Founded by the former developers of Disco Elysium, ex-employees of Bungie, Rockstar and Brave at Night, Longdue presented Hopetown, a psychological RPG, which continues the case of the RLARD Detective ZA/UM.
Image source: Longdue
Hopetown takes you to the mining town of the same name, an arena of extremes where the suffocating darkness of the mines reflects the buried truths of the inhabitants, and the world above, sparkling with promises of progress, is mired in corruption and power plays.
Gamers will play the role of a cynical and unbalanced journalist-provocateur who loves to put pressure on the patient, pull the strings and see what happens, and also believes that humanity is by nature selfish and cruel.
Hopetown concept art
According to the developers, the main weapon in Hopetown is stories. The role-playing system tied to journalism will create narratives that change the world and the hero (gonzo -ire, a conspiracy, a prudent investigator, and so on).
Traditional mechanics in Hopetown are occupied by emotions, memories, conversations – the so-called psychogeographical system. The key to progress will be the fragmented psyche of the main character, and not searching for objects or solving riddles.
With the very first game, Longdue intends to rethink the genre of psychological RPGs
If you believe the creators, Hopetown combines the natural emotional depth and psychological refinement of Disco Elysium with the narrative complexity of Planescape: Torment.
Hopetown does not have a release date or target platforms, but Longdue plans to release the game on Kickstarter. For those interested in supporting the project, there is a registration form on the website (in return they promise exclusive rewards).