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No Man's Sky
Action
August 9, 2016
A science-fiction, sandbox action game with a focus on multiplayer mode. It was developed by Hello Games, a company known for Joe Danger. The game is set in the distant future in the yet uncharted parts of the cosmos, and the gameplay is presented in two forms. We explore the corners of the universe piloting a spacecraft like we do in typical space-sim games. Upon landing on a newly discovered planet, the game switches to first-person view. The devs emphasize the complete freedom given to the player during exploration. While visiting places featuring different animals, plants, or even varying compositions of the planet's atmosphere, we can focus on exploration, gathering raw materials, or fighting against various predators. An important element of the game is the system of the world's procedural generation.
Death Stranding
Action
November 8, 2019
An action adventure game to be available on PlayStation 4 and later on also PC. The title was designed by the industry legend and co-creator of the Metal Gear series, Hideo Kojima. The story of Death Stranding focuses on the evolution of human race and on the “connection” motive which redefines the role of failure and death in videogames. American actor Norman Reedus who is well known for his role in The Walking Dead TV series plays the role of the main protagonist of the title. Reedus previously worked with Kojima on the canceled survival horror Silent Hills. The gameplay mechanics of Death Stranding combine features of action games, adventure games and RPGs. However, the developers have ambition to move beyond the traditional understanding of these genres and create a completely new quality which will combine the traits of traditional video game with symbolism and new ways for experiencing the story and fates of the characters.
Subnautica
Adventure
December 4, 2018
A sandbox game by Unknown Worlds that combines elements of action-adventure productions and RPGs. As the game’s universe draws inspiration from such novels as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, at the bottom of the ocean you can find bizarre sea monsters, as well as remnants of futuristic buildings and ships. The player assumes the role of a captain of an advanced submarine, and explores the depths of the ocean. The game’s characteristic feature is the ability to design vessels and determine such things as performance, layout, on-board mechanisms, and materials used for the construction. You begin with rather primitive ships, but as you progress you will be able to construct more advanced vessels, and explore previously unavailable parts of the ocean. While playing, you can freely walk around your ship, and even go outside to explore the marine world on your own.
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Adventure
April 27, 2022
The Stanley Parable, first-person adventure game from 2013, has been extended with new elements. The title is a narrative experiment, in form of a dynamic movie, where player makes important choices. We play the role of the title Stanley - an employee of a large corporation, whose task is to perform the commands that appear on the computer screen.
Observer
Adventure
August 15, 2017
A psychological first-person horror from the Polish developer studio Bloober Team, known best for another horror game, entitled Layers of Fear. Observer is set in a cyberpunk universe, in Cracow of 2048. In the game you play as Daniel Lazarski (starred by Rutger Hauer, known from the film Blade Runner), a detective able to hack into people’s minds. The game’s story starts when the main hero gets a letter from his missing son, who turns out to be a high-ranking engineer working for a powerful corporation. The protagonist picks up an investigation that takes him to the slums of Cracow and forces him to relive dark memories and nightmares of both criminals and their victims. When it comes to gameplay, Observer is a first-person adventure game with survival horror mechanics. Most of the time the player explores grim locations and interacts with characters encountered on the way. An important aspect of gameplay are sequences in which the protagonist hacks into the minds of suspects and becomes part of their worst nightmares.
The Witness
Puzzle
January 26, 2016
A first-person adventure game with logic puzzles, developed by the creator of Braid – Jonathan Blow and his independent studio Number None. The game takes you to a large, mysterious island, whose all inhabitants vanished without a trace. Gameplay has you explore this vast world, solve logic puzzles, and search for clues that will help you solve the mysteries of this place. Game mechanics resemble the cult Myst series. As you play, you have to display remarkable patience, observance, and the ability to connect different pieces of the story. Many things here have secret meanings, and the key symbols, hints, and markings were cleverly hidden within the game’s environment. The Witness features simple, but charming, 3D graphics and supports the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift.
The Long Dark
Adventure
August 1, 2017
A first person survival sandbox game, developed by independent Canadian studio Hinterland. The team includes veteran game developers, who previously worked for Relic Entertainment, Volition, and BioWare. The game takes you into a post-apocalyptic world after a massive geomagnetic storm. With all electronic devices disabled and water and food supplies running low, the player has to struggle to survive the incoming winter. The game’s sandbox mechanics and its open-world structure give much freedom of gameplay, whose biggest challenges are survival and making difficult moral choices. The game features a compelling narrative written by Marianne Krawczyk, the author of scripts for such titles as God of War and L.A. Noire. The game’s unique character is emphasized by its unusual graphics, designed by Hokyo Lima (known for League of Legends).
Astroneer
Adventure
November 15, 2019
A sandbox game by System Era Softworks. Astroneer is set in the 25th century, when the civilization on Earth has developed enough for interstellar travel to become an everyday occurrence. It resulted in a certain kind of gold fever — people started to explore other planets on their own, driven by the desire of getting rich quick. The open world of the game is procedurally generated, and the surfaces of planets and moons are made of voxels. You play as an astronaut equipped with tools allowing them to dig holes in order to find resources and artifacts, which can be then sold or used to create new items thanks to an expansive crafting system. The system allows not only to make and modify useful equipment and vehicles, but also to build bases. The planets featured in the game vary in terms of gravity, resources, and possible dangers. The game features both a single player mode and a multiplayer mode.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Adventure
July 15, 2015
A dark, first-person adventure game developed by The Astronauts - a Polish team led by Adrian Chmielarz, the co-founder of People Can Fly. The player is put in the shoes of Paul Prospero - a detective who has developed certain paranormal abilities. The protagonist tries to solve the mystery behind the vanishing of a young boy. The player traverses an extensive, open world - the game is non-linear and the player is free to explore and look for subsequent clues. The game offers many unique mechanics related to making links between different pieces of the puzzle. Walking around the grim areas of Red Creek Valley, the protagonist makes use of his extraordinary abilities, making contact with the dead, experiencing various visions and visiting alternative realities. Utilizing the Unreal Engine 3, the game stands out with its high-quality visuals supported by technologies allowing to convert photographs of real-existing places into digital pictures.
Titanic: Honor and Glory
Adventure
cancelled
A first-person adventure game from ORM Entertainment, which was initially supposed to be nothing more than modification to the popular shooter Crysis 2. Its story revolves around the disaster of the famous ocean liner, which sunk in 1912 with hundreds of people on board. We play as a man named Robert Morgan, who, due to false accusations, has to hide aboard the liner from the police. He must find a proof of his innocence, but the collision with the iceberg suddenly makes survival an equally important point. The main goal of the developers was to recreate the interior of the Titanic as faithfully as possible, and, in addition to the story campaign, a special free exploration mode has been prepared to allow us to go sightseeing on the famous ship, look around its almost every corner and interact with various objects on the deck.
Obduction
Adventure
August 29, 2017
A first-person perspective adventure game with logic elements, developed by Cyan - the creators of the cult adventure game series, Myst. Obduction, created as a Myst’s spiritual successor, tells a story of a man who finds a bizarre organic artifact that fell from the sky and is taken by it into a strange world. In the game, our task is to figure out where are we, and then find a way back home. Similarly to the aforementioned Myst series, the key element of the gameplay is gradual uncovering of the game world and its laws and then using this knowledge to overcome the obstacles we encounter. Therefore, the game focuses mainly on exploration and solving subsequent logic puzzles of various difficulty level. The game does not offer any cutscenes, and most of its story is learned by means of exploration, environment analysis, and reading journals we find throughout the world.
The Turing Test
Puzzle
January 24, 2017
A sci-fi FPP logic puzzle game by Bulkhead Interactive, a studio founded by the creators of Pneuma: Breath of Life. The story takes place an unspecified number of years in the future, when scientists discover a seemingly harmless alien life form on Jupiter's moons. You play as an astronaut named Ava Turing, whose task is to examine the new species, and who ends up finding more than she expected. The Turing Test is a part of the FPP logic puzzle genre, popularized by the Portal series. There's no combat in the game, and the gameplay is entirely focused on solving puzzles. To do this, you mostly use a special device that allows you to manipulate energy and transfer if from object to object. You also have to operate various mechanisms and intelligent machines, as well as complete occasional platform challenges.
Rime
Arcade
May 26, 2017
A third-person view adventure game developed by Tequila Works studio from Spain, which successfully debuted in 2012 with a post-apocalyptic platformer Deadlight. You assume the role of a boy who is trying to escape a mysterious island that conceals a sinister past. During the course of the game you will solve numerous puzzles, using a magical artifact that allows you to manipulate the environment and time. The title, despite being an action game also includes many platformer elements. The hero travels through an open world, climbs craggy cliffs, and jumps over chasms. Apart from being skilled, you also have to be perceptive, as light, sound, and touch (thanks to the technology offered by PS Vita and DUALSHOCK 4) play a vital role in Rime. The game features a 3D environment, colorful visuals, and a comic book-like visual style.
Visage
Adventure
October 31, 2020
A psychological horror game and the debut work from SadSquare - an independent studio. The story is non-linear and focuses on a gloomy household that has seen many frightening events throughout the years - it has a history of driving entire families insane, leading to numerous killings and suicides. The protagonist is trapped inside the house, and apart from getting out of there, their goal is to solve the mystery behind the place. The players explore the in-game environment, solve puzzles requiring them to manipulate various objects, and search for clues related to the dark past of the haunted estate. Avoiding contact with ghosts dwelling in the estate is a significant element of gameplay, as the protagonist is incapable of fighting them. Visage utilizes the Unreal Engine 4, which is at the source of the game's high-quality visuals. Furthermore, the game supports VR goggles, though one does not require them in order to play it.
Journey
Adventure
July 21, 2015
Developed by the thatgamecompany studio, Journey is a remarkably unique exploration game, in which we embark on a journey through the desert sands. Our goal is to reach the summit of a great mountain, constantly visible on the horizon. A distinctive feature of Journey is the fact that we do not get a lot of exposure - the production lacks a classic narrative and does not have any dialogues; the nature of our protagonist and of the world we are in, which once harbored a mighty civilization, is all but unknown to us, a mystery, the true nature of which we can only speculate. The game consists of semi-open levels, which contain various puzzles and hidden locations. After passing through each of them we arrive at the next stage and the accompanying cut-scenes allow us to gradually discover and interpret the subsequent fragments of the plot. Journey also has one very intriguing curio - while playing the online mode we can encounter other players and at any time start playing in the co-op mode - but we still have to make do without verbal communication. All of the above is distinguished by an unusual, melancholic atmosphere and very artistic visuals, with focus on a minimalistic but incisive graphic style.