First Look at Hopetown: The Spiritual Successor to Disco Elysium
Hopetown, a nonlinear RPG from Longdue Games, offers a captivating narrative-driven experience. Founded by former employees of ZA/UM, Rockstar Games, and Bungie, the studio has unveiled a glimpse into its debut title, a game often described as a spiritual successor to *Disco Elysium*. The story follows a journalist who awakens in a remote mining town with a crippling hangover, the aftermath of a blurry night. Players must unravel the events of the previous evening and navigate escalating local tensions, facing choices that can either de-escalate the conflict or ignite it further.
Screenshots showcase a dialogue-rich gameplay experience where player choices profoundly shape the narrative. Multiple character archetypes are available, each providing unique dialogue options and approaches to conversations. For instance, interacting with an elderly woman feeding pigeons allows players to select different conversational tones, leading to varied outcomes.
Longdue Games is gearing up for a Kickstarter campaign to fund Hopetown's development, with a dedicated page already live on the platform. While a release date remains unannounced, anticipation is steadily growing amongst fans of narrative-focused RPGs.
Hopetown isn't the only game drawing inspiration from *Disco Elysium*. Dark Math Games and Summer Eternal are also developing their own psychological RPGs, creating a burgeoning subgenre within the RPG landscape.