Subsurface Circular

Subsurface Circular published on SWITCH, PC and iOS is an original adventure developed by the independent studio Bithell Games led by Mike Bithell – the author of such warmly-received titles as Thomas Was Alone and Volume.

Plot

The title takes the player to an exciting world dwelled by robots. When a working class robots start to mysteriously disappear, a detective decides to step in. In order to solve the case, the protagonist travels by a kind of metro, called Subsurface Circular, and interrogates passengers.

Mechanics

The style of Subsurface Circular for SWITCH, PC and iOS is minimalistic. The game’s core element is talking to NPCs, which is carried out in a visual novel form. During gameplay, the player does not control the hero directly, but only talks to different robots and chooses those dialogue options, which can push the story forward. From time to time, it is possible to make use of Focus Points – key words unlocked in the process of conversing, which combined correctly will make the talk go in the right direction. There is an indicator showing how much of the journey has left, and how much time you have before the interlocutor gets off.

Acquiring a particular piece of evidence does not always come easy – some robots are keen on sharing information, while others are suspicious. Additionally, you can unlock BithellBot which grants access to developer commentaries available for listening during gameplay.

Technical aspects

The 3D visuals of Subsurface Circular are really decent, especially models of robots and lighting carried out in minute-detail. The latter, together with the soundtrack by Dana le Saca, builds up a unique atmosphere.

Last updated on 10 November 2017