What if you could see the future before deciding what to do in the present? That is the intriguing premise behind .curator, a new cinematic adventure RPG from independent developer STRTL Games and acclaimed science-fiction author Richard K. Morgan, best known as the creator of Altered Carbon.
Coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, .curator puts players in control of a mysterious figure who can glimpse possible futures and then interfere with them.
The game has been announced as an episodic single-player adventure, with its first season already written. While there is currently no release date, .curator is available to wishlist on Steam.
At A Glance
- Game: .curator
- Developer: STRTL Games
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
- Release: TBC
A World Where The Future Can Be Changed
.curator takes place in a post-Victorian world that has been transformed by dangerous technologies and the remnants of an ancient alien civilisation. Political corruption sits at the heart of the ruling regime, while the player is drawn into a much larger mystery surrounding the forces shaping this strange society.
Players take on the role of a member of the Curator Corps. Their greatest advantage comes from an advanced predictive technology called Quantum Sleet, which allows possible futures to be modelled before actions are taken.
That doesn’t mean every outcome can simply be predicted and avoided, though. The decisions made can influence what happens next, potentially changing relationships, determining who survives and altering the direction of the story.
Your Choices Have Consequences
Rather than relying solely on combat, .curator gives players different ways to approach its situations. Investigation, deception, distraction, fighting and even charm can all have a part to play.
Helping the Curator navigate those encounters is C.R.I.S.S.I., an onboard AI assistant that works alongside the predictive technology. Together, they provide the tools needed to examine possible outcomes before deciding how to intervene in the present.
It also means that seemingly minor decisions could have much larger consequences later on.
Richard K. Morgan Brings The Story To Life
The involvement of Richard K. Morgan gives .curator an interesting pedigree. The author behind Altered Carbon has helped shape a science-fiction setting that aims to put storytelling and player agency at its centre.
“One of the great things about the games industry is that it’s constantly pushing the boundaries” explained Richard K. Morgan. “You know that somewhere there’s always someone working on some cool new stuff you’ve never seen before. So when I got invited into the Curator project by this highly talented bunch of guys, a couple of whom I’d already worked with before, I jumped at the chance. What STRTL are offering here is immersion in real storytelling with real consequences, for both the player and the surrounding characters. In a world of ADHD twitch shooters, violent, unremitting gore, and loud, brightly coloured splash and awe, Curator offers something else, something different – a cooler, more thoughtful, more painterly and, ultimately, I think, more humane take on the gaming experience.”
STRTL Games is also made up of developers with experience across a number of established franchises, including S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Crysis 2, Syndicate, MotoGP, Warface and Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3. That experience is being put towards a game that wants its cinematic presentation to complement its interactive elements rather than simply tell players a story from the sidelines.
An Episodic Adventure Is On The Way
.curator will be released as an episodic series, with the complete first season already written. Episode One will arrive first, with the remaining episodes following across the season.
For now, STRTL Games is keeping details surrounding the release timing and episode schedule under wraps. The announcement teaser does, however, offer an early look at the game’s visual style, with its characters, animations, effects and sound all created from real in-game assets running in Unreal Engine.
“.curator blends everything we love about games and movies,” said Oleksii Plaksin, Art Director at STRTL Games. “It delivers a cinematic experience that you actively play rather than passively watch. You make the choices, you alter future events – you’re the Curator.”
With its combination of science-fiction, branching consequences and a world shaped by player decisions, .curator is certainly one to keep an eye on. There is no release date to circle just yet, but with the first season already written and the game heading to PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, STRTL Games has plenty of room to reveal more before the first episode arrives.
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