Space, as in the empty black area that surrounds planet Earth, is terrifying. It's so devoid of anything, we can't breathe in it, it's incredibly difficult to get to; the list goes on. As pretty as space can be, it's the emptiness, the sheer lack of anything, that makes it a fantastic setting for horror games, like the upcoming survival horror RPG Shadows of Kepler.
Giving off a striking indie blend of sci-fi aesthetics reminiscent of games like Alien: Isolation and Dead Space, Kepler is in development by the remaining few members of a studio called Infinite Hole. As of now, the studio is looking for funding via Kickstarter and has a free playable demo for players to get a taste of the experience.
About Shadows of Kepler
Set just minutes after your ship has experienced some sort of disaster, you wake up as pilot Cooper, and find your ship floating alone in space, busted and on fire in various spots. Doors aren't working, there's no one to be found, and creepy, distorted alien creatures are roaming the halls of the vessel you once called home.
With visuals and environments reminiscent of Mass Effect littered with the disfigured creatures from Dead Space, Shadows of Kepler looks to be an atmospheric journey that has you exploring not only the remnants of your ship but the planet Kepler as well.
While the game may seem empty at first, there will be a variety of characters to speak with that alter the narrative, in typical RPG fashion. In fact, Kepler appears to be as ambitious as Mass Effect before it, already vying for a three-game journey, with the script to back it. This being the case, it is possible your actions will carry over between games. Who knows? Maybe this will turn into a galaxy-spanning experience just like Shepard's journey.
Pledges for Shadows of Kepler
If you're interested in helping Shadows of Kepler achieve these big-time goals, you can participate in its Kickstarter campaign. The donation tiers are below.
- £5 Our New Home - Nine 4k resolution wallpapers and a special thanks in the credits.
- £15 The Radiation - The previous rewards and an exclusive making-of video.
- £25 Kepler Planet (Early Bird) - Digital download key and all previous rewards
- £30 Kepler Planet - Same as the above.
- £30 The Survivor (Early Bird) - Digital soundtrack and the above rewards.
- £35 The Survivor - Same as the above.
- £40 Anti-Radiation Kit - The previous rewards and beta access.
- £50 Friend Pack - Same as above but with an extra key for a friend.
- £60 Friend Pack Plus - 5 additional wallpapers and the previous rewards.
- £80 The Artist - The previous awards and a digital artbook.
- £100 The Reader - All of the previous rewards and a lore book focused on the first game.
- £300 Immortal - Have your face in one of the posters in-game, and all of the previous rewards.
- £500 Developer - The rewards from before, and the opportunity to attend a six-hour digital meeting with the team.
- £900 Developer + Friend - All of the above rewards, but you can attend the meeting with a friend.
- £5,000 Join The Team - Instead of a one-day meeting, you can speak with the team once a month and learn what's going on with the game alongside share some tips to improve it. The previous rewards come with this tier as well.
- £8,000 The Gunner - All of the above rewards, and a life-size version of the in-game shotgun, the "Venon Strike."
As you can see, you don't gain access to the game until you back at least £25 during the early-bird phase. However, those that invest a large amount in the game will have a direct influence on its development process, it seems. After trying out the demo, a life-size version of that shotgun sounds pretty cool, though £8,000 is a fairly large price to pay to get it.
What do you think about Shadows of Kepler? Have you tried out the demo for yourself? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.