Scenic and spooky “Fjord noir mystery” Draugen is out now. The newest from Red Thread Games (Dreamfall Chapters) and Ragnar Tørnquist, it’s an exploration journey set in and round a seemingly deserted coastal city in 1920s Norway. Player character Edward is a nervous, bookish American who avoids travelling even exterior his personal library, however when his sister goes lacking, him and his younger ward Lissie head off in quest of solutions. Sightseeing, newbie detective sleuthing and a few doubtlessly grim secrets and techniques abound. Below, a launch trailer.
While the sub-genre appears to have fallen out of vogue these days, Draugen is unmistakably a superbly crafted walking sim. An excuse to slowly meander across the prettiest landscapes that Red Thread might craft, whereas following a breadcrumb-trail of clues and plot factors. The addition of Lissie ought to make it really feel rather less lonely than others within the style, as she runs, dances and pokes on the environments, and acts as a touch system if you find yourself rotated and uncertain what to have a look at subsequent. A bit like Alyx Vance (Half-Life 2), however with much less taking pictures, and hopefully much less fawning.
We’ve received a Draugen assessment within the pipeline, however it’s nonetheless some methods off, so until you actually are pining for digital fjords, you is likely to be higher off ready just a few days. Opinions on the game appear all over, which is unsurprising given the style and Tornquist’s divisive writing fashion. I’m curious as to if his vaguely Joss Whedon-esque banter will carry over to a pair of comparatively quiet characters exploring in in any other case whole isolation. It’s treading new floor for each director and studio, after the densely packed and conversation-heavy conclusion of Dreamfall. Stay tuned.
Draugen is out now on Steam and GOG, and priced at £17/€20/$20.
