About a month ago I had stumbled upon Lunar Software and interviewed the very cool Aaron Foster about the studio and their work-in-progress, Routine (which you can read here). At the time there was only a teaser and a few screenshots, but they’ve released a new, fleshed-out Alpha gameplay video that shows off some incredible graphics, atmosphere, and ’80s horror.
Routine is a first-person indie horror game set in space on an abandoned moon base. They draw inspiration from a variety of places, including Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey, which shine through in design and tension. As you’re going through the base, you check around corners for your pursuers; armed with a futuristic-yet-retro gun, you must use your ammunition sparingly. One thing chasing you in the darkness appears to be a robot of sorts, so I’m very curious to see what else lurks in the base.
Adding to the immersive quality of the game, you’ll have the option of playing with the Oculus Rift. I don’t know if I can handle that, seeing as I jumped during the transitions in the video. However, with the Oculus Rift or not, Routine promises pure engagement.
Routine is tentatively set to release in 2013 and Lunar Software is chugging away on development. So far it looks smashing; sci-fi could be a breath of fresh air for the survival horror genre.
