First details dug up for Mesektet

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Point-and-click pixel art thriller unveiled by the creator of The Castle and The Legend of Skye

Point & Pixel Adventures' Carles Moya sure does like changing things up to keep players on their toes. While staying true to the studio name, the indie Spanish developer has gone from vampire hunting in The Castle, to visiting a medieval fantasy village in The Legend of Skye, to researching an archeological dig site of momentous historical importance in the upcoming new game, Mesektet. 

When an excavation in southern Turkey uncovers the ruins of Göbekli Tepe in the 1970s, the discovery attracts the attention of the Vatican. There the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology believes the site "could be concealing humanity's oldest site of worship" and that "uncovering its secrets could reveal the origins of all civilization." To learn more, the Commission sends its youngest member, Elizabeth, to investigate the situation in Sanliurfa, but the race is on as she's not the only one to arrive in search of answers. The ancient sanctuary promises to be "of great interest to numerous governments and intelligence agencies," and before long Elizabeth comes to realize that "she and the Commission are ill-prepared to grasp the true nature of the groundbreaking discovery." At least she's not entirely alone, as a scientist named Robert joins the quest as a second playable character, brought in by the Vatican to lend his expertise. 

As with its two (unrelated) predecessors, Mesektet is a point-and-click pixel art adventure, but that's where the broad similarities end and the differences begin. The graphics may still be retro, but there will be more close-ups, animations, cutscenes, and panoramic views this time, giving the game a more cinematic feel. Gone are the SCUMM-styled verb interface and tongue-in-cheek humour in favour of a more streamlined two-button mouse interface, and while there will still be inventory items to collect and puzzles to solve, here the emphasis is less on brain-teasing challenge and more on the serious, linear story across Egypt, Turkey, and Vatican City. Inspired by the works of by Peter LeMesurier, Zecharia Sitchin, and Erich von Däniken, the narrative will feature "elements of science fiction, adventure, and mystery," but a primary goal here is authenticity in both plot and setting, as the developer has drawn on real-world locations and his own fondness for Epyptology in presenting rich historical detail. 

We're probably still a little over a year away from the release of Mesektet, but a demo representing the first of eight planned chapters will be released sometime before then. In the meantime, you can already wishlist it on Steam, follow composer Michael Lückgen's behind-the-scenes video series, and check out the developer's previous games while you wait.

• Advertisement
• Help support AGH by advertising with us