Developer Diary #02: A Field Agent’s Guide to Undead Anomalies
[h3]Reporting in, Agents. [/h3]
After a few Community Logs going on in the past few weeks, we’re back with a new Developer Diary. We hope this will help you prepare more effectively for Early Access tomorrow, on 11 August.
We’re diving deeper into the lore and various types of anomalies in Whisper Mountain Outbreak. Some of the information bits can be found in the Mission Briefing and the written notes left in the field. Joining us once again is Kriswin, the supervising artist, who you may already know from the first Developer Diary.
Check out the first Developer Diary here!
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1953230/view/537731883551687035
This time, we’ll start things off with some lore of Mount Bisik, introducing some anomaly types that B.R.I.M. had encountered, and share some tips on investigating effectively. As you know, you can always gather more information on the mission briefing and some notes left over in the field by previous survivors. Hopefully, this can provide you with some additional information to help you with your next mission.
As an Agent, learning the basics is fundamental before going into the field. Prepare to take notes and review classified information about the undead anomalies!
💬"Glad to have you back, Kriswin! Let’s get started with some lore drops! Our agents want to know about what’s going on in Mount Bisik.”
[h3]Can you share some of Mount Bisik's historical lore that led to the outbreak? [/h3]
Kriswin: “Thousands of years ago, a formless entity from another dimension crossed into our world, radiating an energy that could disturb the human mind. Those who harbored intense negative emotions like anger or hatred were especially vulnerable, falling into madness and violence. This influence led to wars and mysterious outbreaks that took many lives.
To stop it, ancient humans built a giant megalithic pyramid to trap the entity and contain its power. Over time, the structure was buried by nature and became a mountain. Locals eventually named it Mount Bisik, or “Whisper Mountain,” after hearing strange voices near it. Fearing its presence, they began to see the mountain as a sacred and haunted place.”
Mount Bisik was originally a man-made structure from ancient times, built to seal the entity within.
💬"I see.. The ancient humans had it rough, huh? I would love to hear more soon about the pyramid, or maybe us seeing the pyramid within the mountain if we have the chance. Also, I remember last month you did mention it was more of a supernatural horror that caused the infection.. ”
[h3]What is the cause of the infection, and how does it correlate to the ancient entity within Mount Bisik? [/h3]
Kriswin: “I wouldn’t describe it as an infection because in Whisper Mountain Outbreak, people don’t “turn into zombies” through direct contagion like the viral or fungal infections in other popular series. Anyone who enters the area affected by the entity’s radiation is already exposed. It’s just a matter of time before they start showing symptoms like hearing whispers in their head, feeling intense heat in their body, hair falling out, and a growing surge of anger and hatred that drives them to attack others until death.
In Whisper Mountain Outbreak, the undead aren’t mindless creatures driven by hunger, they’re vessels of pure rage. Once a person dies under the entity’s influence, their body rises again, more twisted and grotesque each time, attacking anyone who dares enter their territory. They don’t bite or feed. Instead, they lash out with whatever tools or blunt objects they can find. They’re not capable of using firearms, but their aggression is relentless. How quickly someone falls to this fate depends on how well they can resist the whispers and control their emotion.”
[h3]Variations of undead grunt anomalies[/h3]
💬"Ah, that does make sense if you describe it that way. So the infection doesn’t explicitly turn someone into the undead, but even the dead can still rise due to the supernatural influence. There’s sure to be some different undead types when I played the game...”
[h3]What types of undead anomalies can agents expect to encounter? [/h3]
Kriswin: We don’t have an official name for them yet, but let’s call them common undead grunt for now. You’ll find these basic zombies in every stage. Even these grunt zombies have their unique gimmicks, like some wear riot armor and are tougher to kill, while others, like naked zombies, hit harder but are easier to take down.
Then there are elite zombies, which are more like mini-bosses. You’ll only find one or two of them roaming around the map. Each elite zombie has its distinct gimmick that can seriously disrupt the flow of gameplay. For example, there’s an elite zombie that can spew corrosive liquid onto the ground to limit your movement space. Another elite zombie has the ability to bind its target, immobilizing them. This is meant to punish players who like to explore alone. There’s also an elite that can summon grunt zombies, and so on.
[h3]Variations of undead elite anomalies[/h3]
💬"Interesting, so these grunts are basically what we will encounter most when the agents are investigating areas of Mount Bisik. But I know for sure I did encounter some different grunts, maybe we can explore more on that, so our agents stay cautious encountering them.”
[h3]Is there a variation of basic undead that the agents need to know? [/h3]
Kriswin: “Like I mentioned earlier, basic or grunt zombies also have their own gimmicks. Some are tanky, like zombies wearing riot armor. Others hit hard and run fast but are easy to kill. There will also be zombies that explode when defeated. These zombie variants aren’t tied to any specific biome, so you can encounter them on any map. Oh, and if you have any ideas or feedback about unique gimmicks for grunt zombies, feel free to send them to our email!”
An encounter with an elite undead within an abandoned factory.
💬"And for any agents out there, you can also join our Survivors Network on Discord, where we discuss directly with the devs! Moving on, let’s talk more about the other types of undead...”
[h3]Is there a specific conditions that cause someone to transform into an elite type of undead?[/h3]
Kriswin: Lore-wise, elite zombies are corpses that underwent mutation due to harboring certain emotions while being affected by the anomalous radiation of the Whispering Mountain entity.
Hairmaiden is an elite zombie that appears as a tall woman crawling like a reptile, with long hair slithering as if it has a mind of its own. She was once a human woman who harbored deep resentment towards people with attractive appearances. She held onto anger and suffering related to her own physical appearance, whether from discrimination or bullying. When exposed to the entity’s influence, she transformed into the Hairmaiden.
Keep your distance when engaging the Hairmaiden.
Hollow Mother is a large elite zombie covered in holes all over its body, with a gaping cavity that stretches from its mouth down to its pelvis. She was once a woman who was exposed while pregnant or after a miscarriage, holding onto intense emotions like worry, anger, and anxiety.
Unleash damage with ranged weapons to quickly take down the Hollow Mother.
The Vomiter/The Spitter/Man-maggot is an elite zombie with the body of a maggot from head to abdomen, and human legs from the waist down. What’s unique about this zombie is its hopping movement, caused by its legs being bound together. These were once people who carried deep-seated anger at their life circumstances, being forced to work endlessly. People are working themselves towards their death.
Hunt the Vomiter first to stop them from spitting too much.
💬"I can’t wait to see more of these types of elite undead types in the game, as there will be more content coming soon! Oh, some of them also seem familiar to me, but I can’t tell what it is. Maybe it’s because you guys took reference from something?”
[h3]Can you share some inspirations used to create the different anomalies in the game? [/h3]
Kriswin: Since pre-production, our game director has wanted us to incorporate elements of local folklore into the creature designs in Whisper Mountain Outbreak. With that in mind, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from ghosts and mythological beings from local beliefs.
For example, the game director and designer wanted an elite zombie with the ability to immobilize players who like to explore alone. I thought, what if this monster binds players with hair instead of tentacles, since tentacles are already too common?
That led me to think about which mythical beings are associated with long hair. I eventually landed on the Kuntilanak (Pontianak), a ghost in the form of a woman with long hair. However, I couldn’t make the monster look too similar, as that wouldn’t fit the game’s horror theme. If the creature looked exactly like a woman in a white dress with long hair, players would think it’s a ghost, not a zombie or monster. Thus, the design for the Hairmaiden was born! A more grotesque version of the original ghost, but still retaining iconic elements like the long hair and eerie laughter.
The same approach was used for The Vomiter, which was inspired by the local ghost Pocong. In local belief, the Pocong can harm people by spitting. Knowing this, I immediately thought of creating a monster that spits poison or corrosive goo.
💬"You guys know your stuff, huh? When I try to search the relevant image on the web, they sure have some similarities! I can’t wait to see more types of undead anomalies in the future. Let’s get into one more thing, a more practical tip for our agents.. ”
[h3]Is there a pro tip on fighting these undead anomalies? [/h3]
Kriswin: When facing the Hairmaiden, keep your distance and watch out when she’s about to lunge at you with her hair. If you're playing with teammates, they can help free you from her hair bindings. But if you’re alone, you’ll have to break free yourself by repeatedly pressing a button.
Yeah, basically, all elite zombies are tough to deal with if you’re alone. So if you’re not confident in your skills, it’s better to avoid them or just run away. You don’t always have to kill them, especially if you’re still in a weak condition. Just focus on completing your main objective.
If the horde overwhelms you, you need to retreat and regain your footing!
[h3]Wishlist to be notified on Early Access release![/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1953230/Whisper_Mountain_Outbreak/
Be prepared for the outbreak, agents!
Do keep in touch for a new mission briefing.
Stay sharp, and keep surviving! 🧟♂️💥
— B.R.I.M. Support Division
[h2]Join the Survivors Network![/h2]
If you encounter any bugs or want to give us feedback, feel free to join our community!
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