I hadn’t played any Steam Next Fest demos this week, however, there was one that did stand out for me and I finally got around to playing it earlier this morning. I have to say I’m rather pleased I did.
Empty Shell is a top-down twin-stick horror game by CC ARTS (not sure why they’ve gone full caps – they just like it that way) and published by Hyperstrange. You view the action through what looks like a shonky old CCTV unit, and the colour palette is bleak.
That spooky vibe kicks in right from the start; the game is set in an abandoned industrial facility on a Japanese island. The introduction explains how you keep seeing people getting sent to the facility, one at a time, and they never return. Naturally, it’s your turn next.
As soon as you’re dropped into the facility, you find out why it’s a one way ticket as you’re locked in a pitched battle for survival. You’ve got a gun and your fists, and in mere seconds you’ll be firing off rounds and brawling with… people-things-monsters in a battle to stay alive. This being a roguelite, survival is far from guaranteed, and it won’t be long before you’ve run out of bullets at a frightfully inopportune moment and then some ravenous fiend will be noshing on your insides. At least, that’s how it happened for me.
What I really liked about my first look at Empty Shell was the atmosphere. I enjoyed the low-fi vibe and it reminded me somewhat of a golden oldie from back in 2013, and that’s Teleglitch: Die More Edition. That is certainly not an unkind comparison on my part, as I’ve got very fond memories of being repeatedly skewered in that game. I do remember it being very difficult, but that’s a whinge for another day.
Getting back on track, then. The setting here is sinister and the low-fi visuals only add to the tension – you’re never quite sure what is and isn’t moving thanks to all the purposefully pixelated scenery. Maybe that’ll be a problem over extended play, but my first impressions were certainly solid and I didn’t mind the poor visibility.
Empty Shell is launching on Steam on October 16, and if you get started before then on the Steam demo, you’ll get to keep any progress you’ve made!
