The cyberpunk aesthetic has long been one of the most popular and requested settings in video games, from the success of Dishonored to the pure hype of the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077. It seems that the indie scene is now embracing the same style with Ape Tribe Games’ upcoming title, Disjunction. Aside from its world, the stealth RPG also introduces a variety of distinct elements, from its stealth RPG mechanics and top-down point of view to its pixel art visuals.
Set in the dystopian underbelly of a fictional New York City in 2048, the single-player RPG follows the “interconnected narratives of three characters as they unravel a mystery that will change the fate of their city.” The use of separate but eventually converging storylines starring three protagonists isn’t a much-used trope in gaming (the last memorable one being GTA V), but it’s interesting that the accompanying style is not only stealth, but top-down as well. Furthermore, a top-down shooter that revolves around stealth gameplay is even rarer.
According to the title’s Steam profile, Disjunction boasts more than 30 non-linear, handcrafted levels and customizable protagonists that have multiple abilities, upgrades, and talents to explore. It’s unclear how extensive this “intertwined” narrative really is, but to throw in yet another “big-budget game” aspect to the indie title, Ape Tribe Games also added choice options that have consequences for the story.
With an incredibly detailed environment and characters, along with a sample platter of story-focused game design features, Disfunction on paper looks like a triple A title fit into an indie shell. From the looks of the trailer, if the developers can perfectly balance all of these tricky elements, the game is shaping up to be an incredible experience.
There is no concrete release date, but Disfunction will release on Steam sometime in 2019. The Alpha demo is now available to play via the website.