Have you ever wondered what a Shakespearean-based adventure game but in the point of view of the heroine instead of its main character would be like? Studio Golden Glitch sets up that premise with their upcoming point-and-click adventure game Elsinore, which follows the chronicles of protagonist Ophelia and is set in the world of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
On a summer night, Ophelia awakens from a terrible vision: in four days, everyone in Elsinore Castle will be dead. Even worse, she’s been thrown into a time loop from which she cannot escape. Forced to relive the same four days over and over again, Ophelia determines to do everything in her power to change the future.
Elsinore works off the groundhog-day loop concept — the game plays in real time and every four days time is reset, giving Ophelia more chances to slowly change the fate of the inhabitants of Elsinore Castle. There are plenty other gameplay mechanics woven into the title, fleshing out the world and giving players plenty of content to play with as they advance the plot:
- Dynamic Story Engine: Elsinore uses a story simulation engine to determine which events occur based upon your interactions. Lie, forgive, gossip, befriend, or destroy — the actions you can take at any stage are numerous, and the game immediately responds.
- Intelligent Character Behavior: Each character manages their own lives, schedules, needs, desires, and plans over the course of each time loop. Even the smallest interaction has an impact on the world around you as it unfolds.
- Learn from Previous Loops: Whenever a time loop resets, Ophelia remembers anything she has learned from the previous world, allowing you to access new ways to play.
- Use Your Influence: Understanding each character’s motivations isn’t just part of the story. It’s necessary for Ophelia’s survival. Characters are complex and have long histories with each other; all of them are keeping secrets.
- Life-or-Death Decisions: In a Shakespearean world, most roads end in tragedy, and characters are quick to meet a grisly fate. Hard decisions and terrible trials force players to think on their feet.
Elsinore was originally a Kickstarter title that succeeded in its funding goals about three years ago, and will now be releasing for Steam on June 24th of this year. The title also has a developer blog, if you want a more behind the scenes look at its progress before the release date reveal. Also check out the trailer and screenshots posted just below.
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