Alida sequel to grant Absolution this summer

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Follow-up to 2003 Myst-styled puzzle-adventure coming August 31st on Steam

As the proverb goes, good things come to those who wait. Fans of Alida are certainly hoping that's true, as their twenty-plus-year wait for a sequel will at long last be fulfilled with the upcoming release of Cos Russo's Absolution. 

The original game was named after the unusual guitar-shaped island upon which it was set, built by an ill-fated musical group whose members supposedly hid their shares of their fortune somewhere on it before disbanding. The new game is loosely based on its predecessor, sending players to a "giant theme park guitar that has been ripped apart." The fate of its whole surrounding island chain is precarious at best, because an excess of "tinkering with the unknown has given birth to the 'Entropy,' an uncontrollable vortex" that now "pulsates dangerously in the background." You've been asked to help, and though "your only transport between the islands is an old hoverflyer that barely holds together," it's enough to propel you on a journey to discover "seven islands and the mysteries they pose."

There are both similarities and differences between Alida and Absolution. While the first game was a Myst-like slideshow-styled adventure, the sequel is a full 3D game that lets players freely explore the environments in non-linear fashion. The graphics, of course, have been given a significant boost this time around, taking players through a variety of striking photorealistic locations, accompanied by an original new musical score. What hasn't changed is the emphasis on puzzles, as there will once again be many to solve, which promise to be both "logical and worldly in their scope and can be enjoyed by all ages." Along the way you'll encounter a number of characters presented through full-motion video, each "haunted by their own past." As you get to know them and "learn their oddities," they may be able to help you in your quest to repay you for your kindness. 

After decades of waiting for fans and seven years of development for Russo, Absolution is nearing completion and is expected to launch on Steam for Windows PC on August 31st (or September 1st in the developer's native Australia).