player will be able to enter Insanity Mode by pressing the Use button while in Aimed
Weapon Mode. In Insanity Mode, the player transforms into a giant, somewhat horrific
creature that looks to be an extremely formidable combatant, with one hand composed
of a giant spike and the other featuring a massive clawed hand. As this creature the
player will only be able to perform brawling attacks, but these attacks will be extremely
damaging and effective against the enemies he encounters. The player can leave Insan-
ity Mode at any time by pressing the Use button again. As the player spends time in
Insanity Mode, the points in the Insanity Meter will decrease, and if the points reach
zero the player will transform out of the mode but fall over on the ground in a fetal posi-
tion, babbling gibberish to himself, and the game ends. Thus, to continue the game, the
player must leave Insanity Mode before his time runs out. When the player returns to
his Torque form, if he has killed any creatures at all while in Insanity Mode, Torque will
appear to be covered with blood. This effect is described in detail in the Blood Effects
section later in this document.
The Insanity Mode represents Torque’s blackouts when he sees himself turning
into the creature, which is the subconscious representation of his dark side. Though the
player and Torque both see the creature when in this form, in actuality Torque does not
really transform into a creature at all but instead is being fueled by an adrenaline rush,
which sends him into a psychotic rage during which he attacks creatures with his bare
hands. The true nature of the Insanity Mode will be hinted at in various points in the
game’s story. In addition, a few effects will hint at the true nature of Torque’s blackouts.
Whenever the player passes a mirror in Insanity Mode he will see himself as Torque in
that mirror. Periodically while Torque is in Insanity Mode he will flash for one or two
frames to appear as Torque, subliminally indicating that Torque hasn’t really trans-
formed at all.
Due to the creature’s large size, the player will sometimes find Torque to be in
locations where it is too small for the creature to stand. In these locations, when the
player tries to enter Insanity Mode, Torque will start to morph into the creature, but
will then fail to change, reverting immediately back to Torque. Similarly, if the player
tries to enter these small locations while already in Insanity Mode, the player will be
blocked from doing so, and will have to leave Insanity Mode to enter them. Also, the
player will be entirely unable to use objects while in this mode, first of all since it makes
little sense for the player to do so, but second of all because pressing the Use button
while in Insanity Mode will cause the player to exit Insanity Mode. While in Insanity
Mode, the “item look” behavior will be disabled, though the creature will still be able to
pick up objects (such as health, ammo, and new weapons), though obviously the player
will not be able to use the weapons until he exits Insanity Mode.
The player will not be invulnerable to damage while in Insanity Mode, though he
will lose health at a much slower rate than Torque would. It will be entirely possible that
Torque can die while in Insanity Mode, at which time he will visually immediately
revert to Torque and fall over dead.
Insanity Meter and Points
The Insanity Meter shows up on the screen whenever the player is Aimed Weapon
Mode, and since the player is forced into Aimed Weapon Mode whenever he attacks,
the meter will always be on screen when he is gaining points in it. Whenever the player
Appendix B: Sample Design Document:The Suffering 601