"It has been 13 long years since Aaron Foster last spoke to The Verge. Back then, Foster's tiny, three-person studio Lunar Software was touting sci-fi horror game Routine with a striking vision: Foster hoped to suck players into the desolate eeriness of its moon base setting, which was equal parts immersive and grounded. Foster ended that interview by swerving a release date question. With 13 years of hindsight, it reads like an all-timer understatement."
"Routine has been released on Steam and Xbox. Better yet - miraculously, even - the game appears to bear little trace of its turbulent and protracted development. This is visually ravishing hard sci-fi with some of the most committed diegetic design I've ever seen in a video game. There is no heads-up display and no health gauge, nor is there any omniscient text directing you where to go. Instead, you must pay close attention to everything."
Development was paused and the game was canned in 2016 before development restarted afresh. After nearly 13 years, Routine launched on Steam and Xbox, showing little trace of its protracted development history. The game presents visually ravishing hard sci-fi and highly committed diegetic design, with no heads-up display, health gauge, or omniscient navigation text. Players must rely on close attention to environmental cues and systems, fostering deep immersion in a believable lunar base. Development choices prioritized quality over hard deadlines, reflecting a patient design philosophy.
Read at The Verge
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