Polish developer Polyslash has spent the last two years building Phantaruk, a sci-fi horror game that explores the grand idea of transhumanism, the theory that the human race will evolve to a point where our understanding and advancements in science and technology will eventually render the human form obsolete. In a way, it’s a game about what it means to be human, and how our current definition of it will inevitably change at some point in the likely very distant future.
It’s a familiar idea that makes for a fascinating discussion, especially in the horror genre, which often favors a more frightening portrayal of this dystopian, super-human civilization — a recent example being Frictional Games’ underrated existential thriller SOMA. It’s nice to see more indie developers tackle lofty narrative ideas that challenge us in abstract and unexpected ways. Being human can be a tricky thing, trickier even than finding yourself trapped in another spooky mental hospital, or surrounded by another horde of zombies. More please!
Phantaruk releases in August for PC, Mac and Linux. Polyslash is also considering bringing it to consoles, but that has not been confirmed. A full trailer is expected by the end of June.
