Why All The Sacrifice?

A fundamental belief in Aztec culture was that the sun moved through the sky on a divine engine powered by blood. Many of the gods in their mythos fought and killed each other to keep the sun moving and the Aztec people felt the need to contribute to this by following suit and providing their own blood. This is why human sacrifice was so incredibly important to them; spilling massive amounts of blood on a regular basis was their way of maintaining the benefits derived from the sun. This core belief affected many facets of Aztec life:

• To make a sacrifice was an honor. This is why priests held positions of such power. As the ones doing the sacrificing, they were interfacing directly with the sun.
• To provide a captive that could be sacrificed was an honor. This is why Aztec warfare was so ritualized and important and it's also why warriors held positions of such power. They were providing a significant amount of warm bodies.
• To BE sacrificed was an honor. It's as simple as that. If you cared about yourself, your family, your agricultural society, and the world, you were proud to give your blood to the sun.

This will play out in Aztez with specific mechanics that are in place simply so the player can perform a dynamic sacrifice in the middle of combat. Because of the critical importance of blood in sheer amount, it's not only going to be the currency of the game (money), but a representation of your own vitality (health), and the measurement of success on a per fight basis (score). As you saw in the weapon effects demo, there will be no shortage of blood in the game! The fun and the challenge will be in managing it.