MOONS OF MADNESS
Red Dead Planet
Engineer Shane Newehart lives in a research facility on the surface of Mars. Each day he completes the same familiar routine, maintaining and repairing key machinery. Until his nightmares start to seep into reality, that is.
This first-person sci-fi horror draws on Lovecraftian imagery to make an isolated Martian outpost even scarier than it already was. 1 As Shane’s twisted dreams manifest as terrifying monsters, you have to explore the station, uncovering the secrets, betrayals, and lies that threaten to wipe out the entire operation. While you search empty corridors and quiet computer labs you’re able to scan the environment with your Biogauge, a tool on your wrist that highlights areas of interest. Use it effectively and you’ll spot letters and discover email chains, snatches of information that explain events prior to the start of the game and offer helpful clues for things to do as well.
There are no weapons, so you must rely on other means to survive. Solving puzzles (nothing too taxing) and using stealth to outmanoeuvre enemies2 is your best bet for progressing. And you’ll want to progress, because the story is intriguing, and the sci-fi environments are gorgeous, all dusty moonscapes and metallic structures.
However, best thing about Moons Of Madness is the way atmospheric horror is gradually built up during the first two hours. Sadly, this dread slowly dissipates in the latter stages, when less ambiguous enemy encounters feel a little out of place and forced. Overall, though, this is an excellent sci-fi horror game with an engaging story and an extremely eerie setting.
Rebecca Stow