Developer Suzaku and publisher Top Hat Studios Inc have announced that their cyberpunk horror game Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story has finally released. Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story has been in development for quite some time and the title’s Kickstarter campaign went live back in 2018 where the game secured 600% funding. Now finally out, Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story brings a mix of Chinese traditional folklore and cyberpunk themes while relying on true horror elements.
Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story draws its inspiration from titles such as Clock Tower and Fatal Frame. It takes place in Neo Hong Kong in the year 2083 where you follow the story of a young woman named Mei-Lin who is dragged into a maelstrom of supernatural horror. You have to escape the horror and it is only possible if you piece together the stories of 14 lost souls and discover the truth about your own family’s curse. All of this has a backdrop of a city of scars and secrets, neon lights, and riot drones.
Sense features deep survival horror and exploration-based gameplay which is further complemented by partial voice acting, puzzle-solving, and intricate secrets and exploration. It also supports English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. It also features a haunting and moving soundtrack by Andy Andi Han known for Synergia and Katwa Shoujo. Check out the official launch trailer below:
Key features of Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story include:
Interaction – The player will need to search and examine every nook and cranny of the world around them in order to progress. Some items may not be visible until specific chains are completed, and some items may be hidden from Mei’s cybernetic eyes at all times as if spirited away by the ghosts stalking her. Some may require quick wit – and have urgent consequences.
Dialogue – NPCs will be heavily populating a few areas of the full game, but there may be some wandering the halls with you. Talking to them can reveal information about the world, the mystery at hand, and even some unexpected secrets.
Lore – The world of Sense is huge and complex, each location will reveal details about Neo-Hong Kong and the surrounding world. From Geo-Politics to inter-character relationships, don’t be afraid to click on anything that looks interesting.
Ghosts – The ghosts of the Chong Sing building can hurt you, but can you hurt them? The short answer is no, but you can help them pass on. Shrines, offerings, and solving mysteries will be your only weapons.
Death and failure – Like all the best games, failure and mistakes should be punished, but in a heavily narrative game how do you do that? How do you promote stakes and risks? The answer is simple, fill the world with dangerous events and deadly spirits. Just make sure to record your progress at the occasional TV, there are NO checkpoints or autosaves in the Chong Sing building.
Replayability – Sense will be filled with secrets, only some of them will be revealed in a single playthrough. Some secrets won’t be able to escape the spirit realm until the “Plus” appears.
The game is now available on Steam for just $19.99 and a console launch for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PS Vita is scheduled for later this year.
