I do not trust the ocean. It’s too big! There’s too much going on in that thing and oh how I pray and pray for the day that James Cameron stops messing around down there. Makes for a good horror setting though, as evidenced by the likes of BioShock, SOMA, and Iron Lung, and now KEROGEN is entering the fray for the title of “I’m not sure I can keep my eyes open while I play this” that SOMA currently holds in my heart.
KEROGEN, a psychological horror where you “dredge up corpses from an oil-drenched nightmare,” pits you as a “forsaken drone operator forced to investigate a sunken oil-tanker.” Your name is Oteil, and in order to explore under the sea (under the sea!) they project their mind into machines. “With every dive, precious parts of you are lost in the transition.” The SOMA comparisons continue, though they do seem to end there as vibe wise this sits in the direction of that ever-trendy low-poly PS1-esque game vibe.
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Truth be told, while I have explained what you do, I don’t know if I can really explain what you do, moment to moment I mean. One of the game’s trailers suggest some underwater exploration, some object investigation, and chatty moments, the influence of which you have remaining uncertain. It seems you have the ability to do a scan of your surroundings, to inspect various bits and bobs and sections of the places you explore, it’s all a bit mysterious. Good thing I’m always happy with a bit of mystery and strong vibes, even if something is mechanically lacking.
There are a few other tricksy sounding characters that’ll help you on your journey too. Maeve is the ship’s machinist who maintains your drones and is, like you, “in over her head, but trusting her is not a choice.” Boris is the ship’s captain who is dead set on working you over to make some money. And there’s Ayla, the ship’s analyst who “knows more than she admits. Her oath prevents her from sharing the truth, but its consequences will affect you all the same.” Sounds like quite the group!
I’m intrigued, as odd as it might sound, by the game’s mature content description too, as it makes mention of body dysphoria quite specifically. Always love a game that explores such a theme in relation to the transfer of consciousness.
No release date attached to KEROGEN, but you can wishlist it on Steam while you wait for one.
