Triple-I Games has announced that Hindsight 20/20 will release on Nintendo Switch, a single-player action-adventure with morality-based decisions.
You must resolve conflict through ruthless or merciful means, solve environmental puzzles, and complete side quests while forging the personal path of fated one-armed protagonist Jehan.
Set in a fantastical world that merges technology and magic, the game’s stylized aesthetic has been inspired by classic The Legend of Zelda games.
The developer has provided a lengthy overview of the game’s premise, which you can read:
The peaceful town of Champaner holds life sacred above all else. A calamitous virus capable of turning people into blood-thirsty beasts called Raakshasas threatens Champaner’s harmonious ways. In response, King Marcos orders the kidnapping and execution of all Raakshasas including Seth, the leader of the beasts. Seth flees and forms a rival town called Gibsonia, a safe haven for anyone who has or could turn into a Raakshasa. He then opens a powerful rift over Champaner, capable of destroying the kingdom at any time.
At the center of this developing war is a fated one-armed man named Jehan who lived in Champaner, until his father was killed. Jehan’s malleability and freedom of choice form the crux of Hindsight 20/20. Will he uphold the values of his hometown by avoiding bloodshed? Or will the murder of his father fuel him with a rage that can only be quelled with the death of those responsible? Perhaps there is a middle ground, where violence justifies a peaceful end. Survive in a world of grey by deciding who Jehan really is and what motivates him.
Before every battle, choose whether Jehan will be merciful or relentless by wielding either a baton to stun enemies or a blade to cut them down. Conflict is unavoidable in tumultuous times, but using the stun baton convinces residents of Champaner that Jehan respects their beliefs, even if he still resorts to combat. Enemy behavior changes based on weapon choice. Soldiers fight desperately when they believe their lives might be in danger. Earn fearsome, violent abilities by killing, or resourceful skills based on pacifism by choosing the high road.
Decisions have long-lasting repercussions. When a best friend considers suicide due to Raakshasa infection, talking him down may seem like the “right” thing to do. But if he turns and kills, who is at fault? Sparing Jehan’s father’s killer preserves Champaner’s values, but he may return, stronger and more ruthless than before. Hindsight 20/20 explores themes of morality at times of crisis, segregation, regret, peace, and self-criticism. Sometimes the smallest actions have the largest consequences. Drastically different endings inspire multiple playthroughs.
“Hindsight 20/20 was born when I really came to terms with what that phrase means as a philosophy,” explains Triple-I Games creative director Hemanshu Chhabra.
“So many of us look back on decisions they regret, so I wanted to make a game that encapsulates this feeling and allows players to go back and really see what differences they could have made.”
Hindsight 20/20 will release on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide in 2020.
