Imagine being trapped on a space stat💧ion, alone, with no way of contacting anyone to come rescue you. Sounds grim, right? It could be worse: you could be 900 million miles away from Earth, with your life in the hands of a malfunctioning AI. This is the chilling premise of Observation, a magnificent sci-fi horror game from Scottish indie studio No Code.
In the very near future, the multi-national space staไtion Observation—a fictional analogue of the ISS—has been inexplicably transported from Earth to somewhere near Saturn. So not only does astronaut Dr. Emma Fisher have to deal with a damaged station in the process of breaking down, she has to find a way to get back home too—with a little help from SAM.
You play as SAM, the advanced AI that runs the Observation. There are cameras all over the station, and these are your eyes and ears. You're also fused directly to its electrical and computer systems. Fisher relies on you to cycle airlocks, assess damage, open doors, and all manner of other functions that can't be handled manually. But something weird is going on with SAM.
While HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey—a big influence on Observation—was dangerously homicidal, SAM is more confused. A strange, otherworldly presence has infiltrated his circuits and is repeating a curious message: BRING HER. It's also suggested that SAM is experiencing some kind of awakening, becoming more self-aware. Sentient, even. It's a big day for him.
The Observation is a brilliantly sinister, claustrophobic setting. When we see footage of the ISS, it's usually of smiling astronauts goofing around. This makes the game's version of the station, which is abandoned, eerily quiet, and dimly lit feel even more unsettling and oppressive. It's rich with detail too, and filled with interesting stories about the crew that once inhabited it.
Observation is a puzzle game first and foremost. Your job is to help Fisher safely navigate the stricken station, repair damage, and find a way to contact Earth. Doing so involves interacting with, and making sense of, a series of computer interfaces. These increasingly arcane systems are a tactile joy to tinker with, with stylish visual design straight out of a '70s sci-fi movie.
Observation was written and directed by Jon McKellan, who was one of the art leads on Alien: Isolation. Much of that game's sublime retro-futuristic aesthetic, inspired by the visuals of Ridley Scott's 1979 movie, was his work. Observation shares the same hard-edged, practical, lo-fi approach to its sci-fi design, which makes it feel very much like a spiritual successor to Isolation.
Both games are also underpinned by a constant feeling of tension, dread, and, appropriately enough, isolation. Amanda Ripley was🌺 trapped on Sevastopol, partly by a malevolent AI called APOLLO; Dr𝐆. Emma Fisher is trapped on the Observation with an AI called SAM. Both are alone in a cosmic void, miles from anywhere, and forced into a desperate struggle for survival.
Mechanically, Observation and Alien: Isolation are very different games. One is a slow-burning puzzler, the other is the scariest game of cat and mouse in video game history. But when it comes to the atmosphere, sound design, UI, story, and general feel, they're absolutely cut from the same cloth. As someone desperate for more Isolation, this does a good job of scratching that itch.
This is the kind of slow, thoughtful horror game I'd love to see more of in video games. Alien: Isolation was a rare example of a triple-A game based on a popular, established IP that wasn't aimed at the broadest possible audience. It was boldly, defiantly its own thing, with a refreshingly measured, restrained approach to sci-fi horror—and now Observation carries that torch.
