Let’s sit around a metaphorical table for a moment and discuss what we all really like in a stealth game. We want the darkness and patience of Thief, yeah? The openness and possibilities of Deus Ex? Gotcha. Oh, and a blend of horror, just to wrench the tension. A dash of System Shock 2 it is then. That’s the blend we like when it comes to stealthy survival horrors.
It’s exactly these influences you’ll find in grimy sci-fi indie project Solarix. Pulsetense games are looking to recapture those glory days of the late 90s when staying hidden was an art, not just doing what you were told by an objective arrow.
Set aboard the titular research station, Solarix is a survival horror of the mind, with the intent of gradually inflicting more and more terror on you rather than settling for cheap thrill scares. With just the weapons you can steal and your hacking know-how, you’ll have to avoid the unnervingly blank-looking foes patrolling the station in order to survive the ordeal you’ve got yourself into. Tactical use of hacking turrets, hiding in tight spaces, and smashing light bulbs will be a distinct requirement.
KISS Ltd and Pulsetense have a lot of working elements, but need £10,000 to top off their budget and get Solarix finished. Naturally they’re also really interested in Oculus Rift to keep the atmosphere as pant-wetting as possible, so if you can help boost them up to £60,000 that would secure some VR support. £80,000 will bag modding support, allowing bedroom coders everywhere the chance to build their own filthy space chiller.
If this all spikes your interest, you’ll need to head over to the Solarix Kickstarter campaign page. They’d have to have some kind of Mr. Muscle cleaning spray mini-game to entice me though; those skin-crawlingly filthy walls are just begging for a good wipe-down.