Dystopian surveillance thriller Orwell is back for a second season later this month
Game & Watch.
Orwell, the dystopian thriller themed around digital surveillance, is getting a second season on PC later this month, developer Osmotic Studios has announced.
The original narrative adventure - which was split over several episodes, hence the term "season" - put players in the role of an investigative agent working for the government's shadowy Orwell programme. Your task was to sift through citizens' personal communications - be they web pages, social media posts, dating site profiles, news articles or blogs - under the guise of public safety. Season 1's trailer does a great job of introducing the basic premise:
Season 2, known as Orwell: Ignorance is Strength (trailer below), focusses on "the rise of fake news, social media echo chambers, and the displacement of truth". This time around, players must "uncover the truth behind the escalating political tension [between the Nation and neighboring country Parges] delving deep into the lives of Raban Vhart, editor of The People's Voice and self-proclaimed guardian of truth, his wife, Karen, and his brother, Ilya".
Osmotic says that this second season will introduce additional tools and mechanics that provide more opportunities to influence the unfolding the narrative. There's a new "time of day" feature, designed to ramp up tension via time-sensitive assignments, and to make your decisions about who to investigate and when more meaningful. "Players can also research more widely and dig deeper into citizen's lives, gathering additional information they can use to influence the way events are reported and perceived by the public", says the Osmotic.
Season 2 of Orwell will release in three parts, one arriving every two weeks. Episode One: Thesis launches on February 22nd, Episode Two: Antithesis arrives on March 8th, and Episode Three: Synthesis concludes the season on March 22nd. You can pick the game up on Steam when it releases, and all three episodes are included in the price. If you fancy giving the first season a spin, it's currently £4.81 in the Steam sale.