Navigate a moody, lifeless city in The Plane Effect

I’m not sure why I need another game that reminds me of the existential despair consuming our world right now, but The Plane Effect looks like the sort of game that, while doused in dour black and white, has plenty to say about our ravaged, capitalistic world.

So if the potent mix of sleek, monochromatic graphics and morose, modern tales of dystopia appeal to you, then The Plane Effect will surely ensnare you with its presentation. You experience the reality of living in its city through Solo, a man who is trying to make his way home after a workday that seemed like sheer drudgery: staring at a flickering monitor from within a cubicle, working in a murky, soulless office, and then trudging towards home alone amidst a dark, wintery night. And as you make your way through rows of stores in this city, you’ll be swarmed by the sight of posters and billboards, which encourage you to satisfy your material urges by shopping mindlessly. 

At the same time, making your way home doesn’t seem like such a straightforward affair.  The city itself is patrolled by drones that will zap you if you traverse down an unintended path. There’s also a time-bending element as well, which suggests some supernatural forces are at play, obstructing your way back home. It’s a dismal place through and through, a city abandoned by hope.  

Yet I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the melancholy of The Plane Effect. Its sights are clearly inspired by well-worn tropes of capitalist dystopias—one scene is simply an assembly of gray, faceless workers enclosed within fences—but I’m unfortunately drawn to dystopian stories. That, and the minimalist soundtrack in the trailer, implies that the city is now plunged in an unbearably depressing state of affairs.

The Plane Effect will be released some time this year.