Since release Disco Elysiumthe indie scene has been flooded with story-driven CRPGs with a clear tabletop influence. Of course, these kinds of games existed long before that Disco Elysium — Disco he himself was inspired by similar ones Fallout and Planescape Torment-but the competition and buzz of this genre seems to be at an all-time high Steam will tell you. Enter Heavenly returnthe hypnotic, psychedelic cyberpunk adventure comes to Steam on May 7th.
Set in a distant, neo-noir cyberpunk city in the distant future, Heavenly return follows Detective Howard, a member of the Paranormal Investigation Division who investigates the supernatural. When the urban jungle of Netherveil is hit by a series of gruesome and mysterious suicides, Howard must uncover the cosmic secrets of the bloody phenomenon. Fortunately, his sidekick is a benign otherworldly creature with the ability to speak with the dead, giving Howard an undeniable advantage in an admittedly bleak situation. The unlikely pair must make their way through Netherveil, interviewing the living and the dead to get to the bottom of a case that is clearly above humanity's pay grade.
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Celestial Return's stunning artistic design speaks for itself
After spending some time with Heavenly returnI can say that its artistic design is its biggest asset by a country mile. It adopts the popularized UI design format Disco Elysiumbut it also requires clear clues from games like Citizen Sleeperintroducing their NPCs through full-body illustrations rather than just portraits. Not only does this allow the game to offer a more expressive portrayal of its characters, but it also gives its artistic vision more room to shine.
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Heavenly returnSteam's site describes its visuals as taking cues from American comics and manga, naming key works as Crazy, Blame!and Akira as specific sources of inspiration, which is clearly visible. I'd also compare it to Grant Morrison's Invisibles, a comic series that boasts a similarly playful science-fantasy aesthetic. This artistic talent shines through at every possible opportunity Heavenly returnmaking it a remarkable treat for the senses.
Heavenly returnThe sci-fi techno soundtrack is nothing to scoff at either: the game features a killer original score by Icelandic artist Berk Şermet, featuring moody horns, deep percussion and strumming funky techno beats.
What is the gameplay of Celestial Return?
Although I don't think anyone would get tired of it Heavenly returnamazing art and a stunning soundtrack, the gameplay is a different story; after all, that's what sets this medium apart from other forms of entertainment. And while a story-focused title like Heavenly return it doesn't have to have direct moment-to-moment gameplay, it should still have some compelling mechanics that evolve over the course of so many hours.
Fortunately, it seems that way Heavenly return is on the right track here as well. Once again after leading both Disco Elysium and Citizen Sleeperthe core of the game is designed around dice rolling. As in Discoyou will encounter skill tests of varying difficulty and very much like Disco, Heavenly return allows you to invest in personality traits (Virtue, Folly, Intelligence, Anger, and Perception) that manifest as personified beings during dialogue and can affect those rolls. But as in Citizen Sleeperthe dice you roll are in-game items, bringing a greater sense of planning and forethought to the basic TTRPG formula.
Heavenly return also does a few things differently. For example, dice will often have both subtractive and additive effects, leading to unconventional scenarios and strategies. We'll have to wait and see how the inventive game ultimately pans out as a whole, but at this stage it's certainly shaping up to be an engaging, sensually engrossing sci-fi adventure.
