Frogwares, the developers of The Sinking City, have released a brand new trailer that showcases the inner-workings of the investigation system in this Lovecraft-inspired, story-rich, horror. Just bear in mind that the investigating process is built around the principle that the game won’t hold your hand through any of it. You have been warned…
The protagonist of the tale, Charles W. Reed, ends up in Oakmont, Massachusetts and discovers that it’s a place in ruins, due to some unprecedented supernatural goings on. As a private investigator, you use his detective skills to try and understand the bizarre situation, while he’s slowly succumbing to the insanity within. The investigation system really forces players to truly think, deduct and make their own (possibly incorrect) conclusions, rather than just follow convenient waypoint markers. There are no objectives on the map or straightforward quests, and none of the aforementioned magic waypoint markers automatically telling you where to go or search. You will have to piece together the mystery yourself by finding clues, locations and suspects using the few tools at hand and a real cunning approach.
You’ll be able to spot obscure details on the evidence with the help of your “Mind’s Eye” ability, whilst reimagining the events that took place at a crime scene is possible with “Retrocognition”. Following “The Omens” reveals what’s unseen to any other ordinary detective too. Another option is to utilise the “Archives” within the City Hall, Police Station, Library and other facilities in order to piece together the troubled history of Oakmont. And then it’s all about cross-referencing every fact at hand within your “Mind Palace” to come to your own conclusion.
This latest gameplay trailer for The Sinking City shows that it’s shaping up to be a very interesting, rather scary, prospect. Although there’s no set release date at the moment, The Sinking City is still expected to launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in 2019.