Lunar Software's long-awaited first-person sci-fi horror game Routine has finally emerged after more than a decade in development. Announced in 2012, the title draws inspiration from classics like Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey, set in a retro-futuristic lunar resort. Players navigate tense environments with minimal hand-holding, emphasizing exploration and initiative.
Development Background
Routine was first revealed by Lunar Software in 2012, but the project faced extended periods of silence and multiple delays, spanning over ten years. This prolonged timeline has shaped its distinctive old-school design philosophy, avoiding modern conveniences like objective markers or chatty companions that guide players. Instead, the game trusts users to engage with its world organically, a approach that echoes earlier eras of gaming.
Gameplay and Setting
Set in a lo-fi lunar resort blending 1980s technology with futuristic elements, Routine features CRT screens advertising VHS recorders and arcade machines alongside advanced robots. The narrative involves ancient influences and rogue AI, creating a grimy, psychological atmosphere similar to Frictional Games' SOMA and Creative Assembly's Alien: Isolation. Exploration is key, with players scouring abandoned spaces, reading employee emails, and piecing together clues through subtle breadcrumbs.
Progress is linear yet feels personal due to the game's hands-off style. Early challenges, like entering a personal ID, require observing details from the environment, such as a printed ID card. The Cosmonaut Assistance Tool (C.A.T.) stands out as a multi-functional device for maintenance tasks, including degaussing screens, operating doors, and archiving data, all accessed via a laggy, low-res viewfinder that heightens tension in dark areas.
Horror Elements
Security bots serve as primary antagonists, their clanking pursuits generating intense stress without overt guidance on countermeasures. These foes are relentless but predictable, encouraging players to hide or navigate mentally mapped spaces. The game's physical interactions, like fussy crouch animations and cumbersome running, enhance immersion and verisimilitude, making the sterile sci-fi environments feel lived-in.
Routine's release serves as a reminder of the rewards in non-patronizing design, fostering a sense of accomplishment through player initiative amid its eerie, liminal spaces.