Devlog#5 Some Cutscene Experiments

Hi everyone, this week we want to present to you some small experiments we did with cutscenes.

Team Working Hours

This week, our hours are a bit fewer than the other weeks, due to some other assignments we had to complete. Hopefully we find more time next week.

• Jonas Nuber: 6h
• Tim Schöndorf: 2h
• Tim Wortmann: 5h

New Mentor Model 

We added a new Mentor Character to the main menu screen, that talks to you.

Experiments with AI Cutscene

In addition, we tried to generate some AI videos for loading screens and ingame cutscenes. Here are our results: 

Writing Ideas

To fill the cutscene we create with life, we need a story. Here are our ideas:

The mysterious stranger  

Pablo is a simple man, not particularly good or bad at anything. Even the craft which became his passion, the thing he likes most in life he cannot say he excels at. At best he is average, an average cook with barely enough talent to get by. That would be okay, but after his uncle suddenly vanished, he inherited his small restaurant and was forced to work in the big city away from everything and anything he knows to keep it afloat. Customer count is low, all his employees have quit as he barely was able to pay them anyway. And the loan sharks already stalk around his property just waiting for him to fall into debt so they can force him out. Days are long and hard, but his spirit is not broken yet! At least he told himself that. He can hear what the people leaving the restaurant whisper about his food, about its utter mediocracy and blandness. One particularly bad day, when a customer stormed out audibly and rudely cursing at the quality of the food, scaring of the people standing outside, removing anymore business this day and the following days as well. This bad reputation has spread quickly leaving many to despise the restaurant and making an effort to not come near it. After another rough day the cook was sulking at one of his tables contemplating if giving in and selling away the restaurant was the better alternative, when a strange person made their way into the shop. They were cloaked in a washed-out black coat and their face was hidden behind a strange looking mask. Their body almost unnaturally lanky and thin with an imposing height, stretching and leaning over him making him slightly fall back in his seat in horrified awe. But before a word could be spoken or Pablo could regain his wits, the person had made its way to the table in a heartbeat, sitting down across from him, but not before producing a flask with some kind of green liquid from its coat and placing it on the table between them. Drawn in by this liquid which seemed to emit a faint light and blubbering ever so slightly, he through away all caution and felt his hand slowly make its way to the flask. Before he could reach the intruder began to speak. “Do you want to save the restaurant?” they asked with a snake like voice, the lowly hiss sounding like it was directly spoken into his brain. The cook shuddered his hand faltering looking back and forth between the flask and the person. “Wh-What do you mean?” “Your uncle is a great man and I owe him. If you want to save the restaurant, I can provide you with a way.” The lanky beansprout continued while gesturing at the flask. “You knew my uncle? Do you know where he is? Everyone says he’s dead.” “He’s not dead. Yet. But you have more important issues at hand. When you drink this, you’ll become better, you will train, and you will be able to save the restaurant on your own… Maybe even more than that.” The person said and stood up slowly stalking through the restaurant, seemingly examining it. “Wait! What does that mean? Who are you? And where is my uncle?” “You’ll understand in due time.” He just whispered as his form suddenly was back at his side leaning over him. “But first you’ll have to drink” it chuckled; their voice almost seething. The cook was flabbergasted and none the wiser than before. He stared at the flask before him and contemplated if he should drink it or not. If he should just trust this… thing and drink from the flask. Strangely he was still compelled to do it, as he was in the beginning, even though as his brain screamed at him to not do it. As he slowly lost all sense of reason, the only thought remaining was: ‘what was there to lose’? With that he drank, and the world turned dark. As Pablo awoke, he was disoriented and drowsy, but the memories soon returned, making him jump into a standing position looking around frantically. What he saw couldn’t be right. He was in his kitchen. On the counter in front of the microwave to be exact, but… everything was massive, the microwave towering over him like a high riser, his table below his feet bigger than a football field. “So, you awoke.”, the same snake-like voice than before whispered, making him freeze up and his insides churn. Slowly he turned, only to be meet with the masked person now as big as a mountain standing in front of the table. “I didn’t think this would be so easy”, it chuckles, “After your uncle I thought you also would present more of a challenge.” It concluded, venom dripping from its voice. Pablos’s racing mind stilled at that, fear and confusion making room for cold anger. “… who are you.” He asked, his voice as small as he felt, but load enough to be registered by the intruder. It laughed loudly, every cackle sounding like breaking glass and fingernails being pulled over a blackboard. “Right… I should introduce myself.”, it concluded as it gripped the hem of its coat and his mask respectively, pulling them off in a big motion. Gone was the lanky towering figure, replaced by a small and really fat man below half its hight and thrice its width, sprouting the biggest moustache he had ever seen and wearing the most cliché Italian chef outfit imaginable. “For now, just call me ‘The Chef’”. The person said in a familiar voice. Pablo was too stunned to say anything, just staring at the chef and calculating how he had fit under the coat, which lay discarded on the floor. No time to think the chef continued. “You will be needing this.” He said as he flicked a spoon his way. Normally not a cause for concern, but this time the spoon was as big as him. He caught it, the spoon surprisingly light as Pablo looked back to the fat chef, who had come up even closer to the table. “I have things to do, he will explain the rest.” The chef stated matter-of-factly as he placed down a Maggi bottle, before leaving. Pablo wanted to protest but before he could the bottle sprouted arms and legs and another weirdly big moustache, before saying in a thickly Italian accent “Well, let us begin”. 

The mysterious stranger (epic trailer rendition) 

Pablo, a humble and somewhat average cook, finds himself struggling to keep his uncle's restaurant afloat in the bustling city after inheriting it. With dwindling customers, departed employees, and looming debt, Pablo's days are filled with hardship and doubt. His culinary skills, though genuine, fail to impress, leaving his restaurant with a reputation for mediocrity that further drives customers away. One fateful day, when Pablo contemplates giving up on his struggling eatery, a mysterious figure cloaked in darkness enters his restaurant. Intrigued yet wary, Pablo is drawn to a flask of strange green liquid the figure offers. With a promise of salvation for his restaurant, the enigmatic stranger hints at a connection to Pablo's missing uncle and presents him with a choice: drink the elixir and embark on a journey to save the restaurant or succumb to defeat. With nothing left to lose, Pablo imbibes the mysterious liquid and is plunged into darkness. When he awakens, he finds himself in his own kitchen, but everything has inexplicably grown to immense proportions. Confusion turns to shock as the mysterious figure reveals itself to be none other than "The Chef," a bizarre character with a penchant for the dramatic and a cryptic agenda. Pablo's journey to save his restaurant takes an unexpected turn as he is thrust into a world where ingredients come to life, each posing a unique challenge. With the help of unlikely allies like the sentient Maggi bottle, Pablo must hone his cooking skills and confront his fears to defeat the culinary foes that stand between him and success. As Pablo delves deeper into this surreal culinary world, he begins to uncover the truth about his uncle's disappearance and the sinister forces at play. With each victory in the kitchen, Pablo grows stronger, both as a chef and as a person, determined to restore his family's legacy and uncover the secrets hidden within the heart of the restaurant. But as Pablo soon learns, not everything is as it seems, and the true test of his resolve may lie not in defeating the ingredients, but in confronting the darkness that lurks within himself and the world around him. With courage, determination, and a sprinkle of culinary magic, Pablo sets out on an epic journey that will challenge him in ways he never imagined, proving that sometimes, the greatest adventures can be found in the most unexpected places—even in the kitchen. 

Ideas 

- Mysteries: Expand upon the mystery surrounding Pablo's uncle's disappearance and the true nature of "The Chef." Introducing clues, puzzles, and hidden secrets that Pablo must uncover to unravel the overarching mystery and save his family's restaurant. This could bring a bit more connection to the story and maybe heighten the gameplay mechanics by providing smaller challenges and changes of pace. But I understand if you want it to rather stay a more hands on fighting game. 

- Culinary Lore and Mythology: Explore the lore and mythology of the culinary world, including tales of legendary chefs, mythical ingredients, and ancient cooking techniques. Also maybe incorporate elements of folklore, legend, and magic to add story and mystery to the game for those who maybe like this sort of thing. 

- Comedic Elements: Add humour, incorporating comedic dialogue, quirky characters, and humorous situations that add another level to the adventure. Providing a balance between intense fighting scenes, sombre story moments as well as funny renditions on the current situation by the different characters. 

-> The Maggi bottle can start out as a disciple of the chef and later become somewhat of a friend and sidekick to Pablo, also providing comedic relief