Nova Antarctica Is A Mysterious Japanese Survival Game Set In The Harshest Place On Earth

thegamer.com:

In the barren, frozen expanse of Antarctica, a lone survivor trudges through the snow in search of a mystery MacGuffin known as The Signal. Equipped with a state of the art snowsuit, this enigmatic masked character has to scale icy cliffs, cross dangerous rivers, and endure the worst weather the world's least hospitable continent has to throw at them—including blizzards and tornadoes. Whatever this signal is, it's calling to them from the wintry depths of this harsh landscape and they'll stop at nothing to reach it. It's an intriguing premise.

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Nova Antarctica is the first game by Japanese indie RexLabo. Headquartered in Tokyo, this fledgling studio has been helped to bring the game to life by an indie incubator program founded by publisher Marvelous Japan. It's always nice to see established companies like this giving new games, and other interesting projects like Ninja or Die, a leg up. It's a survival game, which is unusual for a Japanese developer. Typically these kinds of games, whether it's The Long Dark, Subnautica, Don't Starve, or The Forest, come from Western studios.

But Nova Antarctica isn't a pure survival simulator. It features many of the elements that define the genre, including crafting, cooking, and scavenging supplies to keep yourself alive. But it's also a narrative-driven adventure game, with RexLabo promising a "branching story rich in discovery and devastation." Devastation is the key word here, reflecting the game's thoughtful, melancholy tone. There's an apocalyptic flavour to the experience too, weighted by the fact that The Signal, located at the South Pole, is said to offer "hope for