mercenary planet | game development

"A MAD VISION. A BROKEN WORLD. HUMANITY'S LAST STAND."

Welcome to Mercenary Planet—a dark, urgent science-fiction saga where post-apocalyptic survival collides with biomechanical warfare. Set against the haunting landscapes of Southern India, this transmedia project (AAA video game, cinematic universe, and potential Netflix series) presents a bold new vision for global storytelling. Step into a world where a lone scientist dares to challenge a tyrant’s empire with creatures unlike anything seen before.

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ORIGIN OF THE IDEA

Seventeen years ago in Bangalore, Mercenary Planet was born during the early career of creator Vijayasarathi Rajasekaran, then working in 3D animation and the gaming industry. Originally conceptualized as a blend of biomechanical warfare, mystery, and post-apocalyptic survival, the project was shelved for years—but its spark never faded.

Now, reimagined and fully revitalized, Mercenary Planet is poised to evolve into a cutting-edge AAA IP powered by Unreal Engine—combining rich South Indian cultural landscapes with a visually explosive, globe-reaching science-fiction experience.

THE CURRENT EVOLUTION

The evolution of Mercenary Planet reflects a sophisticated growth not only in its story but also in its characters and environments, perfectly aligning with contemporary real-world developments. The narrative has deepened to blend artistic vision, advanced technology, intellectual themes, and philosophical questions, creating a rich tapestry that resonates on multiple levels. Characters have become more complex, embodying human struggles amid a post-apocalyptic world shaped by biomechanical forces and AI domination. The environments showcase a fusion of cultural heritage and futuristic landscapes, offering a visually striking and immersive setting that mirrors today’s global challenges and technological advancements.

THE CREATOR

Vijayasarathi Rajasekaran is a storyteller, game designer, and 3D artist and an entrepreneur with deep experience in animation , Gaming and VFX. His passion lies in building worlds that are unconventional, cinematic, and emotionally driven. With Mercenary Planet, he brings a lifelong vision to life—fusing biomechanical imagination with a uniquely Indian sense of place, survival, and resilience.

THE WORLD & STORY

A World on the Brink

The Deep South of Tamil Nadu, India—once teeming with life—is now a shattered post-apocalyptic wasteland. Humanity’s survival hangs by a thread after half the planet is wiped out by the empire of Lord Kael, a fallen leader who wields a centralized AI brain and an army of adaptive, machine-driven monsters.

Earth Witnessing

In the wastelands of a post-apocalyptic Earth, survivors gather under a fractured sky, gazing upon the impossible—Mars looming close, split by molten scars and radiating unnatural energy. This catastrophic shift was orchestrated by Lord Kayel, whose rogue AI mastery twisted the planet's magnetic fields to drag Mars into Earth's orbit. As the red planet draws near, its ominous glow and crackling fissures herald a new, perilous era. The world’s few remaining are no longer just survivors—they are mercenaries, forced to adapt to an Earth forever changed by cosmic upheaval, where every dawn brings fresh dangers and new alliances beneath the blood-red shadow of Mars.

Megamalai Hills Village

Nestled deep in the Megamalai Hills of Tamil Nadu, this tranquil village is lined with weathered houses beneath the shadow of towering peaks. Life here is peaceful and untouched—until the darkness of Lord Kayel’s invasion threatens everything the villagers hold dear. Unbeknownst to the innocent residents, beneath one humble home lies the secret entrance to Dr. Sanjay’s underground sci-fi laboratory. As Lord Kayel’s mechanized forces descend upon the quiet lanes, it falls to Dr. Sanjay—and his squadron of stealthy Bio-Mech Warriors—to defend the villagers and stop the invaders by any means necessary. In these silent hills, the fate of humanity may hinge on a hidden lab, a determined scientist, and the courage of a village fighting for its future.

RT-Zone Refuge Camp: The Last Bastion

As the sun sets over mountains ablaze with conflict, the RT-Zone Refuge Camp—nicknamed the “Safe Zone”—stands as humanity’s last sanctuary. Survivors from across a shattered Earth are ushered in by the resistance, desperate to escape the devastation wrought by Lord Kayel’s invading AI army. Helicopters cut through the smoky sky, bringing the wounded and the weary, while Dr. Sanjay’s Bio-Mech Warriors brace for the next wave. The camp, hidden amid ruined technology and burning barricades, is the focal point in the war for survival. Here, the resistance races against time and overwhelming odds, determined to protect the last free humans as enemy machines close in, seeking the one force—the Bio-Mechs—that still dares to fight back.

THE MAIN CHARACTERS

At the core of the resistance is Dr. Sanjay, a brilliant yet isolated scientist driven by grief and unwavering resolve. Operating from a hidden cave laboratory, he creates a team of biomechanical warriors—Viper, Striker, Hyena, Cancer, and H2borg—each uniquely engineered to counter the relentless forces of Lord Kael’s AI empire. Sanjay’s motivation deepens through his bond with Freya, a courageous survivor from Denmark whom he has come to love as a daughter, grounding his battle with a sense of family and hope.

Opposing them stands Lord Kael, the architect of a merciless regime, ruling through a malleable, ever-evolving AI Core Brain and an endless, adaptive army. The clash between Sanjay’s makeshift family and Kael’s soulless legion raises the stakes beyond mere survival—a battle fought for humanity’s very soul.

The Protagonist

At the heart of the resistance is Sanjay, a reclusive, eccentric scientist marked by grief and obsession. From the depths of his underground cave laboratory, he experiments with impossible creations: biomechanical beings designed to outthink and outfight Kael’s empire.

The Ally

Beside him stands Freya, a brave young survivor from Denmark whom Sanjay rescued during the chaos of invasion. Their bond strengthens into one of father and daughter—an anchor of humanity in a world gone dark.

The Enemy

Lord Kael rules through fear and destruction. His centralized AI Core Brain adapts to every attack, reprogramming swarms of drones, war machines, and biomech soldiers. Crushing Kael means dismantling this mind—and breaking his expanding empire for good.

THE BIO-MECH WARRIORS

Dr. Sanjay’s Bio-Mech Warriors are a formidable team of biomechanical creations designed to combat Lord Kael’s AI forces. Viper strikes with deadly agility and precision as a fast flanker armed with a railgun. Striker adapts fluidly, leaping vast distances and reshaping its insectoid form equipped with pulse cannons. Hyena, grotesque and unsteady on one leg, wields chaotic destruction with its tentacles and nose-cannon. Cancer is the unstoppable heavy hitter, a massive crab-like beast clad in mechanized armor and crushing claws. Leading them all is H2borg, a towering fusion of man, Ape and machine, combining human intelligence with brutal firepower. Together, they form Sanjay’s final line of defense to reclaim Earth’s future.

VIPER AKA ONAN

A sinuous form approximately 6 foot tall, with iridescent scales in deep emerald and gunmetal gray. Its head features both snake-like heat-sensing pits and frog-like stereoscopic eyes that glow with an eerie amber light. Retractable mechanical plates protect vital areas while allowing fluid movement. The rail gun mounted along its spine can rotate 180 degrees, though firing causes temporary rigidity in its segmented body. Powerful hydraulic muscles enable quick strikes and high jumps, while adhesive pads on its underside allow for vertical surface navigation.
Cold and calculating, Viper exhibits predatory intelligence with an unsettling focus on its objectives. While highly effective in combat, it struggles with impulsive hunting instincts that sometimes override tactical priorities. Shows unexpected moments of curiosity about organic lifeforms, though this can interfere with mission parameters. Demonstrates both patience in stalking and aggressive territorialism when threatened.
Created in Sanjay's cave laboratory as the first of his biomechanical warriors, Viper emerged from experiments combining amphibian adaptability with serpentine mobility. Initial tests revealed unstable aggression levels, requiring multiple refinements to balance its predatory nature with strategic compliance. The fusion of organic tissue with mechanical components resulted in enhanced sensory capabilities but also created a persistent internal conflict between instinct and programming.
Communicates through a series of mechanical clicks and biological hisses that other units have learned to interpret. When interfacing with command systems, uses precise, clipped phrases focused on tactical data. Occasional glitches cause it to revert to primitive warning sounds when agitated. Mission reports are delivered in short, efficient bursts of data interspersed with threat assessments of surrounding areas.

STRIKER

Adaptable but unpredictable, Striker exhibits an almost obsessive drive to transform and experiment with its forms, sometimes at inappropriate moments. While incredibly loyal to its team, it can be erratic in combat, alternating between moments of brilliant tactical coordination and chaotic individual actions. Shows signs of pride in its transformative abilities, occasionally leading to overconfidence.
Cold and calculating, Striker exhibits predatory intelligence with an unsettling focus on its objectives. While highly effective in combat, it struggles with impulsive hunting instincts that sometimes override tactical priorities. Shows unexpected moments of curiosity about organic lifeforms, though this can interfere with mission parameters. Demonstrates both patience in stalking and aggressive territorialism when threatened.
Created in Sanjay's cave laboratory as part of his biomechanical defense force, Striker emerged from experiments combining Frog and Raptor DNA with advanced metamorphic technology. Initial testing revealed both its extraordinary potential and its tendency toward unstable transformations, requiring additional calibration and specialized training to harness its abilities effectively.
Communicates through a series of mechanical clicks and whirs, occasionally punctuated by high-pitched tones that indicate its current transformation state. In team communications, its messages are often brief and focused on tactical advantages, though sometimes interrupted by static during intense shape-shifting moments.

HYENA

Fascinating fusion of organic and mechanical parts, standing at 7 Foot tall on its single, hydraulic-powered leg. Its hemispherical head houses an advanced targeting system visible through a series of pulsing red sensors. Two biomechanical tentacles, each 3 meters long, emerge from its midsection, covered in flexible armor plating that ripples with each movement. Its main cannon is seamlessly integrated into its head structure, while secondary weapons systems are distributed across its frame. Its surface displays a mottled pattern of grays and browns, helping it blend into the post-apocalyptic landscape.
Unpredictable and mischievous, with an unsettling tendency to find humor in destruction. While effective in combat, it can be difficult to control and sometimes ignores tactical plans in favor of causing maximum chaos. Shows unexpected loyalty to its creator Sanjay and a peculiar protective instinct toward its fellow bio-warriors, despite its otherwise anarchic nature.
Created by Sanjay as the third of his biomechanical warriors, Hyena's unusual design emerged from the necessity to maximize firepower while maintaining mobility in cluttered battlefields. Its single-leg design was initially considered a flaw, but proved to be an advantage in maintaining balance while firing its powerful cannons. The tentacles were later additions, developed to help it navigate rough terrain and provide close-combat capabilities.
Communicates through a series of mechanical chirps and distorted laughing sounds, reminiscent of its namesake. When speaking through its communication system, its voice carries a metallic echo that many find unnerving. Often punctuates its speech with inappropriate bursts of laughter, especially during combat situations. Despite its unsettling vocal patterns, it can convey complex tactical information efficiently when required.

CANCER

A massive biomechanical entity, Cancer's reinforced exoskeleton combines organic armor with titanium alloy plating. Its distinctive sideways movement is powered by six heavily articulated legs, each ending in magnetic grips. Two oversized front claws house plasma cutters and crushing mechanisms capable of exerting 50 tons of pressure. Multiple weapon ports dot its carapace, concealing everything from missile launchers to electromagnetic pulse generators. Its Eye visual sensors connect with the back of its body glow a deep red, arranged in clusters that provide 360-degree battlefield awareness.
Cancer possesses a single-minded determination in battle, relentlessly focused on its mission objectives. Despite its mechanical nature, it exhibits an almost obsessive compulsion to gather and store objects during combat, reflecting a curious blend of methodical efficiency and unexpected distraction. Its terse communication style underscores, a no-nonsense approach, but there's an underlying sense of pride in its role as a formidable siege unit.
Third in the line of Sanjay's biomechanical warriors, Cancer was specifically designed for siege warfare and breakthrough operations. Its basic genetic template comes from a species of armored deep-sea crab, enhanced with military-grade cybernetics and weapon systems. Initial field tests revealed an unexpected side effect of its crab DNA: a strong instinct to collect and store useful objects found during battles, sometimes to the point of distraction.
Cancer's communication style is terse and direct, often limited to status reports and tactical observations. It speaks in a deep, resonating tone that sounds like metal grinding on metal. When agitated, it tends to click its claws and emit low-frequency rumbles. Despite its limited vocabulary, it has developed a habit of announcing its attacks with short, aggressive phrases like "Position acquired" or "Resistance futile.

H2BORG

Imposing figure with the blend of Ape,Bear,Human Blend, H2borg's frame combines sleek titanium alloy plating with visible organic muscle fibers protected by transparent armor. Its head features a distinctive visor that pulses with Green energy, concealing whatever remains of its human features. Hydraulic joints move with surprising grace despite their size, and its surface bears battle scars that have been patched with both mechanical repairs and regenerated tissue. Combat modules are seamlessly integrated into its arms and chest, maintaining a humanoid silhouette while housing significant firepower
A complex fusion of determination and inner conflict, H2borg exhibits strong leadership qualities tempered by an underlying struggle with its dual nature. While fiercely protective of its team and mission, it can be frustratingly rigid in its tactical approaches, sometimes failing to adapt quickly enough to changing situations. Its unwavering focus on justice occasionally blinds it to nuanced solutions, and its attempts to understand human emotion often result in awkward or mechanical responses to emotional situations. Despite these challenges, it possesses a deep, if sometimes confused, sense of empathy that drives its actions.
Created as the crown jewel of Sanjay's biomechanical warriors, H2borg originated from cutting-edge fusion of organic tissue and advanced robotics. Its consciousness emerged from a complex neural network designed to bridge the gap between human intuition and machine efficiency. While its exact creation process remains classified, H2borg carries fragments of memories from its organic components, leading to occasional moments of unexpected humanity that both enhance and complicate its leadership role.
H2borg speaks in a deep, resonant voice that carries both authority and a slight mechanical undertone. Its speech patterns are precise and formal, occasionally interrupted by more colloquial phrases that seem to surface from its human components. When issuing commands, it uses clear, concise language, but in quieter moments, it sometimes struggles to find appropriate words for expressing more complex emotions, leading to endearingly awkward attempts at casual conversation.

GAMEPLAY CONCEPT

Genre: Mystery · Action · Sci-Fi

Engine: Unreal Engine

Gameplay Overview

Two Perspectives: Control Sanjay in stealth and strategy phases, then switch between his biomechanical warriors during intense battlefield missions.

Adaptive AI: Lord Kael’s army evolves tactics to counter your attacks—forcing constant upgrades and new strategies.

Semi-Open World Gameplay: Explore devastated Tamil Nadu villages, alien-infected forests, and Kael’s mechanical fortresses.

Cinematic Combat: Fast, brutal battles with cinematic camera angles, destructible environments, and unique synergy abilities across biomechs.

WHY MERCENARY PLANET IS DIFFERENT?

The first global sci-fi epic rooted in Southern India’s landscapes, mythology, and survivalist spirit.
Never-before-seen hybrids between animals, robotics, and organic cores.
Dark and emotional narrative balancing action with layered human connections.
Built to scale into games, an animated Netflix series, and live-action cinema.

Key Gameplay Loop

Mercenary Planet’s core gameplay loop—Build → Deploy → Adapt → Upgrade → Redeploy—is uniquely immersive because each player’s build evolves based on their individual XP gains, making every strategy personalized and distinct. As players earn experience, they unlock new abilities and customization options for their bio-mech warriors, shaping their combat style and strengths. This dynamic progression not only influences gameplay tactics but also impacts the evolving lore, with the story adapting to players’ choices and battlefield successes. This integration of player growth and narrative evolution creates a living world where each player’s journey shapes the fight for survival, offering a fresh and deeply engaging strategy experience that stands apart from static, one-size-fits-all games. This fluid strategy system is a compelling selling point, blending tactical depth with fast-paced action that rewards innovation and quick decision-making in a desperate fight for survival.

Merc Learning & Development Program

The Merc Learning and Development Program is a specially designed training initiative for students, volunteers, and professionals passionate about game development. Centered on project-based learning, the program offers comprehensive instruction in Unreal Engine alongside industry-standard tools like Autodesk Maya, Blender, and Substance Painter. This immersive approach equips participants with the latest skills needed to excel in modern game creation. By fostering a collaborative Merc Learning community, the program encourages collective thinking, creativity, and growth, providing not only hands-on experience but also valuable project credits. Through this unique blend of education and practical application, participants unlock the full potential of Unreal Engine while building a strong network for future opportunities in the gaming industry.

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