Aphelion – A Sci-Fi Mystery Coming This Year

Aphelion is a futuristic role playing and action game that mixes several elements, and everything suggests it’s shaping up well. Developed and published by DON’T NOD, the popular studio known for franchises such as Life is Strange (2015 – 2018), Vampyr (2018), Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (2024) and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (2025), among others, Aphelion presents a mystery, action and exploration adventure that takes place on Persephone, a ninth planet discovered in the far reaches of the Solar System.

Although DON’T NOD is very good at adventures with a strong narrative emphasis, and Aphelion is no exception, what also stands out here is the combination of elements reminiscent of several other franchises. The cinematic third person action evokes the gameplay of the Tomb Raider entries of the Survivor Era (2013 – 2018), while the mystery, and even a bit of the soundtrack, personally reminds me of the classic The Dig (1995) from Lucasfilm Games, not to mention a strong stealth factor that is present in many current titles. Below you can see the Official Gameplay Trailer, courtesy of PlayStation on YouTube:

An Adventure at the Edges of the Solar System

The story begins almost violently: by 2060, Earth will literally be uninhabitable. The great nations focus on different paths toward escape or a solution to the imminent cataclysm. With the discovery of a ninth planet at the known limits of the Solar System, Persephone becomes the best bet for the future of humanity. The European Space Agency sends the scientific mission Hope-01, composed of two of its most experienced astronauts, Ariane Montclair and Thomas Cross, to study the planet and determine if humanity could thrive there.

The adventure begins in chaos, when the forced landing of their ship scatters the wreckage across the planet, throwing them into a desperate search for each other. There, in the surreal beauty of Persephone, the two astronauts must use every resource they have at hand to survive the vast frozen world, the lethal climate and the ever changing terrain. Armed only with exploration tools, oxygen tanks, and their tenacity, they face this hostile new environment, in which they are not alone.

As if the precarious situation they find themselves in were not enough, the survivors must cross treacherous terrain and also gather clues about a certain mysterious phenomenon that alters reality and threatens their very existence. In this situation, Ariane and Thomas find a synergy that makes them work as a team even in extreme situations. Thomas, injured in the accident, relies on his ingenuity and observation, while Ariane explores her surroundings bravely and agilely in search of secrets and clues about the planet’s strange conditions and the cause of their ship’s accident.

Aphelion proposes a cinematic action and exploration adventure, with role playing mechanics and stealth sequences, in a hostile environment in which an unknown enemy constantly stalks the protagonists. Ariane and Thomas also share a deep connection, and a bond that was fractured in the past by life’s adversities. Now, besides relying on each other to survive, they are forced to overcome the echoes of a complex past.

Some of the Main Features Highlighted by its Developers:

• Grounded sci-fi exploration: a realistic depiction of near-future space exploration
• Dual-perspective survival: experience both Thomas’s resourceful investigation and Ariane’s high stakes parkour gameplay
• Cinematic third-person action: gripping traversal mechanics, with grappling, sliding, and momentum-driven movement
• Tense stealth encounters: face an alien threat in tense and exciting stealth-based sequences
• An emotional core: two astronauts bound by a complicated past, fighting to find each other

So…

Although Aphelion does not have an official release date or window, we can expect its arrival at some point in 2026. Personally I love well narrated science fiction mysteries, which perhaps became clear when I mentioned The Dig, so this title has everything necessary to hook me from the start. And what about you? Since we both have to wait, it would be great if you stopped by the comments and told us your opinion about this intriguing proposal from DON’T NOD, what do you say? You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 🙂

Images Source: PlayStation Official YouTube Channel, Aphelion on Steam