The end of the world is not the end. Developer Stubby Games with Publisher Playstack have raised the curtains on a new first-person puzzler, The Entropy Centre, and have now release a gameplay trailer, showcasing the gameplay mechanics of The Entropy Centre. From the house that brought players Mortal Shell, the Entropy Centre puts a new spins on puzzle solving: Time Travel.
The four-minute trailer was unveiled on ID @ Xbox youtube channel, which posts trailers and announcements for exciting new indie games. The involved trailer showcases what players are to expect as they embark on this mission to save the world. Players wield the Entropy device, a device that can rewind objects into the past. Accompanying players on their journey is Astra, a Personal Exercise Assistant, or PEA for short. Built into the Entropy device, Astra will be a guiding voice for navigating the calamity that has befallen Earth and the orbiting space station that has marooned the player.
Players use the device to maneuver objects and obstacles through time manipulation. The trailer demonstrates the physics of these mechanics, as well as the overall look and feel tot he game. There is voice acting and chemistry between the protagonist and Astra, making for an interesting duo dynamic. The trailer showcases the internal destruction of the station, and the Entropy rifle working correctly. The ending of the trailer sees a Planet Earth, emblazoned in what appears to be fire. Only with the Entropy device, and puzzle solving, can players hope to survive the destruction of the station and perhaps undo the catastrophic demise of Earth.
The Entropy Centre already has me incredibly intrigued, from its technological standpoint, presentation, and gameplay. Upon seeing the time manipulation mechanics, I was immediately reminded of a 12-year-old classic shooter that went under the radar but made a big impact: Singularity. The first-person shooter from Activision and Raven Software landed in the Summer of 2010, following the launch of EA’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but in eager anticipation of Bungie’s Halo: Reach, EA’s Medal of Honor reboot, and the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Singularity
Singularity put players into a near future sci-fi setting, where players wielded state-of-the-art weapons and fought Russian special forces, all the while wielding a time manipulation device that could either age enemies into dust or regress them back into grotesque monsters. Singularity was the little shooter that could, garnering a slew of favorable reviews among players.
Burdened by Activision’s corrupt management, Singularity was lucky to be released at all, but following the release, Raven Software was creatively lobotomized to become only a Call of Duty support studio. The Entropy Centre may be more of a puzzle-solving experience than a militaristic combat one, but its use of time manipulation on a more portable scale, similar to Singularity, has me engaged and interested. It’s my hope more players catch on to this as well.
The Entropy Centre launches in 2022 for Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam. A Nintendo Switch version was not announced at this time.
