SIMULACRA 3 beginning to come into focus

Written by Jack Allin — March 24, 2022 at 08:36

It's probably not a good thing that so much of our lives can be tracked through our phones. It's good for gaming, though, and in particular for Taiwanese developer Kaigan Games' SIMULACRA series, which will be soon be getting a third installment on PC and mobile devices. 

Stonecreek was once a charming little town but has fallen on hard times of late. People have begun "vanishing into thin air, leaving nothing behind but strange symbols where they were last seen." The police have no leads and rumours abound among the remaining inhabitants that "it is the doing of the Beldam, the ghost of a witch that once haunted the streets of Stonecreek." Ruby Myers, the town's "star journalist," begins her investigation into the case, and as an intern at the same local paper, it is your job to assist her. Your only lead? The "phone of the missing Paul Castillo, a software developer, an amateur historian of the town, and one of Ruby’s sources."

As with its predecessors, SIMULACRA 3 is presented in the form of a mobile phone, blending live-action video with first-person digital investigation. While Ruby is off pursuing leads in a town now "corrupted by gentrification and evil's shadow," it's your job to stay behind and dig deep into Paul's phone for any clues left behind." This means accessing personal documents, photos, social media and more, including some all-new apps. As you "delve into the darkest corners of the digital realms," however, time will occasionally be of the essence. You'll be called upon to "hack into security systems to aid Ruby as she evades danger," and "react to video calls in real time." In such circumstances you'll need to "think fast and decide fast" as "your decisions can save lives."

There is no target release date just yet, but SIMULACRA 3 is "coming soon" to Steam for Windows PC, along with mobile versions for iOS and Android devices.