The Dead Space series hasn't shown any signs of life since 2013. Electronic Arts is clearly in no hurry to resurrect it, and the producer of the first game, Glen Schofield, who is no longer working in the company, can only dream of working on a sequel. However, nothing prevents indie studios from creating projects inspired by the series - like Negative Atmosphere. Sun Scorched Studios recently released a gameplay demo of their third-person horror action game for EGX Rezzed 2019 in London.
According to the developers, the video shown (it was recorded in real time) is the result of “an intense five-month work”. They asked not to draw any conclusions about the quality of the final product, since the game could change significantly by release. About 1,5 people played the demo at the show, according to project manager Calvin Parsons. In the comments to the video, users noted that Negative Atmosphere looks like “Dead Space, but not from Electronic Arts”, and noted that the publisher has a lot to learn from its authors.
The events of Negative Atmosphere unfold against the backdrop of the Cold War that swept the universe after humanity created artificial intelligence based on "organic processor cores". The player will explore the long-range cargo ship TRH Rusanov as 49-year-old Samuel Edwards, a former military medic. A mysterious disease spread throughout the ship, turning all personnel and robots into "disgusting creatures, eager to destroy everyone around." Edwards will have to fight his former colleagues and "sentient artificial creatures", as well as avoid the dangers of the environment, in order to eventually leave the ship. As you progress through the game, the mental state of the protagonist will deteriorate, and reality will begin to mix with hallucinations.
Negative Atmosphere is created on the Unreal Engine 4. The developers promise a wide arsenal of ranged and melee weapons, but at the same time they intend to follow the concept of survival horror: there will always be a shortage of ammunition. Some dynamic events, stealth elements, segments in zero gravity and an interface inscribed in the game world are also announced (the heart rate of the hero, which changes with the level of health, users will see on the monitor located on his back). As damage is taken, bloodstains, scars, wounds, and limb damage will appear on the character model. Some robots will not only be destroyed, but also hacked.
Negative Atmosphere was originally a one-man project, but now a team of 23 people is working on it. The studio accepts donations on Patreon. These funds are needed to pay employees, as well as purchase software and licenses. Donors will be able to get early access to demos (for this you need to pay at least $20), materials about the creation of the game and other bonuses.
A free demo version will be released this year, available to all users, and later the developers are going to launch a Kickstarter campaign. They hope to raise enough funds to create a game of about seven hours with "an exceptional level of polish and attention to detail for an indie game." Negative Atmosphere is planned to be released for PC (Windows, macOS and Linux), but if gamers donate enough funds, it will also appear on consoles.
Source: 3dnews.ru