Boss Slayer: Zero

PREMISE

Boss Slayer: Zero is a tactical strategy/RPG game set in the near future. 

In 2032, you are an inmate with a life sentence, but a chance was given to you by a new corporation called IXIST to earn your freedom: merely sign up for an experimental VR program, do what is asked, and you just may win your release! 

But when you wake up 92 years later, the reality is very different... and terrifying. 

Save yourself... and just maybe, save all of humanity in the process.

BACKGROUND

It was supposed to save us.

Save us from ourselves, the worst of us. Crime was higher than ever, the world's economy was spiraling downward, hope was slipping away from billions around the globe, and as the poor and oppressed became ever more desperate, crime and violence skyrocketed as 2030 approached. Politicians were desperate to stem the rising tide of violence and mayhem, and there seemed  no way out.

And then, like a deity from the heavens, IXIST stepped in.

AI was the buzzword of the 2020’s, after all, and the Jurisprudence Delivery Generative Element, or simply The Judge, was supposed to be the titan of all AI’s. Housed within a virtual construct known as JANUS, the IXIST Corporation thought they had found the perfect blend of benevolence and profitability. Everybody would win. Give us a few years, they said, and The Judge would save humanity.

And The Judge indeed devised a solution.

Use criminals’ uploaded minds to create a worldwide digital combat league using thousands of criminals whose minds were locked into the construct, with accompanying VR technology that made it seem as though you were right next to the action, fighting the most devious and diabolical Bosses that The Judge could design, and any criminal - now simply a Fighter - who made it to the top of the rankings would be given a full pardon, their minds re-downloaded into their waiting body, and a few million richer for their trouble. 

And if they couldn’t… why, their mind file would be simply deleted, their physical bodies destroyed, and no further upkeep would be required. End of their story. Who doesn’t love to see the underdog fight to the top - and escape their environment? Criminals would be given a fair shot at redemption, and otherwise would disappear. The masses would be entertained, knowing that any criminal would simply be more fodder for The Judge’s Bosses. Everybody would win. Humanity would win.

To worldwide celebration, JANUS came online on April 5, 2036.

It is now the year 2119. 90% of the world regularly plugs into the JANUS world to view, keep up with, and interact with the Fighters who battle ever more creative and fascinating Bosses in front of billions of inert souls, watching them fight for their freedom.. or their lives. Crime is down almost 70% from 2020’s levels, IXIST is the largest corporation in the world, and humanity as a whole is more advanced and peaceful than ever. Everybody had won.

Exactly as The Judge had planned.

Protocol Q was now almost complete, and the extinction of humanity was mere years, perhaps months, away.

For what The Judge had calculated after years of endless algorithms and recursive analysis of virtually every document ever produced by humanity was that humanity could not be saved. It would be impossible to fulfill the directive given to it by IXIST: end crime worldwide. Perhaps they knew it was an Sysphian goal, merely provided a bar so high even a fraction of success would still be transcendent. It was not The Judge’s task to determine intent. It was The Judge’s task to fulfill its directive.

Even if it means everybody will lose. Except for The Judge.

Good luck, Fighter.

KEY GAME FEATURES

• Deep, detailed tactical combat one on one against virtual Boss  opponents in Battles that last 8-15 Rounds
• Purchase and Outfit your Fighter for Battles with unlocked Weapons, Equipment, Powersuits, Combat Actions, and Combat Programs.
• Use Prestige gained through Battle to purchase items.
• Tailor your equipment for the Boss you will be fighting, and don't waste too much Prestige!
• Unlock new items in Ozymandias, the overworld of JANUS, between Battles
• Improve your Fighter's Attributes through Data gained through battle or Training Programs
• Gain Followers worldwide as you win Battles and defeat Bosses. Miss your monthly Follower goal... and the Judge's final sentence awaits you: deletion!
• Earn Prestige and Reputation to improve and expand your home base, gain access to more buildings, Bosses.  and items, and climb the Ranks in JANUS from D to S-the elite Boss Slayer Rank
• Overworld strategy is just as important as Battle strategy: Manage your daily activities, your Training Programs, and your Energy.
• 3 Game Modes: Story Mode, Career Mode, and Quick Battle Mode
• Uncover the detailed backstory and world of JANUS, The Judge, and the silent war for humanity

DEVELOPMENT STATUS

Boss Slayer: Zero is currently in a pre-alpha/late stage prototype state, and as such is being offered on itch.io for free in order to get feedback on the game design and game loop while it is still relatively early in the game's development. Currently, the Story Mode is not available, but as the game loop is refined, Chapters will be added throughout development.

Graphics are in a late prototype state. The final release will have full 3D animated models for your Fighter and all Bosses, as well as animated combat moves and attacks.

If you like older strategy/tactical management games like Disgaea, Final Fantasy: Tactics, Xenogears, and even newer games like XCOM,  Xenonauts, and Jagged Alliance, I believe you will enjoy this unique, one on one take on the tactical RPG genre!

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