Top Hat Studios and developer Suzaku have announced the PC, Linux, and Mac release date for survival horror title Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story.
Inspired by Clock Tower and Fatal Frame, Mei-Lin Mak lives in Neo Hong Kong in 2083. Through he cybernetic eyes, she begins to see “ghosts” in the ruins of the Chong Sing Apartments. Delving into stories of the ancient past and dystopian future, she must uncover the mysteries of the 14 souls, and the curse on her family.
Interrogate NPCs, use your eyes to examine objects, and keep your wits about you. While you can save your game, there are no checkpoints or autosaves; meaning deadly consequences of your actions have more weight to them.
You can find the PC launch trailer below.
You can find the full rundown (via Steam) below.
Sense – 不祥的预感: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story is a 2.5D game inspired by Clock Tower and Fatal Frame. With careful attention to pacing, atmosphere and storytelling, Sense hopes to return the horror genre to its roots; celebrating the slow, fearful creep of dread instead of relying on over the top action and jump scares. The ghosts – as glitches on our reality – act as spiritual and paranormal threats, not monsters to be killed. The horror of our story comes from atmosphere and storytelling, not loud sound and artificial effects.
STORY
In 2083 Neo Hong Kong, a young woman named Mei-Lin Mak is dragged into a maelstrom of supernatural horror. As she peers deeper into a century old mystery, Mei will be forced to question her perception of reality and whether she trusts her cybernetic eyes. Under the neon lights of a cyberpunk dystopia, the ruins of the ‘Chong Sing Apartments’ hides a bloody mystery illuminated by both the traditions of Chinese folklore, and the innovations of the industrial future. If there is any hope of escaping this nightmare, Mei-Lin must explore this complex, piecing together the stories of 14 lost souls, and discover the truth of her own family curse.
GAMEPLAY
Sense features deep survival horror and exploration-based gameplay complemented by partial voice acting, puzzle solving, and intricate secrets and exploration. The game is playable in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.
The game features:
INTERACTION
The player will need to search and examine every nook and cranny of the world around them in order to progress. Some items may not be visible until specific chains are completed, and some items may be hidden from Mei’s cybernetic eyes at all times, as if spirited away by the ghosts stalking her. Some may require quick wit – and have urgent consequences.
DIALOGUE
NPCs will be heavily populating a few areas of the full game, but there may be some wandering the halls with you. Talking to them can reveal information about the world, the mystery at hand, and even some unexpected secrets.
ZOOMS
Some interactions require a closer look, zooms allow for a different view of items, areas, and puzzles. Make sure to search every inch.
LORE
The world of Sense is huge and complex, each location will reveal details about Neo-Hong Kong and the surrounding world. From Geo-Politics to inter-character relationships, don’t be afraid to click on anything that looks interesting.
GHOSTS
The ghosts of the Chung Sing building can hurt you, but can you hurt them? Short answer is no, but you can help them pass on. Shrines, offerings, and solving mysteries will be your only weapons.
SHINREI SPOTS
The 14 lost souls of the Chung Sing building are not the only spirits lurking the halls. Dozens of hidden ghost photos fill the locations of Sense. Finding them all may reveal a secret!
DEATH AND FAILURE
Like all the best games, failure and mistakes should be punished, but in a heavily narrative game how do you do that? How do you promote stakes and risk? The answer is simple, fill the world with dangerous events and deadly spirits. Just make sure to record your progress at the occasional TV, there are NO checkpoints or autosaves in the Chung Sing building.
NG+ REPLAYABILITY
Sense will be filled with secrets, only some of them will be revealed in a single play through. Some secrets wont be able to escape the spirit realm until the “Plus” appears
MATURE CONTENT DESCRIPTION
The developers describe the content like this:
Sense does not contain adult or explicit content (there is no full nudity), but features skimpy/semi-revealing outfits, and mature themes. There are references to alcohol, tobacco/drugs, and topics which some may find distressing, such as murder, suicide, and abuse. References to more mature “themes” such as stripping exist in game. Contains visceral horror elements which includes disturbing imagery, blood/gore, and violent character deaths.
Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story launches August 25th on Windows PC, Linux, Mac (all via Steam), and Fall 2020 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One.
Image: Steam
