Check out Spectator 2 in EA Today
Players are tasked with a deceptively simple job: Watch the closed-circuit TV cameras for anything out of the ordinary. The eponymous spectator then has to identify and classify such a breach of reality in order for it to be removed. To prevent exhaustion, every shift only lasts between midnight and 6:00 - but the night will drag on as the spectator nervously switches between views, peering closely at the screen and defending reality.
To ensure that no shift is ever the same, Spectator 2 randomizes each playthrough, selecting from a catalog of over 300 anomalies that range from mundane light malfunctions or phantom, duplicate objects to eldritch abominations and mutilated corpses suddenly appearing in the field of view. Each shift takes place at one of six different real-life locales, including a suburban fast food restaurant, a secret laboratory, and an arctic research base. Should too many anomalies accumulate in a given location, reality collapses, resulting in an instant game over.
For the Polish development team, Neko Machine, Spectator 2 is the realization of their own personal ambitions, creating a game they wanted to play, where dread, rather than jumpscares fuel the tension and players can never quite trust their perception of the deceptively mundane environment. The ambition extended to reviving an ancient multiplayer mechanic: Two players can play at the same time using a split-screen. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, as the old saying goes, but with half the screen to work with, it might be as much of a hazard as a benefit.
"Somehow, we made it, just in time. That night is burned into our memories—taking turns sleeping, the nerves, the laughter—everything. But we wouldn’t trade it for anything," noted Artem S., the lead designer of Neko Machine, adding that "our superpower is passionate hyperfocus and innovative imagination."
With its full release coming to Steam on May 25th, now’s the perfect time to wishlist Spectator 2. Players who want a head start can begin their watch in the Early Access version available today on Steam, already packed with tension, terror, and plenty of anomalies to spot. For development updates, behind-the-scenes peeks, join the Neko Machine community on Discord.
ABOUT NEKO MACHINE
Based out of Wrocław, Poland, Neko Machine is an independent duo of game creators, combining a love of the eerie and paranormal with an affinity for experimental gameplay and tight, self-contained gaming experiences. Despite the chosen company name, the developers share the studio with dogs and rats, which provide endless inspiration for gaming projects.
ABOUT INDIE.IO
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