Hopetown, a groundbreaking nonlinear RPG developed by Longdue Games, introduces an innovative approach to narrative-driven gameplay. The studio, founded by former employees of renowned companies like ZA/UM, Rockstar Games, and Bungie, has recently unveiled the game's mechanics, positioning it as a spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed Disco Elysium. The storyline follows a journalist who wakes up in a mining town after a night of heavy drinking. Players must navigate the protagonist's pounding hangover and piece together the previous night's events while facing a burgeoning local conflict. The choices players make will determine whether they choose to soothe the escalating tensions or stoke the fires of discord.
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Screenshots from the game showcase a dialogue-heavy experience where player choices significantly influence the narrative trajectory. Players can select from various archetypes, each providing unique dialogue options and approaches to interactions. For instance, when conversing with an elderly woman feeding pigeons, players can choose different tones, which can dramatically alter the results of the encounter.
Longdue Games is gearing up to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, with a page already live on the platform. Although no official release date has been set, 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 trend of narrative-driven gaming experiences.
