The story also takes a series of interesting turns that simultaneously open the action out to a more cosmic scale and focus inward to Newehart’s own family traumas. The sudden intrusion of instant death and a lack clear signposting elicited a deep sigh, but it is certainly worth persevering through this obstacle. Fortunately, they are relatively infrequent, but the first main one is so dependent on trial and error that it could easily put players off. These are often the bane of otherwise well-crafted atmospheric experiences and, to some extent, they are here as well. This is most clearly seen in obligatory chase sequences that feature so heavily in so many horror games. Once things take a turn for the cosmic horror, however, the pace of the game also changes. Much of your early time is spent locating batteries and activating switches, although the atmosphere and scene-setting makes this far more enjoyable than that description makes it sound. This approach slowly eases you into life on Mars and gives you a chance to get a feel for the layout of the base in a threat-free fashion before the poop hits the fan. In typical sci-fi fashion, the early parts of your Martian experience feature the kind of mundane activities that would make actual space travel feel like janitor work. Moons of Madness initially takes is graphic design cues from the sterile and clinical stylings of Space Odyssey and Duncan Jones’ Moon, but it’s a style that quickly gives way to tentacle-like roots and inky black ooze. Fortunately, these puzzles are generally challenging without becoming frustrating. You’ll spend most of your time exploring and solving environmental puzzles rather than fighting off aliens. The lack of weaponry and fighting ability differentiates Shane Newehart from Doom Guy or Dead Space’s Isaac Clarke – even if he shares the job of engineer with the latter. Much of the game’s style of horror operates through the steady sense of dread it establishes and maintains, aside from a few obligatory set-pieces. You begin seeing and hearing things that aren’t there.In direct contrast to more action-filled martian escapades like Doom, Moons of Madness owes more to the walking simulator genre than first person shooters. Crucial systems are malfunctioning, the greenhouse is filled with a strange mist and the rest of your team has yet to return from their EVA mission. Soon you discover strange and unusual setbacks. Your job is simply to keep the lights on until the transport ship Cyrano arrives bringing with it a new team to take over your duties. You are Shane Newehart, an engineer stationed at Trailblazer Alpha and your security clearance means you are completely unaware of the existence of the mysterious signal. In secret, the corporation began construction of Trailblazer Alpha, a state-of-the-art Mars research outpost designed to identify the true nature of the message. Orochi management immediately concluded that the discovery was too sensitive for public knowledge and moved to keep it hidden. Their analysts broke it down and determined it was of intelligent origin. The message confounded Orochi scientists. Moons of Madness is looking to be one of the scariest games of the year according to many critics out there, and with such a heavy focus on Lovecraftian and cosmic horror, it’s sure to be a treat for many fans. Set in the very near future, the game follows players as they try to build up Mars’ first research settlement, while also trying to survive supernatural terrors that threaten to “tear down the very fabric of reality”. As a first-person story-driven experience, players will step into the shoes of Shane Newehart, a crew member of a small research group deployed to Mars. If you haven’t checked out any of the footage from Moons of Madness, then allow us to pique your interest just a little bit. Moons of Madness, the latest in the recent surge of Lovecraftian horror titles, is set to release on PC on October 22, with consoles getting a 2020 release date. If you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror stories, then developer Rock Pocket Games has quite a treat for you.
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