Chilling narrative exploration game The Pale Beyond releases next month

A harrowing journey to the end of the world

I never get tired of a good narrative game, so when I see a trailer that looks good enough to grab my attention, I can’t help but get excited about a potential new story-driven gem. That’s absolutely the case when it comes to The Pale Beyond, a narrative polar exploration game that’s set to release on February 24, 2023. The title was originally announced back in November of 2021, and its story will follow the crew of a vessel named The Temperance, who have set out on an expedition toward the South Pole in an attempt to discover the mystery of their lost sister ship, the Viscount, which set out on a journey to find the absolute magnetic South five years prior.

The Pale Beyond‘s launch trailer shows off some of the game’s foremost mechanics, like resource and morale management and survival simulation — one can imagine how those elements will tie into tough narrative choices the player must make for the survival of the crew. What really grabbed me about this game is its art style, from the painterly backdrops to the hand-drawn character portraits. Here’s hoping that the gameplay experience will hold up against the gorgeous visuals.

I’m a big fan of these harrowing, tension-filled “journey” narratives, and it’s certainly not a story I’ve played in a game for a good while now, so I’m looking forward to checking out The Pale Beyond once it drops. If the game looks interesting to you as well and you want to get a taste before the release date, there’s also a demo you can download on The Pale Beyond‘s Steam page right now.

Noelle Warner

Features Editor