Hey everyone,

It's me again, back with another Weekly Devlog for NIRAVASI. As some of you may know, I unfortunately had to cancel last week's Devlog, due to the previous week being particularly busy for me (nothing bad happened, don't worry). I also felt like I didn't have as much to show that week as I do for this one, so I felt it better to save new developments for today's session. Now that we're here, let's get into what's new with the game, shall we?

The Bureau of Corruption

In previous Devlogs, I spoke about the kinds of places you'll be able to visit within the Aruvi District (as well as the horrors you may face there). So far, I can successfully say that I've recently completed an area of the game that I think players might quite enjoy. In the Aruvi District, you can find the Niravasi Security Bureau HQ (NSB HQ): the security company with ties to the atrocities found within the Stepwell of Dhara Hanirr. The NSB HQ is a particularly interesting scenario in that you'll find yourself being stuck inside it, while having to enter it in order to reach the mysterious TEKMO Tower. 

While inside, you'll quickly notice that things are amiss within the NSB HQ, as a particularly nasty Sentry can be seen roaming through its halls (complete with busted up walls and distant screams). While it's a relatively short experience, I really did enjoy playing through the area myself and I can say for certain that the Sentry (its name is AGNI) was a really scary threat, compared to the scares that AEON normally gives you.

It's a nice little area that offers something unique compared to the normal gameplay loop of the city district levels, as well as paints an important story for the kind of culture the people living in Niravasi were used to. Oh, and I guess there's a few hints here and there about a particularly nasty individual that made a name for himself for all the wrong reasons.

Wrapping Things Up

I know I've said it before, but the Aruvi District as an area is not as large (or diverse) as Ishani Bazaar is. If I had to make a comparison, Aruvi feels more like a riverside town than it does a real city district. But the true beauty of the Aruvi District lies in the its narrative design. Not only has the excess rainwater flooded the place, but its also prevented AEON from sending most of his machines into it. As such, it's allowed me to create an area where I can allow the environment to truly tell its story. But from a game development resource mindset, the Aruvi District itself is only a part of the entirety of the 5th level. Players will still need to climb the mysterious TEKMO Tower and meet up with Clovis at long last.

Once I've completed all 6 of the quadrants I have planned out, I'll be working on the next climactic sequence that involves you hastily making your way to the TEKMO Tower in a mad bid to escape AEON and his robotic machines. After that, you'll meet Clovis face-to-face for the very first time, as well as experience a brand new location in the form of the TEKMO Tower. There, you'll learn all about AEON and how/why he was created to oversee the cursed city.

Analog Thriller

I briefly mentioned during the last Devlog that I had suspended all future video Devlogs in favour of focusing on the game some more, as well as toy with the idea of creating a new video series. I can happily say that the latter's been going rather well and has taken the form of a fictional training video for the TEKMO corporation, complete with propaganda iconography and other business jargon you'd expect from videos like it.

But like other Analog Horror series, the training video will be prone to glitches and bugs. Some of which may hold a sinister secret. I don't want to spoil anything yet, but just know that I'll be doing my best to stay true to the medium of analog horror videos, as well as put my own spin to it that's faithful to the Niravasi IP as a whole.

That's about it for this week for NIRAVASI-related news. I'll be going full-throttle for the work being done on the Aruvi District, as I want to try have the city quadrant part of the level complete by the end of next week. Until that happens, I'll continue to keep you all updated on any new changes/developments, as well as keep an eye for any feedback/comments you have regarding the project. With that said, thank you very much for reading and I hope you all have a lovely day.

Kind regards,
Angus (Sangos)