Observer: System Redux

The events take place in 2084. A digital epidemic called the nanophage took the lives of many people with implants, then a war followed, and after it corporations came to power. Law in such a world is a flexible concept, and technology is available for every taste: virtual reality, psychotropic drugs and neural implants help people escape from reality.

Observers work for the corporate system and can look into the minds of suspects. The hero is one of them, and this ability turns the investigation into a journey through dreams and memories.

Observer: System Redux is a first-person cyberpunk detective game with a strong horror leaning. The story takes place in 2084: the world has survived a digital nanophage epidemic and a war, and corporations hold the power. You play as Daniel Lazarski, an Observer detective, and the role is performed by Rutger Hauer. He is a man of the corporate system who is feared and disliked because he can enter the minds of suspects. The main feature of the game is investigation through other people's memories. A special device lets you connect to the minds of dying and dead people and relive their last moments. These scenes look like labyrinths of fears and desires, and your task is to collect clues and find a way out. At the same time you need to look for a killer, and along the way the story touches on the hero's own personal secret. There is no shooting here: the game is built on exploring locations, looking for details and a tense atmosphere, and the rare stealth episodes with a monster are more of an exception. I think it will suit those who like slow, dark stories about technology and the human psyche rather than action. It was developed by Bloober Team and Anshar Studios, and the publisher is Bloober Team SA. Practical points: the game is single-player, with Steam achievements, full controller support and cloud saves. Russian is available in text form, so the story and notes can be read without translating on the fly. The fear here is built first of all on the setting and the feeling that something is being done to you while you dig around in someone else's head; there are not many chases with the monster, but they do exist.