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The Works of Mercy seeking donations on Kickstarter

Many games revolve around investigating strange or unexplained murders, but only a few titles, such as Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy, go a step further and make the player both investigator and unwilling perpetrator of the murder spree. Polish developer Pentacle seeks to weave the latter kind of tale in their upcoming first-person horror adventure The Works of Mercy, and has taken to Kickstarter in order to secure the necessary funding.

Inspired by films such as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, the plot begins with the protagonist’s wife and daughter kidnapped. In order to secure their release, the player is forced to commit horrifying murders of apparently random individuals. As the mystery deepens, you will be drawn into a “dark world” which gradually becomes a “surreal vision of the protagonist’s mind captured in a lethal trap.” In addition to investigating the usual questions, such as who the tormentor is and why he has targeted your family, the game promises to raise powerful philosophical questions as well, such as how far someone would go to save another’s life and how to cope with the guilt of killing seemingly innocent victims?


According to the developers, gameplay will contain "subtle elements of combat", with unexpected attacks from enemies, but the main focus will be on exploration to find items that unlock new areas and puzzle-solving to proceed in the game. A brief press demo allowed us to sample the game’s opening sequence, showcasing the photorealistic graphics inside the protagonist’s house, one of several environments in the full game. In freely exploring the 3D location, we were able to use the telephone; physically pick up, examine, and throw objects away; and rummage through the various rooms in the house. Dialogue trees during a phone conversation with the kidnapper, in which you’re instructed to call an escort service and lure a hooker to the house to be killed, allow for varied options in how to respond. The game will be presented in first-person perspective and may be played with keyboard and mouse. However, Pentacle is also planning support for “all major VR headsets,” promising enhanced immersion for players with access to such peripherals.

For gamers looking to support Pentacle’s endeavor to bring their psychological thriller to life, the Kickstarter goals are surprisingly modest at a mere $15,000 CAD, as the majority of funds needed for the game are coming from Pentacle’s own finances. Prospective backers can snag an early-bird copy of the game for $14 CAD, and $20 after that until the final deadline of March 19th. The proceeds from a successful campaign will go toward paying for more artists and “community-focused” development time, though the developers promise that the game will eventually be released no matter the outcome.

Production on The Works of Mercy is currently focused on PC, but releases on other platforms are planned for Linux, Mac, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though some of these releases are contingent on the success of the Kickstarter campaign.

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