Destination Primus Vita Blends Sci-fi Storytelling with Puzzle Adventure, Arrives in August

Epsilon Games has announced that its sci-fi puzzler Destination Primus Vita is coming to PC and Mac on Aug. 14. The game appears to be a blend of science-fiction storytelling and the gameplay of intricate puzzle games like The Witness.

Epsilon Games is a studio formed from former Ubisoft developers who worked on famous franchises like Myst, Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia and Far Cry. The studio is also focused on creating creative puzzle adventures with compelling stories.

Destination Primus Vita seems to be the start of that initiative, with a story that will take players into the far future:

In the year 3044, centuries after an alien race known only as “The Shatters” devastated Earth and stole nearly all the planet’s water, humanity’s last hope lies with the intrepid Crew 121. To avert impending extinction, they’ve set out to reclaim Earth’s most precious resource from the alien homeworld of Primus Vita. This six-person crew of humanity’s best and brightest consists of quantum physics scientists, military men and women, botanists, and communication experts all prepared to sacrifice everything to help their home planet.

The game will be episodic in nature, with each episode putting players in the shoes of a new crew member. Relationships with the other crew members also play a role in the game. In what Epsilon describes as a “light RPG element,” players can affect other characters’ affinity for one another and unlock more to the story.

Creative lead Anne Gibeault describes these elements, explaining, “Realistically flawed characters and complicated, nuanced relationships were our key focuses with Destination Primus Vita. We believe these aspects strengthen our story about hope, trust, and exploration into both the vastness of space and the depths of our inner selves.”

While most games tend to just toss gameplay elements into a game without any context, Epsilon is trying to avoid that pitfall. The game’s puzzles are incorporated into the narrative in order to engage players:

The crew’s arduous flightpath consists of four years hurtling through space. Instead of whiling away the hours and contemplating the gravity of their mission, the squad is suspended in cryo-sleep. To maintain the team’s mental acuity, NIM, their vessel’s AI, invents and provides vigorous cognitive tests. Pulling from each member’s memories and combining them with riddles sparks both their problem-solving intelligence and their emotional intelligence. Solving NIM’s puzzles requires teamwork as answers lie hidden within the multifarious narrative.

Destination Primus Vita will arrive on Steam for PC and Mac. Players can buy each episode separately for $7.99 or purchase all six in a bundle for $39.99. Epsilon Games has also created a comic book adaptation, which is currently available for purchase.

Watch the debut trailer for Destination Primus Vita below.