Despite the slow trickle as of late, Lovecraftian horror is alive and well, as evidence by the recent release of The Sinking City. Now we could be in for more, as evident in the 12-minute gameplay video released by publisher Funcom for upcoming sci-fi horror title Moons of Madness. The unnaturally terrifying walking simulator is expected to get a release date sometime around Halloween season.
The 12-minute gameplay video starts off with protagonist Shane Newehart, waking up to pitch black darkness. Obviously distressed and out of sorts, he walks around and starts exploring what seems to be a space base. Non-functioning lights and creepy, alienlike growth on the walls notwithstanding, Shane (still) trudges on as he investigates the base’s unlit hallways with his headlamp, prying open doors with a crowbar. Early on, there’s already a creepy sighting. At the first point when Shane sees the black sludge and turns away to the next hallway, a shadowy outline that resembled a human can be seen running away from the character’s line of sight.
Once Shane travels far enough, he sees a woman in an unlit room, inviting him to blow out the candles on a birthday cake sitting on a dimly lit desk. Of course, Shane obliges and walks towards the cake. Then, a woman with black eyes just jumps up and scares the living hell out of you.
After the jump scare, it is revealed that you were actually dreaming. With Shane waking up, the gameplay footage follows his routine in the space base. Through conversation snippets, we learn that he is on Mars, and that Shane works as a chief engineer for a company called “The Orochi Group”. Throughout his activities, certain elements of gameplay are either uncovered, or become more mysterious. For example, who is Orson? One can immediately assume that he’s a friend located in another part of the base, or maybe he’s an AI programmed to run the whole operation.
The footage ends with Shane investigating the greenhouse after hearing an alert that it flooded. While looking, he finds himself face to face with a humanoid creature with tentacles sprouting out of its face and torso.
Graphics and gameplay wise, it’s too early to assume anything about Moons of Madness until it’s officially launched. But one thing’s for sure, it’s going to be out of this world.
