Some Distant Memory drawing closer on PC and Switch

Written by Jack Allin — September 15, 2019 at 11:38

Many games offer a rather sobering view of Earth's future after a cataclysmic disaster. But what of those who survive, trying to reconstruct an understanding of the past through the scant evidence left behind? This is the premise behind Some Distant Memory, an exploratory adventure from Galvanic Games coming later this year.

It's been 300 years since the planet was devastated, and the outlook for those who remain is still bleak. Players control Professor Zay, an archeologist on a "mission to find the sunken city of Houston." You've been "systematically exploring the wastes without any sign of the ruins" for several years, until one day "everything changes when you fall into the ruins of an ancient house." Accompanied by "ARORA, an AI who's been humanity's guiding lantern since the Collapse, and the Commander, an explorer newly charged with keeping you safe," you must now attempt to piece together "what happened to civilization [...] and discover the secrets of the family whose tomb you've raided. And then find a way out."

Presented in a stylish hand-drawn aesthetic with appropriately muted post-apocalyptic colours, Some Distant Memory focuses less on solving puzzles and more on experiencing a "heartfelt story about relationships, creativity, and the importance of remembering those that are gone." Players must sift through the relics in a single house "mysteriously preserved" from a time when "humans could breathe Earth's air and walk outside without a suit." With help from ARORA's Memory Reconstruction system, the "memories of the people who lived there come to life" through digital recreations of the "photos, journals, and other items" you uncover. In this way you are able to reconstruct "moments from the past, and learn the profound stories of those who lived and loved one another before their world was destroyed." And who knows, "with only a handful of people remaining on Earth, could Professor Zay discover the path to mankind's survival?"

No firm release date has yet been announced, but Some Distant Memory is currently scheduled to be launched on Steam for Windows and Mac later this year, with a Switch version also planned. To learn more about the game while you wait, check out the official website for additional details.