Perturbia scaring up funding on Kickstarter
It's a common lament among hardcore gamers that new releases just aren't as challenging as they used to be. Well, be careful what you wish for, as the upcoming Perturbia is a horror adventure promising to offer an old-school challenge. First, though, it must overcome a challenge of its own in raising the necessary funds through Kickstarter.
Perturbia casts players in the first-person role of Josh, a man who finds himself trapped in an "old building in the middle of nowhere." Originally unaware of what awaited him inside, as the "doors closed after him, he felt as if he was walking a path straight to hell... That feeling, unfortunately, wasn't far from the truth." When the elevator taking him to the fourth floor suddenly stops and all the lights go out, his reasons for visiting are immediately forgotten. Now his only motivation is escape.
Inspired by cult horror classics like Alone in the Dark, The 7th Guest and Silent Hill, Perturbia is labeled a "survival horror" but the emphasis is clearly on exploration and puzzle-solving. As you freely navigate your way through the building's 35-plus different rooms, you'll encounter a number of difficult puzzles that will offer a challenge to anyone. This is entirely intentional, as the developers have a fondness for the old-school games in which the most satisfaction came from working through the hardest obstacles. But the puzzles aren't the only thing causing trepidation in a story that's been "created and supervised by a team of expert psychologists." There are some dangers to overcome as well, including one minigame-type scenario that hearkens back to the early first-person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D.
In order to complete the game early next year, indie developer Imaginary Game Studio has taken to Kickstarter to raise $18,000 by March 26th. For a limited time, a minimum $15 pledge will earn backers a DRM-free download of the game for PC or Mac. Fortunately, you can try before you buy (so to speak), as there's a playable demo available for PC. Entitled “The Mind Forest”, the demo will introduce you to the game's old-school puzzle-solving sensibilities and includes the FPS minigame scenario.
If you like what you see, you can support Perturbia through its Kickstarter page and vote for the game to be Greenlit on Steam.
Game information
You might also want to know about
