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Skybound Entertainment has unveiled Closer The Distance, a story-led life simulator from award-winning indie studio Osmotic Games. It made the announcement during Microsoft’s ID@Xbox Showcase.
And As the crow flies And Serenity Forge announced that they will ship Homestead Arcana on April 21.
In Closer The Distance, players take on the role of Angela, who is left in limbo after a tragic accident. She is able to observe the small cozy village where she once lived and discovers that she is connected to the residents and can help influence their lives and help them recover after her death.
The title is a story-led life sim experience. Each character Angela can interact with is fully simulated, with their own emotional states, wishes, memories, and intertwined relationships with other residents of the town. These complex and story-rich characters develop over time as they interact with each other, with or without Angela’s guidance.
Through their choices and interactions, players discover the story of Yesterby’s community and the impact Angela has made on the lives of her diverse characters. Each choice has incredible meaning over the rich and gripping story that follows, and players will learn that choices made in human relationships can sometimes have a deeper impact on your consequences.
Closer The Distance will be available later this year for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation5, PlayStation4 and PC via Steam.
“Closer The Distance is a truly unique piece of life simulation, exploring some existential questions about the impact of an individual’s life on others,” Ian Howe, managing partner at Skybound Entertainment, said in a statement. “The team at Osmotic has crafted a compelling thoughtful story that gives players the tools to interact with a carefully constructed world and truly influence the characters”
Osmotic Studios has in the past made excellent games based on the work of George Orwell, author of 1984.
“Our studio was founded to explore new ways to convey complex storytelling in video games, so following the success of our debut title, Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You, we looked at how we could take the medium further,” said Daniel Marx , CEO and game director at Osmotic Games. “Closer The Distance is the result, and by fusing life simulator mechanics with a thought-provoking narrative experience, we enable our players to ponder and grapple with challenging themes, layered with an undercurrent of hope, empathy and kindness”
Founded by Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead and Invincible, Skybound has been around since 2010 and focuses on creating universes that become pop culture phenomena from a library of more than 150 properties, including the up-and-coming tentpole Impact Winter.
Meanwhile, Homestead Arcana debuts on PC via Steam and Game Pass for Xbox Series X|S and PC.
In Homestead Arcana, a menacing force known as the Miasma has taken over the land, banishing the remnants of society to mountains above the clouds. A young witch farmer Billie embarks on a magical adventure with her famous cat Huckleberry to save the land for future generations and heal the world. Players must pioneer, cultivate, and cast spells to tap into nature to revive the corrupted realm and reveal the secrets of the Miasma.
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