Noctemis is a mix of adventure classics like Megaman and the legend of Zelda with a unique art style and story driven horror-adventure experience.

What is Noctemis? 

Noctemis is a side-scrolling platformer Video Game for the PC, Mac, Linux and eventually the Xbox, OUYA, and PS3 target markets.

Backstory:

Noctemis takes place during the late 1800’s, on a small island slightly north of mainland Europe, in the modest town of Horrow-Brook. Horrow-Brook was once a beautiful and bright city of opportunity and life. However for over a decade a curse has plagued the city of Horrow-Brook. This curse causes those who fall asleep to drift into a comatose state and release horrifying dream spirits into the world around them. This curse has slowly caused the entire population of Horrow-Brook to slip into a state of horror and deprivation.

Spirit Example (Dholl)
Spirit Example (Dholl)

The people of Horrow-Brook were panicking as more and more people fell into their deep sleeps and released these nightmarish creations into the world around them. Just as all hope seemed lost, a powerful and frightening figure, known only as Mon. Sr., brought the people of Horrow-Brook together and gave them the tools necessary to fight against these spirits. These tools consisted of specially designed weaponry and armor meant to combat the spirits. The most potent weaponry that Mon. Sr. brought to the people of Horrow-Brook was known as Syrum S.

Syrum S is a liquid concoction that prevents those who inject it from dreaming in their sleep, and therefore they become incapable of releasing these “evil spirits” into the world around them.

Witch Spirit (Dholl)
Witch Spirit (Dholl)

Just as with any drug, humans eventually become more tolerant to it and therefore need increasingly high dosages in order to benefit from the effect. This increased dependency on Syrum S would normally not be a problem, but unfortunately Syrum S is very expensive.

Due to the high cost of Syrum S the people of Horrow-Brook have stopped spending their money on the other necessities of life such as repairs to their homes, the purchasing of toys for their children, and even simple things such as the care of their clothing. Due to these circumstances the city of Horrow-Brook is in a state of disrepair. Buildings are missing doors, have broken windows, leaking rooftops, and the city bell tower hangs to one side as if ready to fall onto the cobblestone street below.

Not only has the general economy been devastated by the need for Syrum S, but the Order requires gratuitous amounts of time from any healthy, strong, able bodied man to fight for the order against the spirits of nightmare. This has left no time for the youth to work the fields, fish the ponds, cut the trees, or repair the buildings.

Fears of the Sea bring about horrific sea creature nightmare spirits. (Dholl)
Fears of the Sea bring about horrific sea creature nightmare spirits. (Dholl)

As time has gone on more people cannot afford their dosage of Syrum S and therefore risk the chance of releasing dark spirits from their dreams.

In the beginning, with the release of the first dark spirit, the ocean began to swell, the sky grew dark, the trees started to die, and a darkness began to crawl towards the island from the distant horizon as if attempting to slowly swallow the city of Horrow-Brook in eternal darkness. No ships have visited the island of Horrow-Brook since that day, and no contact has been made with anyone outside of the island since that day other than Horrow-Brook’s savior, Mon. Sr. , leader of the Order.

Mon Sr. (Dholl)
Mon Sr. (Dholl)

 

Current Setting(Where the game starts):

It has now been over a decade since the first spirit was released from a dreamer, and over a decade since Horrow-Brook has been cut off from the rest of the world. The people of Horrow-Brook now worship the Order in a cult-like fashion. This is done in order to stave off the paranoia they all suffer from as they fear each other’s desire for Syrum S as well as each other’s ability to release these evil spirits if not given the appropriate dosage of Syrum S.

Some spirits even burrow under the ground. (Dholl)
Some spirits even burrow under the ground. (Dholl)

No one knows how the curse came to be. Many people blame the sightings of the spirits of the dead in the graveyard on the edge of town, others question the eerie light that comes from the abandoned lighthouse, some even say it is a gypsy who brought the curse over from the mainland. Whatever the case, the horrors of this world have been spilled onto Horrow-Brook in the form of evil spirits, and there are few capable of taking up the challenge of solving the mysteries of Horrow-Brook as well fighting their way through hordes of evil creatures.

You play as the intelligent scientist Eldwin Kershner:

Eldwin Kershner (Dholl)
Eldwin Kershner (Dholl)

 

Main Character & Character Options:

Eldwin is a scientist who has dedicated the past ten years of his life working for the Order in order to create weaponry to fight the evil spirits who inhabit Horrow-Brook.

Your character will develop new skills and become adapted to his environment as you play the role of a scientist with the ability to create weaponry to fight against the spirits as well as create useful gadgets to assist you against any obstacles that get in your way.

The picture below is an example of an armor set you can create in-game for your character in order to combat the nightmarish creatures in the game.

Eldwin Spirit Hunter (Dholl)
Eldwin Spirit Hunter (Dholl)

After defeating spirits Eldwin can bottle their energies and release them to summon powerful spirits to fight for him. Very similar to summoning creatures in Final Fantasy only they stick around until they run out of energy.

Fulgrous: The Hound of Cruelty. (Summon Spirit) (Jared Sandall)
Fulgrous: The Hound of Cruelty. (Summon Spirit) (Jared Sandall)

 

What is the world of Noctemis?

The world of Noctemis is a dark and Horrific place.  Spirits Haunt the houses of those who have become “dreamers”, the dead walk the earth, and terrible nightmarish apparitions stalk the outskirts of roads, chapels, and the shoreline.

The people of Horrow-Brook are distant, as if appearing to be here in body, but not in mind. Darkness clouds the sky at all times of day and night, and a crawling darkness threatens to envelop the city of Horrow-Brook as it approaches in a thick, cloud-like substance from the distance.

Imagine your worst nightmares come to life, your childhood terrors become a reality, as you experience this dark, alternate version of the world around you.

Your nightmares become reality. (Dholl)
Your nightmares become reality. (Dholl)

No matter your personal fears, fantastic whims, or curiosities, Noctemis is sure to be an encompassing and enjoyable experience for anyone who likes a deep and enthralling storyline mixed with fast-paced gameplay and a rich environment as well as a unique art style.

Gameplay Details?

Noctemis rewards skill as well as creativity.

There are a plethora of unique items to choose from, as well as a great upgrade and creation system that really tries to strike home the idea that your character is a skilled scientist and mechanic.

Even the armor your character adorns changes your movement, the toughness and speed of your character, and the ability to climb, jump and maneuver about the world around you. Collect resources and gadgets and implement them on your workbench to create cool and unique weapon combinations.

Noctemis is a sidescrolling, 2D, action-horror, platformer with a lot of cool and developed puzzle mechanics. The overall gameplay is very akin to a mix of other popular titles such as: super meat boy, n+, binding of isaac, and the Zelda Titles.

Noctemis is truly a unique experience that draws inspiration from many other games, but delivers them in a way that hasn’t been this involved in the way the player’s choice of play-style and overall personal choice have a direct effect on the gameplay.

Fear Causing Crow Caller (Jared Sandall)
Fear Causing Crow Caller (Jared Sandall)

You fight large, small, frightening, and sometimes even deceivingly cute creatures with a HUGE selection of weapons that only grows as the player decides how they want their weapons to react and be used on the enemies they face.

Deceivingly Cute.  (Jared Sandall)
Deceivingly Cute. (Jared Sandall)

In game Screenshots?

Dungeon Room
Dungeon Room
Great Hall
Great Hall
Demo Main Menu
Demo Main Menu