Moons of Madness set to rise in 2018

Written by Jack Allin — August 11, 2017 at 12:28

Most Lovecraftian horror stories hit pretty close to home – that's one of the reasons they're so scary. But indie Norwegian developer Rock Pocket Games plans to take the famed horror author's influence to outer space next year in their first-person sci-fi adventure Moons of Madness. 

While specific story details have yet to be revealed, Moons of Madness follows the exploits – both external and internal – of astronaut Shane Newehart as he struggles to come to terms with the "supernatural events that occur on research station Trailblazer Alpha, the first scientific outpost on the planet Mars." Along with simply trying to overcome the ordeals of the red planet's harsh environs, players begin to experience "zone-out" hallucinations that comprise "events from Shane’s past, things that will happen in the future, and information about things that should be impossible for him to know." Only by exploring the protagonist's own fragile mental state will you be able to "learn the secrets behind the sinister moons of madness."

Not based on any particular Lovecraft story, the game nevertheless seeks to emulate the "sense that ordinary life is a thin shell over a reality that is so alien and abstract in comparison that merely contemplating it would damage the sanity of the ordinary person." Yet balancing that fear-based fiction is a commitment to "hard science" based on "meticulous analysis of NASA and Space X research" in depicting the travails on Mars. The free-roaming, 3D presentation is meant to provide a "realistic interpretation" of the planet, and the puzzles (promised to be an "integral part" of the game) are designed to "always fit into the environment and make sense in the context."

Currently in development for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, we won't see Moons of Madness until at least the first quarter of 2018, but in the meantime, you can drop by the official website to learn more.