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Hands on Industria 2 at Gamescom, a taut FPS about surviving murderous AI
A
Alan Wen
While this is a direct sequel, it's not too difficult to catch up on its 2021 predecessor, given it's a digestible experience that can be completed in an evening. But for those who need a recap, you play as a woman called Nora living in East Berlin as the Cold War nears its end, who finds herself stuck, as she puts it, "trapped between machine-built walls, in a parallel dimension, far away from home."
She is however not completely alone, as near the beginning of the game, where this demo begins, she has also encountered Marlene, another co-worker from East Berlin who is somehow also trapped in this parallel dimension. It certainly feels more comforting to have someone else with you while exploring these dark industrial buildings, a flashlight barely enough to help you make out your surroundings.
It's nonetheless beautifully rendered in Unreal Engine 5, taking full advantage of its Lumen dynamic lighting, though what feels most impactful in the moment-to-moment are the physics-based interactions. For instance, rather than just clicking the mouse, I actually have to hold and drag to physically pull open a door or pick up an item, or picking up cables to plug into power sockets, which gives this parallel dimension a much more immersive and tactile quality.
The same goes for crafting items, which opens up Nora's backpack, where I physically drag and drop material into crafting slots. Even in the abstraction of crafting, it's still nice to see these components pile on top of each other while the pistol I craft turns into bullets, which have convincing audio as they get dropped into the ammo pouch before Nora zips back up her backpack.
Although Marlene is an effective companion for providing tips or dialogue to flesh out more of the current situation, she's evidently not combat-prepared as Nora advises to wait while she ventures deeper in this facility to find a modulator to open the way forward. Yet I'm also surprised to find a way that takes me outside where it turns out the sun is shining in the middle of the day - it's just the industrial buildings that are oppressively dark inside.
It's not long back in one of these buildings that I encounter Industria 2's murderous threats. Yet compared to zombies or other monsters, these robots are all the more unnerving for their silence. I do however have access to a motion tracker, not too dissimilar from the one in Alien: Isolation, that can be used to pick up nearby enemies, although it has limited charges.
With the physical interactions extending to the way Nora can clamber up ledges or squeeze through gaps, when it comes to gunplay, it also feels slower and more methodical than a typical FPS, with also lengthy reload animations. With limited ammo, it also means every shot counts if you do decide to engage in combat. Better still, you can also save those bullets and take the stealthy option staying out of their sights as you look for a way forward.
Some more caution is required when I encounter deadlier enemies called Surgers, who can kill you instantly. They're also blind, so by keeping quiet by crouch-walking or crafting a silencer for the pistol, it's still possible to evade them, while they also won't see if you shine your flashlight in the dark. There's however no way around it when my only way to advance is to turn a very loud crank in order to open a heavy door straight ahead. Oh, and I also need to dash to it before it closes as well. Even though I've picked up a shotgun, my ammo supply is still very limited, making it very much a weapon for emergencies. From my poor panicky judgement, it's certainly unwise to unload all your shotgun shells to kill one surger if it simply means more now know where you are.
It's a relief whenever I do manage to take a moment to wander outside, which also allows you to appreciate how vast and interconnected this world feels, even though areas are still separated by loading screens. Most comforting is managing to make it back to Marlene, who rather sardonically quips, "Still alive?" upon my return.
From this short slice of an early part of the game, Industria 2 is shaping up to be both an atmospheric and tactile world, though the AI horrors that await in this parallel dimension are also more bearable when you have company.
Industria 2 is coming soon to Epic Games Store, and you can wishlist it now. If you haven't already, why not play Industria in the meantime?
