Unchained: The Rise of Onyx

Unchained: The Rise of Onyx is a 3D action-adventure game for the Nintendo Switch. The game takes place in an alternate version of Silanex, the desert planet previously seen in Kicking Dust, and follows a Gorgon called Meomba II in a quest to stop the conqueror Onyx from taking over her homeland. The game’s standout mechanic is Meomba II’s usage of chains to fight and interact with the environment, which she can create at will through ocular beams. In addition, as she crosses Pyramids in the game's world, she gains access to new abilities and resistances that allow her to explore more of the game's vast desert world.
==Gameplay==
Unchained: The Rise of Onyx takes place in a single large map, although the game is not fully open world, with the player having to complete certain tasks in order to gain the abilities or in-universe permissions to fully explore the map. Typically, this involves completing Pyramids, which are perilous gauntlets testing the player’s skills, both in terms of combat and puzzle-solving.
To navigate, the player can walk around with the left joystick, and can use the right joycon to adjust the camera angle if needed. Pressing the B button allows them to jump, and pressing the L button allows them to slide. The slide has invulnerability frames that allow the player to dodge enemy attacks if they time it well.
The player can target enemies or objects with the R button, and are readily capable of creating chains by pressing the A button, which can be used for various purposes. By holding the A button, the chains will ensnare its target, locking it in place; the player can then press the A button again to pull themselves towards it; this initially does not allow Meomba II to gain height, however. Alternatively, tapping the A button will cause the player to whip at the target; repeated taps afterwards will make the player keep swinging. Alternatively, if the player has motion controls on, they can swing the right joycon after pressing A, with the chain mimicking the movements of the joycon.
After completing the Pyramid of the Moon, Meomba II gains not one, but two abilities, both of which make it easier for her to explore vertical spaces. By holding the B button instead of tapping it, Meomba II can charge a “space jump” that allows her to leap higher than usual. In addition, when pulling herself towards targets, Meomba II can now gain height. She retains her vertical momentum after pulls to some degree, allowing to potentially reach great heights with well-placed pulls.
After completing the Pyramid of the Sun, Meomba II’s latent Electric Gorgon genes are amplified, and she can now electrify her chains by pressing the ZR button. This increases the power of her attacks, allows her to stun enemies, and opens up new interactions with certain objects. By visiting Meomba I - Meomba II’s sister who is more attuned to Electric powers - she can upgrade the power, stunning duration and electric output of her own Electric abilities - the later of which opens up optional interactions with even more objects.
At first, Meomba II does not know how to swim, and therefore will prevent her from going underwater; if she tries to walk into a body of water, she will back away, and if forced into it by other means, she will “drown” before being teleported back to its edge following a fade to black. However, completing the Pyramid of Technology will grant Meomba II the ability to swim. She swims near ground level in a snake-like undulating manner, with no speed penalty, and can press B to push herself upwards. Chain mechanics are unchanged.
Several environmental obstacles are used to limit the player’s progression, although completing certain Pyramids grant them the necessary resistances to bypass them; completing the Pyramid of the Land will allow Meomba II to resist and see through what would normally be dense sandstorms preventing her from leaving the game’s starting areas. Meanwhile, at the other end of progression, completing the Pyramid of the Sea grants her resistance to the intense cold in certain higher areas of the map, including Onyx’s lair and its surroundings.
Trying to reach these areas otherwise will make Meomba II automatically walk back due to the pain - similarly, trying to go out of the map’s bounds will make Meomba II walk back because her map doesn’t cover those areas and she’d “rather not get lost”.
==Story==
TBA
==Setting==
===Races===
Name	Description
Gorgons	
A scale-skinned race that mainly live in small villages in Ouroboros Canyon. They lack a conventional jaw, instead having six serpentine appendages coming out of the sides of their head with fluid-draining proboscises. Gorgons are an egg-laying race, and tend to lay at least two at a time - therefore, multiples share name, with roman numerals distinguishing them.
They have magic that comes in the form of immobilizing eye rays, though the exact nature of the immobilization can vary. Known "elements" include encasing foes in Stone, wrapping them in Metal chains, stunning them with Electricity, freezing them in Ice and Psychically locking them in place.
Gorgons are associated with the Pyramid of the Land.
Drometaurs	
Drometaurs are a large, muscular kind with camel-like traits, including the head and fur of one. Most of them live around the Labyrinth, a large, sprawling but maze-like feat of architecture containing many houses. Drometaurs are indeed known to be skilled architects, given their magic allows them to create walls, bridges and other solid structures.
Drometaurs are associated with the Pyramid of the Moon.
Kaktryds	
Kaktryds are a fairy-like plant race native to the Cactus Valley. While they are small, delicate and weak by themselves, they can conjure various kinds of cactus summons to defend themselves. They tend to be pretty distrustful of others, and prefer to live isolated within their home valley; which has caused conflicts before, given cacti are a much sought-after resource in Silanex.
Kaktryds are associated with the Pyramid of the Sun.
Belecpitons	
A cyborg race of scorpions with a monopoly on the technology on Silanex, having made “alliances” with other planets - though these alliances tend to consist of little else than said planets dumping their trash on Silanex, with Belecpitons salvaging the scrap to make their trademark technology. Most of them live in the heavily guarded City of Laggnixtz, which also happens to be the largest settlement in Silanex. Unlike other races in Silanex, however, they lack any sort of innate magic.
Belecpitons are associated with the Pyramid of Technology.
Gwuorgs	
Gwuorgs are a frog-like amphibious race, and thanks to their ability to breath underwater are able to thrive underwater, away from most other races. As a result, they tend to be very peaceful towards the land races, given they have no reason to be in conflict with them. Their magic comes in the form of generation and creation of various liquids.
Gwuorgs are associated with the Pyramid of the Sea.
Flydevins	
Flydevins are a vulture-like race found living isolated in the higher, colder regions of Silanex - as a result of having been almost entirely exterminated in the past for reasons now lost to time. Flydevin elders can live for hundreds of years, however, and have spread a prophecy within Flydevin culture saying that Saviors would one day hatch and conquer Silanex to make it a safe haven for them. Aside from their unique ability to fly, Flydevins are also able to generate various types of winds.
Flydevins are not associated with any Pyramid, though they do have an equivalent in the form of the Foregone Fortress.
===Characters===
Name	Description
Meomba II Niasknil	
Meomba II is the game's main protagonist. She is a Metal Gorgon coming from a humble agricultural village, farming cacti and raising the local catoblepones. She was known to be good-natured, if a little obstinate at times. Her life took a sudden turn after Onyx and her forces invaded the region and took over the village to use it as an outpost. Refusing to let her hometown keep being terrorized and used this way, Meomba II chose to embark on a quest to stop Onyx's regime. While nobody joined her, seeing her endeavors as futile and foolish at best, that didn't stop Meomba II from doning a set of armor passed down in her family and leaving the village in search of training and solutions.
Meomba I Niasknil	
Meomba I is Meomba II's twin sister, and unlike her, is both an Electric and a Metal Gorgon, giving her the ability to cast electrified chains. She is more reserved and studious, being a Gorgon Magic researcher. While she doesn't directly joins her sister in her quest, she can be visited to relax and chat. After Meomba II unlocks her buried Electric Gorgon side, Meomba I can also help her learn how to master it thanks to her experience with Electric magic.
Onyx Hallion	
Onyx Hallion is the game's main antagonist, being a Flydevin conqueror. Her arrival was prophesied by the elders of said race, who said she would save the race and restore them to their former glory. Onyx wholeheartedly believes this prophecy herself, having been raised to be a mighty warrior, and thus has been taking over settlements in hope of forming a safe haven. So far, she's been highly successful, largely thanks to her extremely potent magic abilities, including control over winds, the creation of snow and ice, and most importantly her conjuration of "dark magic" - which is actually poisonous smog. While Onyx is ruthless and callous towards people, however, she does appear to have a certain appreciation for art and therefore prefers to avoid unnecessary destruction.
===Locations===
====Biomes====
====Settlements====
====Pyramids====
====Landmarks====
==Enemies==
===Regular Enemies===
===Fauna===
===Bosses===
====Pyramid Bosses====
====Overworld Bosses====
====Other Bosses====
==Trivia==
*Unchained: The Rise of Onyx was in development hell for about a year. During this period, several major characters were redesigned; most notably Meomba II, Onyx and Meomba I.
*While Drometaurs, Kaktryds and Gwuorgs were created specifically for the project, Flydevins, Belecpitons and Gorgons were all created earlier.
**Flydevins were the main focus of Kicking Dust, and the Silanex Saga in general.
**Belecpitons were originally a faction of Flydevins fighting against Termidas Town, notably seen in The Goldscrap War.
**The Gorgon race was originally developed for a roleplay, from which the Meomba twins also originate.
*As a matter of fact, the initial idea for Unchained: The Rise of Onyx came by thinking about a game in which Meomba II would be the main character. The idea was later combined with concepts for an alternate, "dark future" version of Silanex - which is where Onyx originates from.
Category:Games
Category:Nintendo Switch Games
Category:Original Games
Category:Poisonshot