We made a hint that Indus would feature elements of Indian culture with a futuristic twist when we first introduced it. We’re now giving you additional information about the themes, lore, and world-building of Indus. Indo-Futurism is the foundational idea around which Indus is founded. Even though we’ve mentioned Indo-Futurism before, we’ve never really explained what it is, what it means, or why it matters. Of course, up until this point.
Check out our video on Indo-Futurism for the gist. Continue reading for more information.
Indo-Futurism Indus Battle Royale
Indian futurist roots
History, which we Indians are familiar with, is where Indo-Futurism had its start. We all are familiar with the Indus Valley Civilization thanks to those two history textbook chapters. Most people can relate to it and find it real. We didn’t want to create a game with a high fantasy backdrop or with you using ape-like weapons, though. It wouldn’t be as impressive. Or enjoyable.
What If the Indus Valley Civilization entered the space age rather than extinction? was one of the “What If” scenarios we considered. And what if, instead of simply a river valley, we stretched that to an entire planet? “This was our starting point.”
Influences of Indian futurity
We had a rough sense of what Indo-Futurism would be, but we weren’t really enthusiastic about it. not right now. Afro-futurism as seen in Black Panther was a response to that.
It was incredibly inspiring to see Wakanda depicted as the most modern city, with themes fusing Africa’s rich history with an optimistic future. The Olympics and a mystery island that would hang over planets in the galaxy were among the earlier tale outlines we had, but Indo-Futurism stood out.
It is, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create a game that highlights India’s great past alongside a bright future.
What is Indo-Futurism?
We don’t see this as an opportunity to briefly showcase India and its culture to you before calling it a day. Instead, we wish to draw attention to the areas that, while they might not be widely known, merit both local and global acclaim. More significantly, we want to look at them again through the optimistic, upbeat perspective of indo-futurism.
An illustration of this is Jatayu. This mythical beast served as a metaphor for valour in the Ramayana, even if it eventually meant death. To us, though, Jatayu represents more than simply bravery; it also represents hope, like a phoenix destined to emerge from the ashes. This is how we’ve attempted to use Indo-Futurism to express Jatayu in Indus.
The goal of indo-futurism is to let your imagination run wild and create a world that is proudly Indian in its investigation and presentation of science fiction.
Why is Indo-Futurism?
Well, India isn’t represented as well in video games as it could be. A level there, a map here, and a few characters with Indian heritage mixed together… Don’t get us wrong; some of these are incredibly accurate and well-polished, but we want to go beyond.
Indian science fiction is viewed as being derivative and gimmicky closer to home, or as a means of promoting the superhero subgenre.
We wish to work to improve.
After all, many nations have their own interpretation of science fiction that is based on their culture. This has been demonstrated by the fact that Godzilla originated in Japan, Dr. Who was created in the UK, and even the Fallout television series was created in the US.
India is not there. The objective is to construct an inclusive sci-fi universe that symbolises India and its concepts.
The five tenets of Indian futurity
In light of this, we set out to develop what we believe to be the fundamental elements of Indo-Futurism. Here are some of them:
- Indian
- Futurism
- Culture
- Science
- Optimism
Given that this genre of science fiction is termed Indo-Futurism, the first two are blatantly clear, but the other three are equally significant.
Indus culture and science fiction
The goal of Indo-Futurism is to use these pillars to create a world that is positive and optimistic. Science fiction is frequently associated with post-humanism, dystopia, and occasionally a general feeling of unbearable dread.
The people of Indus live in a world where many of the major social problems have been resolved, they have a greater understanding of their place in the cosmos, and they support the use of technology to advance society.
At the same time, it honours Indian heritage by depicting Indian mythology and other aspects of culture like art and traditions in futuristic yet tasteful ways.
So why does a video game care about this?
Despite the fact that we have been discussing the history of Indo-Futurism and why it is important, this is still a battle royale with all the weapons, technology, and gameplay you would anticipate. However, a compelling tale, a well-developed setting, and a cause for returning are equally crucial.
With Indus, we hope to introduce you to the potential of Indian science fiction and establish a brand-new gaming-based genre.
Through Indo-Futurism in Indus, we intend to build a world for you to interact with, enjoy with your friends, and have your own adventures as you discover the secrets of Virlok.
Your personal universe is distinct from all others and is equally significant.
We’ll be sharing additional information about Indus’ backstory, plot, and characters over the coming weeks on Twitter, Discord, YouTube, Instagram, and, if needed, our blog.