What would you do if a close relative left home to join a cult-like organization that, ostensibly, seemed to be motivated by the desire for a peaceful, harmonious existence outside the capitalistic confines of American society? Would you feel it your place to decide the validity of their decision and intervene - whether you were in the right or not, or would you let them pursue a life on their own terms, even if it leads to unforeseeable consequences?
It is a difficult question to pose, and an even tougher one to answer without knowing the full details. However, that is exactly the scenario players will be confronted with in The Church in the Darkness when it releases August 2nd. As the game's synopsis explains, players will be transported back to the year 1977 and placed in the role of Vic - an ex law-enforcement officer whose nephew did that exact thing I just described. The cult-like organization I mentioned? Yea, it's called the "Collective Justice Mission", and its leaders are two very charismatic, self-proclaimed revolutionists named Isaac and Rebecca Walker. As semi-religious cults wont to do, they establish a "socialist utopia", aptly named Freedom Town, outside of the jurisdiction of the United States government. Naturally, this means the jungles of South America.
While the nephew's motivations are unknown, one might can speculate that the civil unrest and overall disenchantment with the American establishment that was so prominent in the 70's may have had something to do with his sudden departure. In any case, what is known is that his exceptionally dutiful uncle is going to find him and bring him back by any means necessary, or at least that's just 1 of the 19 possible outcomes that one can achieve in their play through.
That's right, players can look forward to what is being called a "procedural narrative", which, in this case, means that the story plays out a little bit differently for every play through. Additionally, the player's actions will need to adjust to the cults varying behaviors and motivations. Perhaps Vic will discover that the cult isn't so bad and decides he wants to stay and fight the good fight, or maybe the Collective Justice Mission and its leaders are entirely villainous, and will need to be dispatched in order to free his nephew. While those might be the two most polar-opposite outcomes, the remaining 17 will likely provide more nuanced returns.
Regardless of how things pan out, players will have the option to use stealth and play it cool, or take a more "hands-on" approach with sorting out the truth about Freedom Town.
The Church in the Darkness launches on the Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam August 2nd.