First look offers glimpse of Last Stop

Written by Jack Allin — April 20, 2021 at 10:45

Variable State made an impressive debut in 2016 with the surreal interactive drama Virginia. Now the indie British developer is back with another narrative adventure called Last Stop, which is due out on PC and consoles this summer. 

Set in present-day London, the game stars three different, seemingly ordinary people whose "worlds collide in the midst of a supernatural crisis." There's Donna, a "spaced-out high-schooler" who attempts to escape her "stifling home life and her overprotective big sister" by seeking thrills with her friends Becky and Vivek. John is an "overworked middle-aged single dad" who envies the carefree life of his "twenty-something bachelor neighbour, Jack." Meena, meanwhile, is a "ruthlessly ambitious professional" who struggles to balance home life with her more exciting job. Little do any of them know what's in store and how they're all connected, as Donna and her pals become "unexpected kidnappers in a game of amateur detective gone wrong;" John and Jack "unwittingly fall foul of a vengeful stranger" and "a cursed artefact threatens to transform their lives forever;" and "something ancient stirs in the basement beneath (Meena's) workplace."

Described as a story about "secret lives, the ties that bind and how magic can be found in the mundane," Last Stop focuses almost exclusive on narrative as players roleplay the three unique characters. As you "walk in their shoes and discover where their individual stories lead," you'll have choices to make that "shape their conversations" along the way. Unlike its wordless predecessor, this game has plenty of dialogue, all fully voiced, and the action is accompanied by "an original soundtrack by BAFTA award-winning composer Lyndon Holland, performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra."

There is no firm target release date just yet, but it's not too far off as Last Stop will be launched on Steam for Windows PC in July, along with console versions for PS4 and 5, Switch, and Xbox One and Series X|S.