San Francisco-based indie studio VIVIX, made up of industry veterans who have collaborated on projects such as Control, Dead Space and the Love, Death & Robots series, today announced Artificial Detective, an action-adventure with survival elements set in a dystopian future, scheduled for 2027.

The game will see us act in the year 2846 in Conglomerate North, a futuristic metropolis inspired by the Art Deco of the 30s where humanity seems to have long since vanished. Here we will play the role of AD 2846, a detective robot awakened with fragmentary memories who will have to make his way in a city dominated by machines now out of control. During our journey we will not be alone, as we will be able to count on the help of Mowgli, a child prodigy of technology who grew up isolated by bots, and D.A.W.G. (Dedicated Artificial Weaponized Guard), a faithful robotic dog that will support us in combat and exploration.

The gameplay will offer us considerable freedom of approach, requiring us to constantly improvise. We will have to decide whether to face the enemy machines directly with electromagnetic weapons or whether to use stealth and the physical elements of the environment to our advantage. The investigative phases will be central: we will have to look for clues to find out what happened to human civilization, interacting with various NPC robots such as bartenders or transport workers and recovering fragments of AD's memory. These memories will even allow us to experience flashbacks, visiting the same areas of the city as they appeared decades before.

The progression system will be closely linked to the relationship with our companions; by improving the bond with Mowgli and D.A.W.G., we will unlock new skills for crafting and exploration. Between missions, we will use a flying tram as a central hub to upgrade equipment and analyze the data collected. However, we will always have to remain alert against threats such as Bishop, a powerful robotic entity capable of shapeshifting. Despite the deep themes, the experience aims to be engaging and full of mystery, focusing on a curated narrative and a high-level visual sector.

We leave you with the announcement trailer that shows us the excellent artistic design of the title. Enjoy the viewing!