Today, Poland-based developer Bloober Team — who you may recognize from 2016’s psychedelic horror game Layers of Fear — are back with another horror title. This time it’s with Observer, a cyberpunk-themed game that is now available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, and Linux.
For those that don’t know: Observer is set in a 2084 dystopia future ruled by oppressive corporations. Uniquely, the game doesn’t follow normal cyberpunk trends, and rather takes the iconic sub-genre to Eastern Europe, which is to say you’ll find architecture, historical and political references, and pop-culture that would be found in Eastern European countries.
In the game you are Dan Lazarski — played by legendary actor, Rutger Hauer (who you may know from films such as Blade Runner, Flesh+Blood, Sin City, Batman Begins, The Hitcher, Blind Fury, and more) — a detective for a special corporate-funded police unit called Observers. Following cryptic messages from his estranged son, Dan finds himself trekking through the seedy underbelly of the city where horror, madness, and psychological experiences bordering on the psychedelic await.
On top of normal horror gameplay, Observers are equipped with special augmentations that allow them to hack into minds of anyone and see things in an altered perception, which in turn grants them the ability to gather information or interrogate in unique ways. However, this process takes a noticeable toll on an Observer, but sometimes it’s your only way of finding clues that are otherwise hidden.
The game notably boasts options to approach the world as you want and make many choices that dictate events around you and in turn shape the narrative towards one of multiple endings.
Observer costs $29.99 USD. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our interview with Brand Manager at Bloober Team, Rafał Basaj, where we talk about Observer, including its inspirations, story, themes, approach to horror, and more.
Below, you can check out the new, aforementioned launch trailer:
