When I saw the trailer for Satellite Odyssey: Jupiter, I could immediately spot the Bioshock and Resident Evil influences, wrapped in a beautiful art deco sci-fi style. While Bioshock 4 is still... in development? It's nice to see an indie developer take a stab at the future-retro horror formula, complete with robots, beautiful singers, and the worst thing ever created made even more horrifying: flies. Specifically, flies that have evolved into humanoid beasts.
This was a short playtest, but one that showed plenty of promise in its gameplay, setting, and horror atmosphere.
Take me to Jupiter for the... fly creatures, eww
Satellite Odyssey: Jupiter puts us in the shoes of singer and dancer May, who has lost her memory and finds herself trapped aboard a gigantic and beautiful space station that has now descended into chaos, overrun with deadly robots and fly creatures.
It very much oozes that Bioshock and Resident Evil trope of arriving after a bloody and gruesome disaster. Life has long since drained from the station, leaving behind only eerie echoes of its former inhabitants, yourself, and a handful of distinctly unhelpful robots.
The world looks stunning, and I'll admit I'm biased because I love Art Deco. Satellite Odyssey: Jupiter absolutely nails the aesthetic. I can't get enough of it. The fusion of sci-fi and art deco elements isn't a new concept, but it's executed incredibly well here.
While there are still plenty of small touches missing from this early preview build, the foundation is compelling. Exploration is rewarding as you rummage through drawers, bins, and containers for bullets and first aid supplies. There are dark corridors, shadowy corners where enemies may be lurking, and interconnected rooms filled with key items, backtracking opportunities, and hidden secrets.
All the survival horror staples are present, alongside a neat opening objective. May must locate the members of a robot jazz band who have been scattered throughout the nearby area. Oh, and there's also something about a locked door with two empty indents that might require keys. Wild.
I start with the only open door, head down a dim corridor, and discover a vent bolted shut. After finding a screwdriver, I pry it open and crawl into a bathroom that has definitely seen better days.
It's here that I encounter the game's primary enemy: fly people.
Yeah. A human and a fly fused into one horrible creature.
They're grotesque, silent, and incredibly deadly. Unfortunately, May's intentionally clunky controls don't make dealing with them any easier, nor does the fact that they seem completely silent. I found this less frightening than frustrating, often leading to cheap hits at the worst possible moments.
I know Dead Space occasionally uses quiet enemies, but there's usually some kind of audio cue. A vent cover breaks, a creature scuttles nearby, or a claw suddenly appears on-screen, giving you a split second to react.
Here, they're just silent, and I didn't quite buy that. Perhaps it's simply because this is an early build and some audio cues haven't been implemented yet. I certainly hope so.
Anyway, I fire my revolver at Mr Fly-Man and continue onward.
After dispatching a few more fly creatures and finding one of the missing jazz band members, I discover a secret office hidden behind a fake wall. There, I obtain my first key item: a scanner that reveals hidden wires and triggers concealed within the walls, opening pathways to new areas.
And it does one other thing too, but more on that shortly.
After learning how to uncover hidden wiring and opening a few new routes, I eventually find another jazz robot waiting in the kitchen. After providing some personal information about myself, conveniently discovered in a note from the secret office, the kitchen door unlocks.
The robot explains that one of the maid-bots has gone slightly haywire.
Venturing into the kitchen, I received first-hand experience of the establishment's deadly customer service. The crazed maid-bot promptly kills me several times. Thankfully, I'd already discovered a save point in the form of a gramophone, allowing me to repeatedly charge back in with guns blazing.
Then, completely by accident, I discovered that the scanner reveals the maid-bot's heart, allowing me to disable it with a zap. I only stumbled across this because I was scanning nearby wiring and happened to sweep across the robot.
Ideally, there should be something that nudges players toward this solution. Perhaps I missed a clue, but it felt like there was a gap in the visual communication. Still, it's a neat little puzzle and a clever use of the scanner.
After disabling the poor maid-bot, I find another engraving needed for the locked door. Luckily, I'd already discovered the first one back in the office. With both pieces combined, the main door finally opens.
The robots are reunited, the jazz is playing, the door is unlocked, and the playtest comes to an end.
Overall thoughts?
Satellite Odyssey: Jupiter showcases some excellent foundations, wrapped in an attractive blend of noir sci-fi and survival horror. I love the sinister art deco aesthetic, the retro-futuristic atmosphere, and the classic survival horror framework that's already taking shape.
There are plenty of promising ideas here, from the fly creatures and scanner mechanics to the notes containing vital information and the interconnected level design.
This was only a playtest, but Satellite Odyssey: Jupiter is showing genuine promise. With further polish and a few quality-of-life improvements, it could become something special.
You can wishlist Satellite Odyssey: Jupiter right now on Steam - More info to come on release date and gameplay.
