Demo constructed for STASIS: BONE TOTEM

Written by Jack Allin — November 9, 2020 at 12:32

It's been almost four years since we last ventured into The Brotherhood's STASIS universe while the indie South African developers were busy making Beautiful Desolation. Next, though, the acclaimed sci-fi horror series is ... well, coming out of stasis in the form of STASIS: BONE TOTEM. Better yet, while we need to wait another year-plus for the complete game, a playable demo is available now to whet gamers' appetites. 

In an all-new storyline, this game follows the salvaging duo of Charlie and Mac, who, along with their "Super-Toy" Moses, "scour the ocean for a living." They believe they've hit paydirt when they come across DEEPSEA 15, a "seemingly abandoned Cayne Corporation rig in the middle of the Pacific Ocean." But why is the hulking station deserted and devoid of life? They'll soon find out in a "thrilling and spine-tingling journey into the unknown fathoms of the icy ocean" when they "uncover a threat far beyond their wildest dreams." 

The "gruesome narrative" and cast of characters will be new, but BONE TOTEM promises the same general look and style as its predecessors. Presented in stunning high-resolution graphics (including 4k support here) with full voice acting, cinematic cutscenes, an isometric third-person perspective and point-and-click control scheme, the game will see you "combine items, interact with computers, and solve puzzles" as you "explore a world full of rich deep history and lore." This time, though, instead of just a single protagonist you'll have the opportunity to "toggle back and forth between three unique characters" with a creative inventory-sharing system. 

Given the high production values, it's no surprise that STASIS: BONE TOTEM isn't due to be complete until the first quarter of 2022. Fortunately, a playable demo is already available now on Steam to help tide you over. If you like what you see, the developers are encouraging players to support their crowdfunding campaign, with a downloadable copy of the game starting at $16 for a limited time.