisition is a power of good ready to fight unbelievers and bring the peace of God to earth.

The controversial supposition that the Inquisition was righteous and was saving mankind from the influence of evil is a great twist that allows us to bring these medieval fears and demons to life. And so, in this 13th century Europe immersed in religious wars, conspiracies and intrigues we must stand against enemies sent by the evil one himself. This creates a great opportunity to deal with supernatural issues, with demons, the damned and the possessed. In Hellion you will have plenty of chances to exorcise and fight demons and the fiends of hell. The variety of exorcisms will allow you to use them as tools of defense and offence; it will also enable you to interact with the real world and learn the nature of the hellish one. Both worlds coexist in the game and give you the chance to explore them.

What we imagined before we started to create the game was an absorbing historical world with supernatural, but acceptable elements. We imagined a story of faith and men, a story that will shock the player and give him hours of immersive gameplay during which he will explore a world he won't forget …


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