SPINE Development Blog: Here's the story...
Cinematic. Dynamic. Depth.
These three words define the SPINE and its narrative.
In this blog, SPINE screenwriter Svetlana Stakhneva takes us through the challenges our team faced and the choices made to tell an important story. No spoilers!
[h3]Inspiration and Themes[/h3]
Our favorite films include Tarantino's work, The Matrix, Equilibrium, and the John Wick series. Every time we rewatch them, we ask ourselves:
That's why, when developing SPINE's narrative, we strive to tell a true action story set in a cyberpunk world, inspired by the best examples of the genre—from the original Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell to Black Mirror.
The main theme of SPINE is the impact of technology on society. The game's world is dystopian, reflecting our kitchen-table conversations about how AI will change our lives.
Can we trust it? How will the state react to the inevitable changes?
No one will give you ready-made answers, but we’ll give you ground for thinking, immersing players in a world where these questions are integral to the plot.
[h3]World Creation[/h3]
The world of SPINE is built on a foundation of reflection and analysis. Every detail, from locations to characters, is created with the central themes and issues we explore in mind and to capture the game's cinematic feel.
Tensor City’s streets are infused with technology yet remain intimate and relatable. We aim to portray a realistic dystopian future where technology is ingrained in daily life, and dictatorship tries to hide behind a colorful but false facade.
We establish the idea that technological progress doesn’t carry a negative connotation. Problems start when technological advantages are used by the wrong people. That’s why our world, despite its technological advancements, is drowning in violence, where everyone fights for survival every day.
Each element of the world, whether a high-tech neighborhood or a godforsaken slum, tells its unique story of ups and downs, reflecting the complex relationship between humans and technology.
[h3]Characters and Their Motivations[/h3]
If you read our previous Development Blog about SPINE’s Art Direction, you already know that much of the game's art direction is based on contrast. We follow the same principle in the narrative.
Redline embodies both our fears and hopes. Her relationship with the tactical combat implant, Spine, is a metaphor for how we learn to trust technology and AI. This dynamic runs throughout the story, allowing players to see how technology can become both an ally and an enemy.
On the opposite side is Tensor, the artificial intelligence that controls the city. This character is the quintessential fear of technology that can spiral out of control. But Tensor isn’t alone—he’s supported by the brutal dictator, The Judge, who is willing to do anything to maintain power. These characters aren't just antagonists; they reflect our fears and the real world's challenges.
But that’s just one interpretation. Some might say that Redline is the actual red line of resistance in a world dominated by a gray, bureaucratically boring Judge, and that's an equally appropriate characterization.
The characters in SPINE are living individuals whose traits and motivations are drawn from real life. We hope this makes them relatable and creates a deep emotional connection with players.
[h3]Plot and Narrative[/h3]
As we said at the beginning, we want to give players the opportunity to become action movie heroes. And if SPINE’s gameplay fully reflects the ‘action’ part, the other game elements must create the ‘movie’ feeling.
Here, movie language plays a crucial role in our development. It’s not enough for the camera to simply capture beautiful cinematic angles on the action. Its behavior must have a meaning that complements the scene and the whole story. Light and color must convey the atmosphere and feelings of the protagonist, while the environment and level design speak between the lines.
If you play carefully, you will realize that not only the characters but also their surroundings are telling the story. Pay attention to the camera's behavior, and you will notice that even the camerawork has a certain message.
All these elements should create an emotional experience. We want each player to live alongside the characters, sharing their pain, joy, and fear.
Let's take a small, spoiler-free example of a game mission.
Imagine, we want to convey the message that Redline is losing her last hope. It's like she's trying to grab onto a branch of a tree, but the swamp is inexorably trying to pull her down.
Then, all the elements of the game will work on it. On a level design part, the location itself prevents her from getting through it. Like the heroine, the player can't see the end, gets confused, and doesn't understand where to go. The light interferes with orientation, and the environment design pressures morale, increasing the sense of loss. Combat encounters don't allow for fast movement, no matter how much the player wants to, he has to wade through crowds of enemies.
Even the music on the location is visceral as if it's against the player. And, of course, the boss is the cherry on top of the feelings we want to evoke.
We use every tool and method to create a powerful and engaging narrative that holds attention while being a nail-biting cinematic action at the heart. That's why we’ve also opted for a linear plot in SPINE, giving us more control over story development and player experience.
[h3]Dialogs and Player Interaction[/h3]
Dialogs in SPINE aren't just a way to convey information to players. We believe they should reflect the characters' personalities, social status, and beliefs.
At the same time, we strive to keep the dialogs short and informative, so it don’t slow down the game's pace. That's why we fill them with emotions and humor, specific to each character. After all, it's hard to live in such a gloomy world without a sense of humor (and a gun behind your back).
Take Capo, one of the mafia big shots, whose concept art we already showed you in the previous Development Blog.
This flamboyant character loves music, high art, and performing. He is not very good at it but that doesn’t stop him. He speaks metaphorically at times but lacks literacy because he grew up in a slum.
He acts and speaks like he's on stage. His voice is melodic because he is a singer and actor at heart. He’s quite smart, which eventually makes him an important person in the Mafia, but his gang doesn’t always understand him, so he sometimes has to switch to a much clearer language. He may suddenly quote a song during a conversation and stuff like that.
In other words, Capo’s manner of speech is based on the context of his entire backstory and the environment he lives.
[h3]Challenges and Solutions[/h3]
Developing a narrative for SPINE is a constant challenge. We must consider many factors, from other departments' requirements to technical constraints. It's a team effort, where each idea goes through many stages of discussion and refinement. Sometimes this leads to compromises, but ultimately, it helps create a richer, more engaging story.
We encourage all team members to enrich the narrative, such as asking character artists to come up with their own additions to characters during the concept art stage of their development. In this way, the narrative, like a ball, jumps from one person to another, taking on a new life, being filled with details and emotions. The main thing here, of course, is not to lose the big picture. If the team is properly guided, the narrative begins to form the game's unique identity and draws players deeper into the world.
We’ve also started working with our community, asking for their input and involving them in the game’s creation. Recently, we held a contest on our Discord server (hop in, by the way) to get ideas on the name of the fight club in the game. We enjoyed this lively interaction with our players and plan to continue this practice to make our world more dynamic and exciting.
[h3]Future and Narrative Development[/h3]
The development and expansion of the SPINE universe are matters of the future. Right now, of course, we are focused on the game itself, but we already have great things happening and expanding the SPINE universe like the Webtoon Series SPINE: Bullet Dancers.
This year's partnership with Story Kitchen also promises to expand the SPINE universe, with a potential screen adaptation of our game on the horizon. But for now, we’re rolling up our sleeves and working hard to give you the coolest action story possible in our upcoming game!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1731290/SPINE/
These three words define the SPINE and its narrative.
In this blog, SPINE screenwriter Svetlana Stakhneva takes us through the challenges our team faced and the choices made to tell an important story. No spoilers!
[h3]Inspiration and Themes[/h3]
Our favorite films include Tarantino's work, The Matrix, Equilibrium, and the John Wick series. Every time we rewatch them, we ask ourselves:
What if we weren’t just viewers but participants?
What would it feel like to be a badass movie hero, winning brutal fights and taking part in cinematic shoot-outs? Not just firing cool guns and punching bots in the face but actually being in the film.
That's why, when developing SPINE's narrative, we strive to tell a true action story set in a cyberpunk world, inspired by the best examples of the genre—from the original Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell to Black Mirror.
The main theme of SPINE is the impact of technology on society. The game's world is dystopian, reflecting our kitchen-table conversations about how AI will change our lives.
Can we trust it? How will the state react to the inevitable changes?
No one will give you ready-made answers, but we’ll give you ground for thinking, immersing players in a world where these questions are integral to the plot.
[h3]World Creation[/h3]
The world of SPINE is built on a foundation of reflection and analysis. Every detail, from locations to characters, is created with the central themes and issues we explore in mind and to capture the game's cinematic feel.
Tensor City’s streets are infused with technology yet remain intimate and relatable. We aim to portray a realistic dystopian future where technology is ingrained in daily life, and dictatorship tries to hide behind a colorful but false facade.
We establish the idea that technological progress doesn’t carry a negative connotation. Problems start when technological advantages are used by the wrong people. That’s why our world, despite its technological advancements, is drowning in violence, where everyone fights for survival every day.
Each element of the world, whether a high-tech neighborhood or a godforsaken slum, tells its unique story of ups and downs, reflecting the complex relationship between humans and technology.
[h3]Characters and Their Motivations[/h3]
If you read our previous Development Blog about SPINE’s Art Direction, you already know that much of the game's art direction is based on contrast. We follow the same principle in the narrative.
Redline embodies both our fears and hopes. Her relationship with the tactical combat implant, Spine, is a metaphor for how we learn to trust technology and AI. This dynamic runs throughout the story, allowing players to see how technology can become both an ally and an enemy.
On the opposite side is Tensor, the artificial intelligence that controls the city. This character is the quintessential fear of technology that can spiral out of control. But Tensor isn’t alone—he’s supported by the brutal dictator, The Judge, who is willing to do anything to maintain power. These characters aren't just antagonists; they reflect our fears and the real world's challenges.
But that’s just one interpretation. Some might say that Redline is the actual red line of resistance in a world dominated by a gray, bureaucratically boring Judge, and that's an equally appropriate characterization.
The characters in SPINE are living individuals whose traits and motivations are drawn from real life. We hope this makes them relatable and creates a deep emotional connection with players.
[h3]Plot and Narrative[/h3]
As we said at the beginning, we want to give players the opportunity to become action movie heroes. And if SPINE’s gameplay fully reflects the ‘action’ part, the other game elements must create the ‘movie’ feeling.
Here, movie language plays a crucial role in our development. It’s not enough for the camera to simply capture beautiful cinematic angles on the action. Its behavior must have a meaning that complements the scene and the whole story. Light and color must convey the atmosphere and feelings of the protagonist, while the environment and level design speak between the lines.
If you play carefully, you will realize that not only the characters but also their surroundings are telling the story. Pay attention to the camera's behavior, and you will notice that even the camerawork has a certain message.
All these elements should create an emotional experience. We want each player to live alongside the characters, sharing their pain, joy, and fear.
Let's take a small, spoiler-free example of a game mission.
Imagine, we want to convey the message that Redline is losing her last hope. It's like she's trying to grab onto a branch of a tree, but the swamp is inexorably trying to pull her down.
Then, all the elements of the game will work on it. On a level design part, the location itself prevents her from getting through it. Like the heroine, the player can't see the end, gets confused, and doesn't understand where to go. The light interferes with orientation, and the environment design pressures morale, increasing the sense of loss. Combat encounters don't allow for fast movement, no matter how much the player wants to, he has to wade through crowds of enemies.
Even the music on the location is visceral as if it's against the player. And, of course, the boss is the cherry on top of the feelings we want to evoke.
We use every tool and method to create a powerful and engaging narrative that holds attention while being a nail-biting cinematic action at the heart. That's why we’ve also opted for a linear plot in SPINE, giving us more control over story development and player experience.
[h3]Dialogs and Player Interaction[/h3]
Dialogs in SPINE aren't just a way to convey information to players. We believe they should reflect the characters' personalities, social status, and beliefs.
At the same time, we strive to keep the dialogs short and informative, so it don’t slow down the game's pace. That's why we fill them with emotions and humor, specific to each character. After all, it's hard to live in such a gloomy world without a sense of humor (and a gun behind your back).
Take Capo, one of the mafia big shots, whose concept art we already showed you in the previous Development Blog.
This flamboyant character loves music, high art, and performing. He is not very good at it but that doesn’t stop him. He speaks metaphorically at times but lacks literacy because he grew up in a slum.
He acts and speaks like he's on stage. His voice is melodic because he is a singer and actor at heart. He’s quite smart, which eventually makes him an important person in the Mafia, but his gang doesn’t always understand him, so he sometimes has to switch to a much clearer language. He may suddenly quote a song during a conversation and stuff like that.
In other words, Capo’s manner of speech is based on the context of his entire backstory and the environment he lives.
[h3]Challenges and Solutions[/h3]
Developing a narrative for SPINE is a constant challenge. We must consider many factors, from other departments' requirements to technical constraints. It's a team effort, where each idea goes through many stages of discussion and refinement. Sometimes this leads to compromises, but ultimately, it helps create a richer, more engaging story.
We encourage all team members to enrich the narrative, such as asking character artists to come up with their own additions to characters during the concept art stage of their development. In this way, the narrative, like a ball, jumps from one person to another, taking on a new life, being filled with details and emotions. The main thing here, of course, is not to lose the big picture. If the team is properly guided, the narrative begins to form the game's unique identity and draws players deeper into the world.
We’ve also started working with our community, asking for their input and involving them in the game’s creation. Recently, we held a contest on our Discord server (hop in, by the way) to get ideas on the name of the fight club in the game. We enjoyed this lively interaction with our players and plan to continue this practice to make our world more dynamic and exciting.
[h3]Future and Narrative Development[/h3]
The development and expansion of the SPINE universe are matters of the future. Right now, of course, we are focused on the game itself, but we already have great things happening and expanding the SPINE universe like the Webtoon Series SPINE: Bullet Dancers.
This year's partnership with Story Kitchen also promises to expand the SPINE universe, with a potential screen adaptation of our game on the horizon. But for now, we’re rolling up our sleeves and working hard to give you the coolest action story possible in our upcoming game!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1731290/SPINE/