The Sinking City
Indie studio Frogwares has released a new cinematic trailer for their upcoming title; The Sinking City. The game is set in the fictional city of Oakmont, Massachusetts, during the roaring twenties. The player arrives in Oakmont after a disastrous flood has covered large parts of the city. Exploring the area through the eyes of a private investigator, it’s up to the player to decide how best to discover The Sinking City, in whats billed as an “open world investigative thriller”.
As you may expect though, things aren’t as simple as they seem in Oakmont. The flood alone cost the lives of many inhabitants of the city, but what followed was much worse. Hideous monsters beyond comprehension have appeared and now roam the flooded streets. Insanity spread throughout the region,
Locals also say they can constantly feel the presence of something far more alarming – a great, incomprehensible force that is slowly driving everyone mad.
From what we see in this new trailer the atmosphere is heavy on the ground. The twenties setting is plastered thick on the walls. Oakmont is in itself treated like a character in the game. The history of the area also tells a story, Vikings and Native Americans both having occupied Oakmont. Stories of strange religious ceremonies, along with seclusion from the mainland and distrust of strangers, all add up like traits of The Sunken City itself.
The Developer
Frogwares is very clear in what they expect from players within The Sinking City. There will be no hand-holding, we are told. No map markers, no diary entries.
Looking for a missing person, but only have their name? I’d recommend asking at the police station or the hospital, maybe they know something.
How the investigation goes is completely up to the player. There is the option for violence, as weapons will be available. The player will often be weaker than the enemies, however, and there is the tease of a possible insanity mechanic for the protagonist during gameplay
…witnessing supernatural beings or distressing occurrences can easily trigger madness.
Frogwares have previously been best known for their Sherlock Holmes games. The Indie crew was founded in 2000, and have been releasing games on various platforms since. The Holmes series has been their most successful, commercially and critically, though Magrunner: Dark Pulse was also quite well received.
You can see the full cinema trailer below. The Sinking City is set for release on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC. No doubt we can expect a game demo at E3, and its then well know if Frogwares grasp is within their reach, or if The Sinking City will disappear into the murky depths of e3 hype jobs.
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