Nascence in early development for 2021 release

Written by K R Parkinson — November 24, 2020 at 12:03

Psychological horror fans will soon get the chance to return to the world of 2012’s Anna with the upcoming release of Nascence, the first title in a planned trilogy of standalone adventures called “Anna’s Songs.” The new game will continue to “explore the relationship we have with religions, organized and not,” while expanding upon the story of its predecessor, though it does not require knowledge of Anna to fully appreciate.

Jointly developed by Dreampainters Software and Treehouse Studios, Nascence is set in fictional Reluné, a “seemingly picturesque, abandoned tourist town inspired by the Aosta Valley in Italy.” Players will take on the role of Thomas, an “ex-pro photographer” who is a member of an organization that wants to destroy a “centuries-old cult” centered around a goddess “that has ruled the land since ancient times” and has affected “many people with a disease directly linked” to the cult. Thomas’s mission is simple: find the ashes of a medieval woman named Anna, who was killed as a witch and spawned the cult. However, in doing so Thomas will have to grapple with his own demons while trying to “unveil the dark past of the town and its inhabitants, in an attempt to uncover the truth about this seemingly pleasant and charming location, where not everything is as it seems. Sometimes there are terrible secrets hidden in the woods.”

A first-person, free-roaming 3D adventure like the original Anna, Nascence utilizes photogrammetry to render various sights captured in the real-world Aosta Valley as realistically as possible in the fictional game environment, accompanied by a soundtrack performed in its entirety with an ensemble of real instruments. The developer’s goal is once again to deliver a “streamlined horror experience with a nice touch of old-school graphic adventure.”

Nascence is headed for release on Steam for PC, as well as next-generation consoles in 2021. In the meantime, you can keep up with development at the game’s official website.