The first trilogy of Pixel Pulps from LCB Game Studio had phenomenally pulpy narratives and retro graphics. Each game (Mothmen 1966, Varney Lake, Bahnsen Knights) stood solidly on its own, but if you play all three you also follow the story of a paranormal investigator attached to each. I deeply love and understand the trilogy’s narratives, and I’ve been waiting for more. A couple of weeks ago, the development studio announced the fourth title in the Pixel Pulps series, Grizzly Man. I was perfectly happy with that news. I could have lived off those scraps of information for months. Then: surprise! The entire next trilogy of games was revealed in the latest issue of Edge magazine. Again, the narratives speak to me.
The second Pixel Pulps trilogy already has a name: the Pixel Pulps Direct-To-Video Collection. I love it. I was a kid during the ’90s, so I’m all too familiar with direct-to-video films so I believe that the theme fits well with the limited-pallette pixel graphics. Again, these three games have vastly different stories tied together by a single person. But it’s not the paranormal investigator named Lou at the heart of everything anymore: it is a currently mysterious character known as The Interviewer.
The first game of the trilogy is Grizzly Man, the title that was announced a couple of weeks ago. LCB Game Studio has described it as “a psychedelic, beautiful slasher in pixel art set in Alaska during the salmon run.” The game follows Robert, a former MIB agent who was left with amnesia following a mysterious attack over ten years ago. He now spends his time as a field guide in the Alaskan wilderness. But this experience with one group of people is very different than the rest because they are attacked by the Grizzly Man, a mysterious figure said to be linked to the CIA and Project MKUltra (a real human experiments program that ran from 1953 to 1973). Whether or not they survive is up to you.
Dark Side Sewers is about a former remote viewer named Ginno Wans. Ginno was part of the defunct Stargate Project, a real group of different projects that ended up under one banner, but now finds himself secluded in his Pennsylvania home. The Stargate Project ran from 1977 to 1995 and focused on determining if psychic phenomena could be useful for military intelligence. (The program was featured in Men Who Stare At Goats, though not by name.) The military claimed psychics were of no use to them, but not everyone believes that. I’m stopping myself from continuing to ramble about it but it’s a fascinating subject. So back to Ginno. He begins remote viewing sessions of his own, seeing into the future of humanity… and the onset of the Moon Wars!
In Possession Junkies, Tanith is a Wiccan, the last of her lineage. Her family is gone and the ancient order has been destroyed, but she’s not one to give up that easily. In rural Maine, she teams up with a couple of thrill-seeking young folks who have an addiction to something unexpected – demonic possession. Tanith plans to reclaim lost artifacts during a daring heist, and she’ll need their help.
While Grizzly Man has been confirmed for PC via a Steam page, there is no further information regarding platforms or release dates. For inside looks at all the Pixel Pulps, I recommend following LCB Game Studio’s Twitter account: it posts often with things like character sketches and game art. (The illustrations made only using office supplies are wonderful!)
Buy the hottest games with Amazon.
By purchasing from this link, you support DDNet.
Each sale earns us a small commission.
