A new entry to the narrative driven gaming genre is coming to Xbox One in 2016 in the form of Affliction. It is the first game from Mastermind Games who will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of success stories like Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Affliction is an open world, action based narrative game based in a small 1950's town, and Mastermind Games are hoping they are able to make their game unique.
“Narrative games, as they are, are amazing. I’m a huge fan. But the popular complaint is that they aren’t interactive enough. Similarly, action-heavy games always hear complaints about story depth. With Affliction I’d like to marry the two genres; tell a really great story with the excitement of action.” Said Mike Jarrell, sole developer at Mastermind Games.
In Affliction you are tasked with uncovering the mystery of a deadly disease plaguing the fictional town of Warden Cliffs. You will be expected to explore and work to uncover the story, find artifacts and memories. How you uncover the story, and in what order you do so won't matter as the conclusion will be determined on how much you have uncovered at any given point as you submit your take on the situation to the overseer of the town. The action comes in the form of 10 foot shadow creatures known as Reapers that will hunt you from the beginning. To add the the atmosphere will be citizens who are frozen in time acting out various scenes of happiness, grief and woe. If you die, your soul will leap into a random nearby citizen to continue the mission at hand - but you'll be taking on their perspective, their physical strengths and weaknesses. Mastermind Games are hoping this combination of action and narrative sets their game apart from the rest.
It's definitely an interesting looking game, and could open up the narrative genre more on the Xbox One, with it seemingly having missed out on the like of Gone Home and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Is this a game that will interest you? Let us know over in the FORUM. And be sure to check out the teaser trailer below.