For Downward Spiral: Horus Station, the team and I at 3rd Eye Studios are creating a mysterious and atmospheric zero-gravity thriller set in the lost and forgotten Horus Station. It’s inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, Twin Peaks, Black Mirror, and There Will be Blood, and it’s coming to PS4, PS4 Pro, and PS VR spring this year.

Mysterious, Interpretive, Cooperative

We’re focused completely on visual storytelling in Downward Spiral. The game features no traditional voiceover, audio diaries, or cinematics like other games. We are creating a story that’s discovered, not told, with environmental queues.

Players will have to piece together the plot through observation and interpretation, as you navigate the derelict space station’s environments, accompanied by the electronic ambient soundtrack composed by platinum selling HIM frontman Ville Valo.

Electronic Ambient Score

Ville Valo, the platinum selling HIM frontman is a friend of 3rd Eye Studios and has created an amazing, electronic, ambient score for the whole experience. It’s very different from what he’s known for — dark, unique, and fantastic. It will help us emphasize our key moments and make our thriller even more intense. We’re going to have a developer diary focused on the music and sound of Horus Station, so stay tuned to know more.

Innovative Player Locomotion in Zero-G

Another exciting thing about Downward Spiral: Horus Station is our control system that rethinks movement in zero-gravity.

Rather than just float, players will have to push themselves off of the environment to propel themselves forward, or use hardware like the hand thruster or grappling magnet to navigate just as you would in deep space.

Engage Threats or Explore

Solving the mystery of the space station will also require the use of the ship’s maintenance tools and hardware — like bolt throwers, thrusters, rail guns, grappling magnet, and arc welders. For players that want to engage, they can take out the threats aboard Horus Station with the tools at hand. For players that only want to explore and solve puzzles there is “Explorer” mode that completely removes combat, leaving a much slower and more explorative version of our experience.

The team at 3rd Eye Studios and I can’t wait to share more with you. For anyone that loves atmospheric, cinematic, and innovative experiences, Horus Station will be out later this year. Get ready to discover Horus Station and the secrets it holds.