STATION

Don’t touch that dial

More often than not, our only means of dealing with aliens is with a swift bullet to their colourful craniums. The Station, however, is a much more complex tale of contact with extraterrestrials. The events of this narrative-driven space stint are designed to make you question the familiar every bit as much as the unknown.

When communication with a space station that’s been spying on the first known alien species is lost, you’re the one-man team sent to investigate. There’s an eeriness to the station’s empty metal corridors, made all the more unnerving by frequent quakes from the station’s failing systems, and hints that you’re not alone. The narrative slowly pieces events together and rewards you for putting time into exploring. 1 Neatly woven into the plot are the personal journeys of the station’s missing inhabitants. Audio logs and notes bring these characters to life. 2 The absence of loading screens would give a seamless experience if it weren’t for the frequently stuttering framerate.

Despite being primarily a story-focused experience, the action proves just as enjoyable. The labyrinthine station contains locked areas requiring you to solve puzzles that will test your perception and logical thinking. There’s a surprising level of depth to the interaction that elevates this beyond a space-themed ‘walking simulator’. It’s an absorbing excursion that regrettably comes into land all too soon. It’s easily doable in one sitting, and with such a broad narrative concept and deeply theoretical undertones, the rate at which you’re hurtled towards the finale leaves you feeling slightly robbed of your intellectual investment.

FOOTNOTES1 There’s an incredible amount of scientific depth interspersed with lighthearted exchanges. 2 Computers, logs, and menus are accessed using a nifty augmented reality interface.