It looks like Bloober Team is teasing a return to its sci-fi horror Observer
But is it a sequel or something else?
Developer Bloober Team, purveyor of psychedelic horror delights such as Layers of Fear and last year's Blair Witch game, is in a teasing mood - and it looks very much like its excellent sci-fi horror adventure Observer is making a return, be it for a sequel or something else.
Over on Twitter, the developer has released a brief new teaser video, accompanied by the message ">new_incoming_call_ >sig: ch120n 1nc02p02473d_". And while there's no explicit mention of Observer, there are enough hints to connect the dots.
For instance, not only does the video sport a cyberpunk aesthetic near identical to that seen in the original Observer, the logo of Chiron Incorporated - the nefarious corporation at the heart of Bloober's sci-fi horror - also appears slap bang in the centre. Oh, and a sharp-eyed fan has already spotted a revealing message - "Daniel, are you there?" - hidden within.
For those unfamiliar, a quick recap might be in order. The original Observer released back in 2017, and saw Bloober Team applying its mesmerising brand of surreal horror to the sci-fi genre, delivering a dark detective story set in a dystopian future version of Kraków, Poland.
Half the game takes the form of a methodically paced investigation adventure, as players - in the role of Observer detective Daniel Lazarski (voiced by the late Rutger Hauer) - scour the corridors of a run-down, but exquisitely realised, apartment building in search of their estranged son. The gloves come off, however, when Lazarski uses his talents to hack into suspects' brains, reliving their memories and plunging players headfirst into nightmarish, but visually astonishing dreamscapes. We liked it rather a lot here at Eurogamer.
Of course, it's impossible to say with any certainty what Bloober's latest tease is all about without more information from the developer. And as much as I'd love to see its bold sci-fi horror get a sequel, it's equally possible this is something else entirely. Perhaps, for instance, the original Observer is getting a VR release - as was the case for opulent haunted house caper Layers of Fear last year. Hopefully Bloober's full reveal will come soon.