Observation, the BAFTA-winning sci-fi thriller from No Code, arrives on Steam today. It originally launched on Epic Games Store one year ago and now its exclusivity window has expired. It was also previously available on PS4 and Humble Store. There are no plans yet announced for Xbox, Stadia, or Switch versions.
Observation tells the story of an astronaut, Dr. Emma Fisher, who must survive while being stranded aboard a mysteriously vacant space station. But players don't take on the role of Emma. Instead, they play S.A.M., the on board artificial intelligence that lends a virtual hand to Dr. Fisher in her dire predicament.
Throughout the game, the studio's history with retro-future analog sci-fi equipment is apparent as S.A.M. interfaces with modules and computers of all sorts. You can quickly tell the team is comprised of former Alien Isolation developers. Previously, the team exercised similar muscles in another retro thriller, the Twilight Zone-like anthology, Stories Untold.
The game remains published by Devolver Digital, whose CFO Fork Parker had some typically Devolver-like things to say of the game. “Computers are eventually going to kill us all so I applaud developer No Code on tackling the tough issues and also trying to make some cash off that fear.”
Observation earned "Strong" marks on OpenCritic during its original launch window last year. Today it averages a 76 from 77 critics. It's likely more critics will weigh in on the sci-fi game in the days and weeks ahead, so it'll be interesting to see how new eyes appreciate it one year later.
