After five long years in the making, sci-fi horror isometric point and click title STASIS finally hit the Steam store in 2015. It went on to win several awards, including 4th best in both horror and adventure at the Global Game Awards. On top of its chilling visuals, the game also has a soundtrack that was composed by Mark Morgan, who worked on Fallout. Developed by The Brotherhood and published in conjunction with the highly acclaimed Daedalic Entertainment, it's surprising that STASIS isn't a more popular title, having only sold roughly 30,000 copies on Steam.
A man named John Maracheck is violently awoken from his suspension in a stasis state, with no knowledge of where he is or how long he has been unconscious. The last thing he remembers is boarding a travel vessel with his wife and daughter, their destination intended to be one of leisure and vacation. Somewhere along the line, something went horribly wrong, and it's up to John to not only find his family but also to uncover the terrible secrets that lay hidden within the blood-drenched corridors of the Groomlake; a massive spacecraft that is orbiting planet Neptune. The majority of the story is told through found PDAs and computer terminals, from the perspective of now deceased, on-board staff. The remainder is conveyed via radio communication with a woman named Te'ah. If you want to understand what is truly going on, reading the PDAs is absolutely essential, and the writing within them is very entertaining and well done.
STASIS is a very difficult, slow moving game; this could be a con for some, and a pro for others. Even while using a guide, the hours clock in around the beefy 7-8 mark, which is huge for a point and click title. Without a guide, a lot more time could be put in to solving the complex puzzles and hard-to-find items that are needed to proceed. In certain situations, an event has to be triggered by standing in the appropriate spot to be able to move on. Needless to say, it's very easy to get stuck, and the game is overall very challenging and thought provoking; the latter not only in terms of enigmas, but also the compelling yet chilling story.
The visuals here are, by far, some of the most horrific and gruesome that are available in any 2D isometric game. Nearly every screen is filled with blood, fog/steam, rotting corpses, and terrifying abominations that've been being genetically manufactured on-board. The game is quite dim, but not so much that it's too difficult to see. There's also a great use of lighting to make many of the scenes even more spine-chilling. The graphics can be compared heavily to the FPS title Deadspace, in terms of the amount of blood and gore, coupled by the fact that both take space on an isolated, abandoned spacecraft. The aesthetics marry well with the jarring sound effects, which include the blood curdling screams of victims far off in the distance. Likewise, the atmospheric soundtrack by Mark Morgan really ties everything together.
Buckle up and get ready for one of the most immersive and bloody 2D isometric games of all time. STASIS is truly a title that shouldn't be missed, and it's very much an underrated horror gem. The only downside for me could be an upside for you; the story and overall game just seemed to move incredibly slow. However, the end result was completely worth it. Right now, The Brotherhood are working on a post-apocalyptic adventure game, as well as a free follow-up to STASIS about the Cayne Corporation; both should be exciting stuff, and I greatly look forward to playing both of them, and you should too.
Rating: 5.0/5.0 - An astonishing achievement, this game must be played.The Horror Network
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