New York City, 1974 The city is a war zone. Crime and violence dominate the nightly news. A powerful drug is sweeping the streets - heroin. Overdoses and violent crimes are on the rise. The epidemic is pushing the city toward a tipping point.
The Police Commissioner has called for the formation of a special task force to rid the streets of this deadly drug by destroying the organized criminal enterprise believed to be responsible - The Agency. The task force Fear City is created. The only problem - the city is on the brink of bankruptcy. The operation can’t be funded. A team is out of the budget.
There’s only one person Sergeant Miles Robinson can think of that would be willing to spearhead an investigation on his own dime, Detective Mike Macklin.
A decade prior, Macklin’s partner was murdered by an associate of The Agency. The grudge has never died.
Mike agrees on one condition:
He gets to bring down Carmine Primiani, the head of The Agency, himself. Mike Macklin meets up with his former informant Dominic “Shorty” Russo, who after a little persuasion with a loaded gun agrees to introduce Mike to his Capo, Joey Francesco. Mike goes undercover. He completes several missions to prove that he is a loyal and capable gangster. He earns Joey’s trust and asks to meet Carmine Primiani to discuss a business proposal.
Mike meets Carmine and it takes all of his restraint to not kill the bastard right then and there. He holds back and arranges to buy 44 Kilos of heroin. They arrange a time and place and the deal goes down. Just as they make the exchange, the police swarm in. Carmine attempts to run and Mike gives chase until finally catching his white whale. Unfortunately, when one boss goes down, another boss rises up in the power vacuum. CHARACTERS Detective Mike Macklin SYNOPSIS: Main Character. Angry, bitter, dancing annoys him.
AGE: 35
OCCUPATION: Narcotics Detective in an underfunded NYPD. Vietnam War Veteran. Marine.
DESCRIPTION: Mike Macklin is a surly man that battles PTSD from his time in Vietnam. His humor lies in his seriousness. He can find a fault in the cuteness of a puppy. His unrelenting realism crushes anyone’s optimism. Most people avoid him for this reason. He’s a loner who works best on his own and hates to be micromanaged. He enjoys his solitude and doesn’t understand extroverts.
BACKSTORY: After surviving Vietnam with a Purple Heart, Mike joined the NYPD and quickly rose amongst its ranks. He became a Narcotics Detective and was tasked with investigating a young upstart mobster by the name of Carmine Primiani, whose crime organization The Agency was rapidly gaining influence. During a routine traffic stop of a low level associate, his partner was murdered. The car fled and Mike gave chase. He killed the driver and was suspended from the force, where he remained as a consultant but refused to work another case. The law was too much of a hindrance for the revenge he has been planning for over a decade.
VOICE QUALITY: Crisp, sharp, with a little gravel in the throat. Think Josh Brolin mixed with Kyle Chandler. Sergeant Miles Robinson
SYNOPSIS: Non-Playable Character. Doesn’t take shit from anyone. His sense of humor is composed of sharp and unforgiving sarcasm.
AGE: 45-50
OCCUPATION: Detective Mike Macklin’s supervisor. Head of the Fear City Task Force.
DESCRIPTION: Slightly chubby from years of working behind a desk. He plays by the rules. Balding with graying hair.
BACKSTORY: Mike Robinson’s favorite thing in the whole world is proving people wrong. He was told he wouldn’t graduate from the police academy, he did. He was told he didn’t have what it took to become a detective. He got the promotion. He overcame racism and doubt to become a sergeant in a police force that initially didn’t want him. If you want him to do something, tell him that he can’t.
VOICE QUALITY: Low, raspy, yet soothing despite a sternness that demands authority. Danny Glover meets Ving Rhames. Carmine Primiani SYNOPSIS: Non-Playable Character. Mob boss. Regal yet lethal. Stoic one second, a rabid dog the next. AGE: 53 OCCUPATION: Leader of The Agency, an organized crime ring. DESCRIPTION: An aura of royalty. Gray hair, tailor made suits. BACKSTORY: Carmine Primiani was born to Italian immigrants. His abusive father was a truck driver and a drunk, while his mother was a seamstress in a factory. Carmine formed his first gang when he was 12 years old. The Baker Street Boys started with petty crimes and soon graduated to the big leagues. When heroin burst onto the scene in the late sixties and early seventies, Carmine saw an opportunity to make real money. Once he began major distribution, he stepped back and allocated most of the grunt works to his other gang members. Soon, he was on the top of the game and organized meetings with a vast network of separate, warring street gangs. He offered unity. In return, he received an army. VOICE QUALITY: Soft and alluring broken by a thick accent. An Italian Christoph Waltz. Dominic “Shorty” Russo
SYNOPSIS: Non-playable character. His jokes make up for his insecurities. Completely lacks common sense.
AGE: 43
OCCUPATION: Police Informant/Mob Soldier
DESCRIPTION: His information is never wrong even though he’s extremely unreliable. Short, round, wears bright colors.
BACKSTORY: Dominic has always been a follower, never a leader. From an early age he suffered from the consequences of caving in to peer pressure. He’s a coward in the truest form of the word. He’s been in an out of jail for various reasons and never really aspired to be more than he already was.
VOICE QUALITY: High, grating, like a bird squawking. Joe Pesci. FEAR CITY is a fictionalized version of New York City in 1974.
The game is designed to operate as an action- adventure within a RPG model much like Grand Theft Auto. The player would have access to the five boroughs by means of trains, cars, bridges, tunnels, and ferries.
The game save points can be found at the police precinct or Mike Macklin’s home. Missions are assigned in the precinct or by visiting Shorty at the speak easy, a nondescript betting house in the Lower East Side. GAMEPLAY The main objective of Fear City is to infiltrate The Agency by completing missions in order to gain trust and rise in the ranks.
Undercover Detective Mike Macklin has to catch mob boss Carmine Primiani in the act of committing a crime so that the evidence stands up in court.
The player controls Mike Macklin as he gets his hands dirty in an effort to get closer to his mark. The unique features of FEAR CITY can be found in the details hidden around every corner. Graffiti on the trains, breakdancers in the park, drag queens walking down the street. The richness of the era brings the world alive.
A curious mind will lead a player to explore the landmarks of New York City in 1974, discovering classic locations that hold historical significance.
Head to Harlem to witness DJ Kool Herc inventing hip-hop in a sweltering house party, catch the Ramones at CBGB, avoid the temptations of Times Square, and whatever you do - don’t walk around at night. Retention is the lock and a great narrative is the key.
The narrative goal of Fear City is to create an immersive world that inspires a player to continually search for the end of it. An engaging storyline has the ability to absorb a player in a state of flow theory, where they are fully invested in the game. Cinematic cutscenes will smoothly push the narrative forward.
It is proven that aesthetics and cosmetics make up a large portion of in-game purchases. Just like in real life, everyone aspires for more. Clothes, cars, penthouses - are all attainable for the right microtransaction.
Completion of missions and challenges can also help boost Mike Macklin’s bank account so that the player feels there is a fair trade-off. A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR VISITORS OF FEAR CITY The missions Mike Macklin must complete jeopardize his standing with the law. He is asked to join an art heist, raid the stash house of a rival gang, traffic drugs across the city, rough up a snitch.
He’s willing to do anything for a chance to bring down Carmine Primiani, even if he goes down too.
The threats don’t end with organized crime. Muggings, domestic disputes, Warrior-style street gangs - are regular obstacles in the city that never sleeps. STYLE Fear City is a modern noir with characters shadier than the shadows they lurk in. Its unique setting lends itself to heightened suspense and dramatic action.
With an anti-hero main character, quick-witted dialogue, and a high contrast visual style - Fear City stands as a dark and gritty tale of revenge and redemption. MASS APPEAL We all know the popularity of games like Grand Theft Auto. There’s something about vicariously committing crimes through an avatar without the boundaries of real life consequences. Fear City takes this same model but explores it from the other side. As opposed to being the criminal. Now, you’re the cop.
Television shows such as COPS and LivePD reveal the overwhelming demand for programming that shows the realness of being in the front seat with police officers.
FEAR CITY gives them the chance to experience what it takes to be a cop first hand. FEAR CITY