Dark Crystal Games has published the first gameplay video of Encased – their old-school isometric post-apocalyptic RPG. Taking the viewer through character creation and a walk-through of the prologue the 20-minute clip showcases the game’s non-linear storytelling and responsiveness to player choice.
At character creation, the player chooses an avatar, assigns attribute points, and chooses one of five faction – ‘Wings’ – of the CRONUS Foundation. The Wing the player selects for their character heavily influences the prologue experience – dialogues and NPC reactions will vary greatly, making Encased highly replayable. The video gameplay follows two different story flows, telling NPC stories from just two of the many available points of view while showcasing the elaborate dialogue system.
Encased is an old-school isometric sci-fi role-playing-game with turn-based combat, set in a post-apocalyptic world. In the 1970s, explorers in a remote desert discover a giant edifice of unknown origin called the Dome. The world’s governments create C.R.O.N.U.S. – an international corporation whose goal is to explore – and exploit – the Dome and the strange and valuable technological relics found inside. The player will undertake an expedition to an underground facility near the centre of the Dome, searching for artifacts.
Vyacheslav Kozikhin, head of the project, said:
“The prologue is our first available location. We want to show everyone not just how far we’ve progressed, but also how much variety and choice we’ve already built into our game. We’re telling a non-linear, choice-based and deeply immersive character story, where the player’s experience heavily depends on their alignment, their decisions, and their responses. Who they are, what they say, and what they do – in our world, they all matter.”
With the game currently progressing through pre-alpha, the developers aim to release ENCASED in early access on Steam for PC in 2019.