Those who have played Gone Home remember the creepy horror game atmosphere, only to find themselves in the middle of an intense plot about your character’s sister discovering love and herself. It was engrossing storytelling in a narrative exploration game that really hit the mark, winning two different VGX Awards in 2013 and a BAFTA Games Award in 2014.
Now, the developers are back.
Tacoma is coming in 2016 as The Fullbright Company’s newest project, following its lead female protagonist Amy, an “experienced, deep space technician” as she explores a seemingly empty space station, where, according to co-founder Steve Gaynor, “Not everything is quite right.”
The female protagonist feature exploring an eerie abandoned shelter is a familiar situation from players of Gone Home, with the same narrative exploration gameplay fans have come to love. This time, it’s a space station with no crew, and when Amy goes to check out the computer, even the computer isn’t “in,” and she needs to get back “the voice” of the station.
Small details make the game: Sign Language, text and pointers create a different feel than to just be opening doors and exploring your character’s house, lost in your thoughts. The space station’s zero gravity makes water and tools interact differently than on Earth, and that’s the sort of detail in world-building that Gaynor and his team focus on– how do you use the ladies’ room in space?
Other features Gaynor previewed included multiple types of interaction features with the environment apart from those above. Our protagonist wears magnetic boots to maneuver the station, leaping down elevators, and then, with another click of the mouse, the ceiling is the floor.
Another feature is learning from other characters, despite their absense. Gone Home players remember reading notes from the protagonist’s younger sister. In Tacoma, where technology keeps the station moving, Amy will encounter moments that she can “play” and “replay” recordings of crewmembers’ lives. Multi-colored holographic shapes of people who were once on the ship greet Amy, or act out moments that develop the story.
In Gaynor’s preview, there’s even more than one story taking place in these recordings. You can join the group and listen to one crew member’s speech, but then take a step to the back of the group and hear two crew-members whispering and gossiping instead of paying attention, learning more about the story, the crew, and what may have happened.
For more details on Steve Gaynor’s Tacoma preview, you can check out the video here. Tacoma is set to release some time in 2016 on both PC and Xbox One.
Header Image Source: vg247.com
