Some of you will remember a bizarre PC game called Pathologic which I and a few others on here delved briefly into a while back. It was an extremely ambitious, interesting and unique high-concept Russian arthouse game, sadly put together without the necessary resources to make it more approachable in a way that one would a normal game. Read more about it here.
Well, the developers of that game, Ice-Pick Lodge, are it seems very close to releasing their second game. Tension is another conglomeration of genres, some kind of surreal action adventure with... dating elements... in which you draw symbols with coloured stuff to make stuff happen, under constant resource scarcity (a big parallel with Pathologic).
It's out in Russian this month, and from what I can tell is due to be released in English at some point, so I'll be keeping an eye on it. For now, here's a selection of information and images and videos which will not increase your understanding of the game very much...
Tension – a survival adventure game, in which you have to stay alive in the hostile world of Void and to get out from it as quick as possible. The choice is either to support life in its horrifying Hunters or its mournful girls or strip them of it. The way you pass through The Void is the way it changes. The way it reflects upon you.
The surrealistic world of Tension is based on a single resource that grants the ability to live and act – Lympha. Each color of Lympha possesses its own character and unique properties – both useful and dangerous. Only Lympha gives life, but it can take it back as well. Hunters’ blood, captured creature, gracious girls, tree brought to life, just everything is the source of Lympha. Any action you take: battling an enemy, talking to a Sister, hunting, searching, traveling – the price in exchange is Lympha.
The dynamic, interactive environment and the severe resource shortage constantly put the player into unexpected circumstances. Although the player is free to use any colors any time he should mind his global strategy, since the finale will turn out the way the world is painted. The gameplay in Tension is non-linear the ending (one of the 11) depends on the color and the amount of Lympha used.
Features:
-Lympha – the unified resource: the currency, the hero’s health, armory and inventory, the character’s stat system and the world settings.
-All the actions are done via drawing by Lympha. The amount of Lympha used influences the effectiveness of the result.
-7 colors of Lympha are of the same value of nutrition, but produce a different effect in the same situations, if used.
-Each color of Lympha can benefit and each can harm. The player can take advantage of a color, though even a drop of any color can change the world of the Gap.
posted by Raff 
