The original social distancing, masks-on adventure
Lone Survivor is still my favorite game about suffering from psychosis, and as much of the world reaches month eight of government-mandated COVID-19 precautions, it’s now proven to be one of the most prophetic as well.
Even under cheerier circumstances, the game was an intriguing downer, balancing quiet moments of isolation with your pet with tense, often horrific voyages into the outside world. Balancing the need to gather supplies, try (and often fail) to take care of yourself, and maybe even put an end to all the terrible things in your life made for a game with plenty of depth, despite mostly taking place in small, cramped spaces. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was prophetic.
Now Lone Survivor is coming back in a new engine for Switch and PC. Lone developer Jasper Byrne is remaking it from the ground up for modern consoles, and after having talked with him a few times over the years about his thoughts and feelings about making games, I’m nothing short of shocked. I really thought he was done with this particular chapter in his life, but I guess if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we can never be sure what our ever-changing world will inspire in us.
Jasper’s even adding new scenario to the story, which will no doubt offer reflections on his experiences since the original title was released in 2012. Look for it in 2021.
