Escape from TV
The creators of 2020 puzzle-adventure game Call of the Sea have a new story in the works. American Arcadia is about a blissful town where its citizens live a life of luxury, so long as they stay in the audience’s favor.
Out of the Blue’s next game, American Arcadia, is about the broadcast world of Arcadia. This retro-future utopia seems wonderful, but as it turns out, it’s just a set. The city’s denizens are actually unknowing cast members on American Arcadia, a 24/7 show that’s been airing for decades. Those who are popular get to live carefree, while those who bore the audience won’t get a pleasant ending.
Trevor Hills is one of the more ordinary citizens of Arcadia, so he’s in quite a pickle. But a mysterious voice helps guide him through the “backstage,” on a run for his freedom. Only, is this real? Or is the escape attempt, itself, scripted?
This novel idea also looks to take on some different styles of gameplay. One character will tackle 2.5D side-scroller levels, with platforming, stealth, and puzzles. The other is a full 3D first-person view, also with a bit of stealth and puzzles, but hacking and exploration too.
Life in technicolor
The story of American Arcadia will be told in other means too, like character interviews and interrogations mirroring a documentary. Plus, some great voice talent is on for the project. Yuri Lowenthal and Cissy Jones team back up, as two of the main characters from Call of the Sea are in for Out of the Blue’s new project. Krizia Bajos (Cyberpunk 2077, Arcane) is also on the cast.
Publisher Raw Fury and Out of the Blue’s previous team-up, Call of the Sea, was a pretty neat and engaging story. It had a Myst kind of vibe, with lots of puzzles to solve and little pieces of lore to carry you through the adventure. Out of the Blue has shown it’s got a penchant for interesting stories, so adventure fans might want to look out for this one on PC and console. No release window has been set yet.
