Welcome to Brightville: Immersive Steampunk

Contrast Games will soon announce the release of their new fully immersive steampunk action and adventure game, narrated from a first-person perspective, from which we will explore the mysterious city of Brightville, a place where magic and technology fuse, or sometimes collide!

Its look is simply awesome, even though it seems like a halfway mix between We Happy Few (2016) and Bioshock Infinite (2013), setting aside the obvious differences in time and technological advancements, although we are specifically talking about two titles that have aged quite well. Welcome to Brightville presents a “living” world, you could say, where every setting and every texture feels real and tangible. Want to take a look for yourself? Here is the Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer by GameTrailers:

Immersive Steampunk Taken to the Next Level

Even though Welcome to Brightville is a first-person action and adventure game, its developers define it as an “emergent immersive sim” in which we will play as an automaton who is not affected by the AI that controls Brightville, a mysterious retro-futuristic city where magic and technology fuse in a strange way. We will be able to experiment with abilities and interact with characters while we adapt to an environment that responds to our decisions.

The world of Brightville will feel alive, and will act like it: settings and situations will react to our actions, which will open multiple ways to approach the different hostile encounters. Whether fighting, exploring the depths of the city, or discovering the mysteries behind our automaton’s existence, we will see that every action will shape the world around us.

Freedom of Choice

The freedom of playstyle will allow us to choose both stealth and direct confrontation on multiple occasions, and as if that weren’t enough, we will also be able to use “manipulation,” whatever that may refer to. Interactions with NPCs will be so deep that they will allow us to learn about their motivations, backgrounds, and stories that will evolve depending on our choices.

Our arsenal will consist of defensive and offensive magical spells, which can be combined to create devastating effects and manipulate the environment. From elemental explosions to complex synergies between spells, we will experience fast, dynamic, and highly customizable combat.

Even the music itself will be woven into the narrative of Brightville’s world, as we will be able to hear how some decisions and actions feel “emphasized” by the soundtrack, which will undoubtedly increase the level of immersion in an already fascinating world. In many situations we will even hear characters sing, incorporating musical elements into the story. The fully orchestrated musical atmosphere has been created by professional musicians, who will bring life and a special touch to every moment.

Welcome to Brightville blends industrial Victorian architecture, neo-baroque extravagance, and futuristic cyberpunk elements. Dark fantasy themes permeate the environment, creating a ‘mana-punk’ world where magic fuels machines and the city’s fate teeters on the edge of destruction.

So…

This was maybe one of the few times I was already fully ready to play a video game without knowing absolutely anything about it. I mean the moment I saw the video, and right before visiting its Steam page… I didn’t care what it was about, I just wanted to play it already! XD …Okay, I still want to, but now I know that just like you, I will have to wait. So while we do that, how about we meet in the comments and talk about what we’ve thought of Welcome to Brightville? You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 🙂

Images Source: GameTrailers Official YouTube Channel, Welcome to Brightville on Steam