Diversity in games has improved significantly in recent years, but Gods of the Twilight aims to take that even further by opening your eyes to an underrepresented type of romance.
A visual novel in a futuristic cyberpunk setting that still holds very close ties to the world we know today sees old Norse magic return. Ragnarök is beckoning—and there are secrets to uncover.
A cast of ethnically diverse characters can feature in various romances, even simultaneously, and co-creator Ashley Micks is aware Gods of the Twilight may upset the status quo.
“There’s a lot in our game that could potentially upset people,” she told Dot Esports.
“We have polyamory, we have queer characters, characters from many backgrounds around the world, and we’re taking Norse characters and portraying them in a way that is different from what [people] are expecting.”
A player’s journey in Gods of the Twilight sees them take control of two characters, experiencing two different but interconnected stories that are told in simple terms, with mouse clicks all that is required to steer the conversation and decide what actions you will take. Together, it feels like you’re controlling their minds, rather than their bodies.
At the start of your story, you will select a preferred character, though it doesn’t lock you out of the other. Instead, you’ll begin with one, in my case Althea, and complete the first section. Then, you’ll be switched automatically, a process that continues throughout the story.
The voice of one Althea will be familiar to Genshin Impact players. Kelsey Jaffer, who provides the English voice for Yaoyao in Genshin, plays the role of the Indian-Greek teenager, living in Iceland, who shares some similarities with Jaffer herself.
“I’m Pakistani and Norwegian, so it was cool to come into this and relate a lot. It’s really representative of people in Nordic countries,” they told Dot Esports.
“Before I went to Norway for the first time, I thought it was all going to be white people and I was a little nervous about that, but then I got there, and especially in big cities, there’s a ton of multicultural people.
“It’s really representative, not necessarily her story in the game, but her being who she is, speaks to the truth of living in the modern world in the Nordic countries.”
While the game will not be the first to tackle these sorts of areas of diversity, it does aim to take things to another level—particularly with polyamorous relationships, which are given a more authentic representation.
“We’re interested in exploring the complexity of that relationship with people, in a way that isn’t just a harem fantasy where you’re collecting characters,” Micks explained. “How do these different friends of mine, who I would like to be non-platonic friends, interact with each other? And how do I work through the different needs and boundaries that people have?”
These queer characters are nothing new either, with Loki in Norse mythology always being gender fluid—which was only just covered, briefly, during season one of Loki on Disney+.
While some games will see you reach a point where you must make a final decision on your relationships, and opt to focus on one, Gods of the Twilight will approach things differently.
“In many games, you get to a point where you have to choose a single relationship. Ours is the opposite in a way because polyamory takes trust. People will be more open to that if they’ve got a history of getting to know you and trusting you,” Micks said.
“If you’re moving toward a deeper, more meaningful connection with someone, you need the trust and the groundwork to make that work.”
It’s not all about love and relationships, however, as the story will see players tackle the hidden truths about Norse mythology and how it interacts with this futuristic world—and an electric start will see you running from assassins, as you make crucial decisions on the actions you take, and how you reply in conversations.
For Jaffer, this detailed background provides a clear sense of direction and she feels a lot of connection to Althea.
“I’ve done more games like Gods of the Twilight than I have games like Genshin Impact,” Jaffer explained.
“Yaoyao doesn’t have much of a story, yet, so there’s less dimension, and we don’t know much about her. She’s a little kid, which is different to a college-aged, multicultural character in this nuanced world, who has a story that players learn as they progress.
“It’s fun and Althea feels more true to who I am. I like getting to tell a story with more nuance.”
If like some God of War fans when Angroboda was revealed, the thought of diversity in your fairytales has you frothing at the mouth, remember what Micks told us, “The apocalypse affects everyone.” So remember, no matter what conflicts we may have, we’re all the same if the end of the world beckons.
Gods of the Twilight will be released on Steam on Nov. 14, 2023. A demo is available to play now.
Published: Oct 20, 2023 08:27 am