Lunar Echoes: “Routine” Delivers a Retro-Horror Experience on the Moon
“Routine” plunges players into a chillingly desolate lunar base, presented with a distinctly 1980s aesthetic. the game begins with the player awakening in a stark room reminiscent of a science fiction isolation cell, surrounded by the detritus of a forgotten outpost: discarded batteries, crumpled paper, exposed cables, chunky tube monitors, magnetic cards, video tapes, and cassette players. The surroundings immediately establishes a sense of routine - a future frozen in time, as envisioned decades ago.
Players assume the role of a software engineer from Earth, encased in a spacesuit, and are immediately thrust into a survival scenario demanding self-reliance. “Routine” eschews conventional gaming conventions; there’s no map, no guiding clues, and no directional indicators. Progression relies on physical interaction with the environment – reaching for switches, cautiously peering around corners to avoid unseen threats, and navigating obstacles by crawling through partially blocked doorways. This tactile approach fosters a feeling of vulnerability as players explore the dilapidated station.
The narrative unfolds through fragmented clues discovered within the base, including emails detailing mundane complaints about passcodes, announcements of movie nights, and increasingly alarming reports of colleagues disappearing. These pieces slowly coalesce into a puzzle revealing the fate of the station’s inhabitants and the catastrophe that befell them.
Central to the player’s survival is the cosmonaut Assistance Tool (CAT), a versatile device capable of decrypting files, rebooting systems, and temporarily disabling the station’s robotic inhabitants. These robots represent the primary threat, exhibiting varied behaviors – some patrol corridors with rhythmic stomping, while others remain motionless in the shadows, activating with a disturbing creaking and chirping sound as their laser scanners sweep the area.
Beyond the immediate horror of robotic encounters,”routine” explores themes of a failed utopian vision. The game’s aesthetic and narrative draw heavily from the 1980s, a period marked by optimism surrounding space travel and digitalization. However, within the game, this optimism is reduced to a distorted echo resonating through the empty corridors. the experience isn’t simply about fighting robots; it’s about traversing the remnants of a shattered dream, a cautionary tale of hybris – the false belief in humanity’s dominion over the universe. “Routine” presents a powerful reminder that, in the vastness of space, we are not conquerors, but vulnerable explorers. The game leaves a lasting impression, a haunting atmospheric experience that lingers long after the controller is set down, like magnetic tape and moondust clinging to the mind.
