First details unearthed for Necropolis Suite

Written by Jack Allin — November 27, 2021 at 10:38

Jack the Ripper apparently wasn't the only one wreaking havoc in late 19th century London, as an even darker supernatural mystery was occurring in a madman's home at the exact same time, as we'll find out in Freesphere's upcoming 'proper British cosmic horror story' Necropolis Suite.

It's 1886 in Whitechapel, where a man named Frederick Ulaevan secretly "probes the fringes of understanding in an attempt to uncover the occult truths of the universe." What he learns causes him to go insane, however, and Ulaevan turns himself into the police, "raving about dark visions and unspeakable secrets." You are JP Chambers, the detective sent to Ulaevan's estate "perched on the borders of this twisted dreamscape we call reality" in order to "discover what has actually taken place within the impossible twists and loops of the architecture." 

Necropolis Suite is described as a "narrative-driven cosmic horror game about discovery, knowledge, and the meaning of transcendence." Presented in a noir-tinged black-and-white art style in free-roaming, first-person 3D, the game seeks to blend "classic Lovecraftian narrative with German expressionism and Soulsborne sensibilities lovingly enveloped in the gaslight romanticism of Victorian England." The entire game takes place in Ulaevan's home, but this is no ordinary house; instead it's a "metroidvania-esque shifting nightmare that has its own mind depending upon how much insight you have." As a detective it is your job to "sift through information, follow the clues, and piece together the truth," but you'll soon find that "the more you learn ... the more you lose your grip on reality." Losing your mind is unavoidable, and "succumbing to madness will start your journey over." Fortunately, with each new revival you will "keep the knowledge you’ve gained, using it to get a little further, to learn a bit more before insanity inevitably overtakes you once more." 

This is the developer's second attempt at a haunting horror adventure, having previously announced Tether before setting that project aside. There is currently no target release date for Necropolis Suite, but the game will be available on Steam for Windows PC when complete. In the meantime, you can follow its progress through the official website.