Our goal was to create an adventure where it’s not just about collecting and using items or having dialogues with NPCs. We like it when players have more options on how to proceed in the story, and one of them is using smart devices. And because Whispers of Prague is set in the present, the main hero can’t do without a mobile phone. What will his Telezilla 5001 device allow him to do?
Calls. Yes, this still falls under the primary functions of the phone, and in our game, they will be needed very often. The hero can try to call any contact from the list at any time, which gradually grows as the player progresses in the story. And what if the mobile suddenly starts ringing and displays an unknown number? Is it worth answering the call, or would it be safer to ignore it? Each call can bring new information and sometimes put the player in front of crucial decisions that significantly influence the further course of the story.
Messages. SMS messages can be an important source of information or just a short announcement from a friendly person. It’s definitely worth reading new messages every time. What if an event occurred that requires our immediate intervention? Or what if the hero received a request for help from someone who isn’t able to call? Keep an eye on your phone attentively.
Emails. If someone wants to communicate more complex information to us, we will likely find it in emails. It’s not unlikely that occasionally, unwanted spam may appear in our inbox, but an intelligent hero can easily deal with that. But beware! Even unsolicited mail can sometimes contain interesting information that could unlock a side quest.
Reports. Our hero is busy with everyday tasks and interrogations of non-player characters, so he will welcome any help that modern technology can provide him with. And his most interesting assistant is ARNEAS – an artificial intelligence that has found its new home inside the hero’s computer. We can converse with it, ask for advice, and especially assign investigative tasks. Whenever ARNEAS finishes an investigation, it sends us a comprehensive report to our mobile phone. It’s always worth thoroughly studying such a report.
Images. Although we’re not equipped with the most modern device (it doesn’t even have a functional flash), it’s absolutely reliable in its basic functions. One of these functions is taking and viewing photographs in the Images app. Our hero, of course, won’t photo everything, but sometimes he may be persuaded to take a snapshot of an interesting object. Who knows, maybe upon closer examination, unexpected details will be revealed.
One can only hope that using the mobile phone in the game will bring you as much enjoyment as we had during development. I believe we’ve managed to create an interesting and expandable system that will also contribute to the reason for playing Whispers of Prague multiple times in a row. 😎