Developer Fallen Leaf has put out a tense new trailer for the sci-fi thriller Fort Solis, out 22 August.
Blasting and (or) dismembering aliens is fun and everything, but there are times when we want to settle down and enjoy something a little more low key. A little more cerebral. Something like Observation, or Deliver us the Moon, or its sequel, Deliver us Mars.
Enter Fort Solis, the upcoming adventure that’s billed as a “psychological sci-fi thriller” by Polish developer Fallen Leaf. Based on what we’ve seen so far, at least, it’s more about a sense of mystery and creeping suspense than shooty-shooty action. Set on Mars, it sees protagonist Jack Leary (Red Dead Redemption 2's Roger Clark) explore the seemingly deserted base of the title. What happened? Where did everybody go?
“We wanted Fort Solis to tell a story through a mix of interactivity and artistry,” says game director James Tinsdale in a press release. “Using state of the art mo-cap performances, high fidelity Unreal Engine 5 graphics, music by legendary composer Ted White, and our all-star cast of professional actors, we sought to create a truly immersive experience that grounds players in this sci-fi mystery. With our cinematic ‘story-first’ approach, we wanted to distil the essence of a sci-fi thriller into a format that anyone can play, including non-gamers.”
You can get a hint of the game’s atmosphere and ‘story-first’ approach in the new trailer, right here:
We’re also told that Fort Solis unfolds without “camera cuts, load times, or HUD”, which should help with the immersion side of things. Interestingly, it’s inspired by the first-person adventure, Firewatch – a game also cited by another Polish developer making a sci-fi thriller, The Invincible.
We have to say, it’s great to see these more thoughtful genre pieces on the horizon, particularly made with this level of technical prowess and artistry. Here’s hoping both Fort Solis and The Invincible live up to their promise – if they do, it’ll hopefully mean we’ll see more games of this ilk follow in their wake.
Fort Solis is out on PC, PS5 and Mac on 22 August.
