After a failed first go on Kickstarter, the game formerly known as Ascent is back with a new campaign and a new name: Four Stories Below. The first project developed by 2Man Game Studio, Four Stories Below is trying to synthesize the psychological thriller experience we know so well from the silver screen into a medium that allows us to take part in the events. It is planned to have PC/Steam, PS4, and Xbox One releases.
The title has you taking up the role of Brie, a young college grad that was kidnapped from the airport after having arrived in New York. When she wakes, she finds that she’s in an abandoned office building and, upon further inspection of her surroundings, learns that she has a mere two hours to escape her new prison before her captors return. During the game, you find other prisoners and are forced to choose between being an ethical helper or a reluctant survivor.
The game itself takes cues from walking simulators, stealth, RPG, and survival-horror genres. As of this writing, there is only mock-up gameplay, such as the short stealth sequence seen in the above trailer. The fact that the game is played out in real time over two hours seems to be its primary hook, but with a focus on decision-making, there seems to be an intent to allow for some replayability.
2Man Game Studio is asking for $10,000 — which they acknowledge is $5,000 less than their first go– and provides a detailed breakdown as to what your money will go toward covering. The vast majority goes toward software and hardware, while the remaining goes toward backer fees and Kickstarter fees. Currently, they’ve managed to raise about 1/10 of that amount.
As always, when dedicating your money to a Kickstarter campaign, you should thoroughly look into it for yourself before making any monetary commitments. With that being said, if you’re interested in checking out Four Stories Below, then you can go to its Kickstarter page here.
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Note: The author went to college with Four Story Below‘s creator.
