Derelikt will launch on PlayStation 5 on November 13, bringing a sci-fi horror experience designed to recreate the atmosphere and visual style of late-1990s games. Solo developer Philipp Jensen describes the project as an homage to the fifth generation of consoles, with modern game design built around the aesthetics of that era.
The game is set aboard Von Neumann Outpost, a facility attached to an anomalous asteroid discovered in Saturn’s orbit. Players take the role of an outside contractor sent to investigate the disappearance of Excavation Team Delta on the asteroid’s derelict surface.
The outpost is marked by failing systems, dark corridors and survivors who offer conflicting accounts of what happened. A mysterious drone is also pushing the already strained inhabitants toward their breaking point, while the investigation leads to increasingly disturbing discoveries and extraterrestrial horrors.
Derelikt combines fast-paced gunplay with resource management, exploration, dialogue and old-school puzzle solving. Its arsenal includes traditional firearms, experimental prototypes and alien weapons. More than a dozen characters can be encountered, each with their own secrets and motivations; their roles may range from helpful to dangerous, and sometimes both.
To recreate its PSOne-era look, the game uses hand-painted textures, vertex-colour lighting, deliberately implemented affine texture warping and dynamically subdivided geometry. It also includes retro-style full-motion CGI cutscenes. Players will be able to toggle certain effects on or off to adjust the visual experience to their preferences.
According to Jensen, Derelikt has been in development in some form since late 2021. The game is available to pre-order with a 10% discount ahead of its November 13 release on PS5.
Sources: PlayStation Blog.