Hopetown, a groundbreaking nonlinear RPG crafted by Longdue Games, introduces a novel approach to narrative-driven gameplay. The studio, founded by former employees of ZA/UM, Rockstar Games, and Bungie, has unveiled the first glimpse of the game's mechanics, positioning it as a spiritual successor to the acclaimed Disco Elysium. The storyline revolves around a journalist who wakes up in a mining town after a night of heavy drinking. Battling a severe hangover, players must reconstruct the events of the previous night and navigate an escalating local conflict, deciding whether to soothe tensions or exacerbate them.
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Screenshots showcase a dialogue-rich experience where players' choices profoundly influence the narrative. The game offers multiple archetypes, each providing distinct dialogue options and approaches to interactions. For instance, when engaging with an elderly woman feeding pigeons, players can choose different tones, which can significantly alter the conversation's outcome.
Longdue Games is gearing up to launch a Kickstarter campaign to support the project, with a page already live on the platform. Although no specific release date has been announced, excitement is mounting among fans of narrative-centric RPGs.
Hopetown is not the only game drawing inspiration from Disco Elysium. Two other studios, Dark Math Games and Summer Eternal, are also developing their own psychological RPGs, adding to the growing genre of immersive storytelling in gaming.
