Aether's Veil

Aether's Veil is a stealth action-adventure video game developed by Zenith and published by OnyxWare for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One video game consoles. The game was announced and subsequently teased by Sony Computer Entertainment in conjunction with OnyxWare during E3 2014 on June 17. Aether's Veil was officially released worldwide on November 8, 2015.

The story takes place in the near-future and revolves around a man by the name of Preston Callahan, who was wrongly convicted of murdering a prominent politician. Preston is then dumped into the floating city of Aether, which serves as a substitute for the United States' prison systems, which have all exceeded the maximum capacity of convicts. In Aether, inmates roam around freely but cannot escape the boundaries of the city. Out in the ocean, they are in complete solitude and are only monitored by an artificial intelligence and a secret military firm known as Tartarus, which frequently sends in soldiers to carry out unknown objectives.

Gameplay
Aether's Veil is primarily an action-adventure game with many stealth elements incorporated. The player controls Preston from a third-person perspective, and is capable of roaming around Aether, which is separated into different zones.

Combat
While stealth is a factor that is heavily enforced, Preston will sometimes be required to openly fight against other enemies. In these situations, the player can punch, kick, grapple, and use the environment along with many other tactics. At first, Preston is ill-equipped, but as the game progresses, he can learn new abilities and find upgrades to increase his vitality (see "Upgrades" below") and other skills.

Stealth
As stated previously, stealth is a significant aspect to the game. The player is encouraged to use silent tactics when faced with a number of enemies; especially those with weapons. In these cases, the player can sneak, use the environment to lure, trap, and otherwise incapacitate or kill enemies, and more. Enemy intelligence was a focal point in the game's development, and has been a high note in many reviews of the game. Enemies are constantly aware of their surroundings, and will notice if something is amiss, such as a missing comrade or object that was once there in plain view. Enemies can also use individual strategies to survive, such as sticking together, arming traps of their own, or ridding the area of potential threats such as bricks, weak floors, etc.

Enemies also possess a line of sight, which varies depending on the enemy. For example, if an inmate is wearing a mask, their vision is reduced, thus giving them a more narrow line of sight. Certain inmates can also hear noises and will act accordingly depending on their perception of them. If an inmate hears Preston's footsteps, he may interpret it as another inmate in the room (note that this occurs when he knows that other inmates are present). If the inmate hears clanking (Preston dropping a pipe for example), he may become suspicious and investigate.

Upgrades
As the player makes progress in the storyline, they can improve Preston's skills and weapons. This is made possible through parts Preston finds in Aether as well as nutrients, pills, and cybernetics. Experience can also be earned which can go towards leveling up Preston. Experience can be earned from combining parts to make something, neutralizing enemies, and finding new areas.

Navigation Upgrades

 * Thermal Imaging Compass: A wrist-mounted datapad that pinpoints the locations of nearby life forms based on their heat signatures.
 * Acoustic Stimulus Receptor: An upgrade to the TIC which detects ambient soundwaves in an approximate radius.

Health Upgrades

 * Endorphin Catalyzer: A cybernetic implant that increases the amount of endorphins that are released upon being damaged. This allows for Preston to take more abuse and not suffer long-term effects from injuries.

Strength Upgrades

 * Muscle Fiber Reinforcement Weave: A cybernetic implant that duplicates the number of muscle fibers in Preston's body, allowing for a higher endurance threshold and increased damage.

Pistols

 * Glock 34
 * UPGRADES: Laser sight, silencer, extended clip
 * Jericho 941
 * UPGRADES: Silencer, extended clip, laser sight
 * ZIGANA

Revolvers

 * Mateba Autorevolver

Improvised

 * Pipe
 * UPGRADES: Barbed wire wrap
 * Baseball bat
 * UPGRADES: Barbed wire wrap, embedded nails
 * Brick
 * Glass shard
 * Rope

Exploration
In Aether, the player can roam freely. At first, certain regions are inaccessible, but as you get farther into the game, you can explore different areas that were once locked or otherwise unapproachable. Aether is divided into several different regions; each with their own characteristics and dangers.

Stress
A unique feature in the game, stress is allocated when Preston is forced to kill other inmates, fails to progress quickly enough, and witnesses brutality. Stress is indicated by how sharp the game interface becomes. As the contrast increases, Preston is becoming more and more physically and emotionally strained by his predicament. This effect can inhibit gameplay (Preston becomes less efficient in combat, Preston breathes much more which compromises stealth, etc.), forcing players to find a way to reduce Preston's anxiety. Ways to reduce stress include finishing objectives, avoiding combat/killing for a short while, and talking to allies. Preston can also take anxiolytics (antipanic medications) which can completely reverse the amount of stress he has and give him an anxiety buffer for a limited time.

Regions
Regions is a multiplayer mode that puts players into the gang wars of Aether.

Difficulty settings
As the player begins the game, they have the option of choosing from four difficulty settings.

Setting
Aether's Veil is set in the 2030s; a specific date is not mentioned. The opening cutscene of the game shows what led to the creation of Aether. Several years before the events of the game, a massive crime wave hits the United States. The reason behind this is unknown, but it is revealed that the prison population of the country skyrocketed due to the exponential increase in convictions, resulting in a large amount of overcrowded prisons. Because of this, numerous congressional hearings led to the implementation of a joint project with the United Nations to build the first "prison city". Anticipating the many dangers of putting the city on land, it is decided that the city will be built in the ocean so the prisoners would be in complete solitude and the citizens will remain safe in the case of a breakout. Years pass and eventually, the city --named Aether-- is fully constructed. The entire game takes place in Aether.

Plot
The game opens with a man named Preston Callahan being sentenced to life in prison for the murder of William Boone: a senator that hailed from West Virginia. As Preston is transferred to the floating city of Aether, he tries to affirm his innocence to multiple guards and officials, but fails. Thrown into Aether, Preston tries to survive in dark corners of the city in order to avoid the gang wars that have taken place, but fails to escape a small clan of

inmates who chase him down the first night. Brutally savaged by the inmates, Preston is left for dead in an alley. Another inmate later finds Preston and carries him to safety. Preston comes to in a small warehouse where the inmate, who reveals himself as Alexander Caine, has lived in secrecy. Preston learns that Alex has been scraping by in Aether for five years and has only recently become the target of the Hellions: the same clan of inmates that attacked Preston.

Characters

 * Preston Callahan (voiced by Josh Blaylock): The main protagonist.
 * Maximus (voiced by Sam Douglas): An artificial intelligence that monitors and controls most of the basic functions of Aether.
 * Seth "Stuart" DeWitt (voiced by Danny Jacobs): The main antagonist.
 * President Fletcher Wells
 * Watchman
 * Alexander Caine: An inmate who helps Preston survive in the city.
 * Commander Jonathan Wheeler: A former CIA operative who leads and directs a secret military firm known as Tartarus. This firm also keeps the inmates of Aether in check with the help of Maximus. Jonathan also serves as the secondary antagonist.

Development
When it was announced that up-and-coming developer Zenith and publisher OnyxWare would be spearheading a surprise reveal at E3 2014, many rumors began to spread and anticipation ran high. On June 17 during the final days of the year's Entertainment Electronic Expo, Sony Computer Entertainment and OnyxWare both held a conference regarding the surprise. OnyxWare CEO Scott Hernandez and Zenith creative director Roderick Brown both appeared on stage to announce Aether's Veil. Moments after, a teaser trailer was shown to the audience. The trailer was met with a thunderous applause and cheering from the audience. Hernandez and Brown were later interviewed by Geoff Keighley and the two discussed the development of the game and how they were excited to see what people thought come the release of gameplay footage.

Trophies and Achievements

 * Platinum - Earn every trophy in Aether's Veil.
 * Smooth Criminal - Sneak through an area without being spotted.
 * Zoned Out - Explore the entirety of Aether.
 * No Trace - Hide fifty bodies.
 * The Loop - Become acquainted.
 * Border Crossing - Get the supplies.
 * Heads Will Roll - The Hellions will be missing this one.
 * Dead of the Night - Checking up on old friends.
 * Avail - Change of plans.

Pre-Release
When the teaser trailer for Aether's Veil was shown at E3 2014, the game garnered a massively positive response from audience members and hosts.