Hopetown, a groundbreaking nonlinear RPG developed by Longdue Games, promises to revolutionize narrative-driven gameplay. Founded by former employees of ZA/UM, Rockstar Games, and Bungie, the studio has unveiled its first glimpse into the game's innovative mechanics, positioning Hopetown as a spiritual successor to the acclaimed Disco Elysium. The game's compelling narrative revolves around a journalist who wakes up in a mining town after a night of heavy drinking. Struggling with a debilitating hangover, players must reconstruct the events of the previous night and navigate a burgeoning local conflict. The choices made by the player will determine whether they choose to soothe the tensions or escalate the situation further.
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Screenshots from the game showcase a dialogue-heavy experience where player choices profoundly influence the unfolding story. Hopetown offers multiple archetypes, each providing unique 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 outcome of the conversation.
Longdue Games is gearing up to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, with a dedicated page already live on the platform. Although no official release date has been announced, excitement is mounting among fans of narrative-focused 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 interest in this genre.
