Commander ’85 – a new retro sci-fi thriller is coming to PC and consoles

Commander ’85 – a new retro sci-fi thriller is coming to PC and consoles

Commander ’85 is a new game by The Moonwalls studio, combining adventure game, science fiction thriller, survival elements and a hacker simulator. The story will be set in the 1980s, and the gameplay will be very diverse and filled with unique solutions. The premiere for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch has been scheduled for autumn 2020. The team is currently collecting funds on Kickstarter to expand the scope of the project.

The game is being developed by the independent Polish studio The Moonwalls, known for Bohemian Killing, an unconventional court thriller released on PC and Nintendo Switch. Commander ’85 will be published by Ultimate Games S.A.

Currently a crowdfunding campaign is running on Kickstarter to support the project. The minimum goal has been set to 8 thousand Canadian dollars (CAD), and the supporters can count on – depending on the paid amount – e.g. access to the game demo and special add-ons. The collected funds will be used to expand the game (for example adding a VR mode and additional comic-book cutscenes). The campaign will last until May 9 this year.

As the developers explain, Commander ’85 is a sci-fi thriller set in the 1980s, combining elements of adventure, simulation and survival games. The main protagonist, a teenager living in the suburbs of Chicago, receives a birthday present – a Commander computer. The device turns out to be the highest technological achievement, a state-of-the-art computer equipped with a real artificial intelligence system.

“Commander ‘85 will be full of surprises. The plot will deal with, among others, themes of the arms race, military experiments, the Roswell incident, nuclear war and – of course – artificial intelligence. However, I don’t want to reveal too much and spoil the fun. It’s important to note that each game session is basically different. We’ve prepared hundreds of different possibilities, many random elements, side quests and three different endings” – says Marcin Makaj, the person behind the idea for the game and its main developer.

The game will offer refined and highly diverse gameplay. The Moonwalls studio is preparing various unique activities. They include, for example, hacking data networks, playing games, drawing, playing with a dog or watching video tapes. The experience will be further enriched by a soundtrack filled with ‘80s sounds (including synthwave, disco and rock), created by Marcin Maślanka.

“This unique project has been in development for several years and is being created with great passion and equally great attention to detail. For example, the game features an operating system resembling DOS, which we can use to experiment with various commands. This is of course just one example – Commander ’85 offers many different little Easter Eggs and references. All retro and 1980s fans will feel at home. The game by The Moonwalls will surely appeal to, among others, fans of Stranger Things and similar series and all those looking for surprising solutions and fresh approaches in games” – says Mateusz Zawadzki, CEO of Ultimate Games S.A.

Commander ’85 has won several industry awards for independent games (e.g. during GameDaily Connect USA 2019, Playtopia 2019 and Game Connection America 2020).

Commander ‘85 – main features:

• a retro sci-fi thriller;
• adventure, simulation and survival;
• set in the 1980s;
• random events and 3 different endings;
• a ton of pop-culture references;
• many additional games and programs;
• atmospheric soundtrack.

Commander ’85 is scheduled to be released simultaneously on PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in autumn 2020.

Commander ’85 (Steam):

Commander ’85 (Kickstarter):

Commander ’85 – Trailer:

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