Indie RPG Core Decay channels Deus Ex and System Shock in brand new trailer

An ominous grey factory in the not-too-distant future in Core Decay

(Image credit: Ivar Hill, Slipgate Ironworks)

Immersive sci-fi sim Core Decay has received a brand new trailer, showing off a range of different playstyles that are quite reminiscent of Deus Ex and System Shock.

In the tradition of the best RPGs, Core Decay lets you solve problems via stealth, social skills, or old-fashioned violence. The trailer shows off an escape from an enclosed facility, where the main character must get to a manager's office to flip a switch.

Despite the game’s 'old-school' graphics, the violent approach exhibits a pleasing gauntlet of gunplay, alongside a rich sound design and punchy-looking weapons. The trailer also shows off a diplomatic route, where the main character uses conversational skills to convince a factory worker to part with the code to the office.

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Last, but not least, the preview trailer also gives us a look at some of Core Decay's stealth mechanics. Charmingly reminiscent of classic open-ended sci-fi RPG Deus Ex, we see the protagonist stack crates and boxes to create a new route around patrolling enemies, shortly after sneakily bludgeoning a guard to death with a crowbar - a display that would make even Gordon Freeman proud.

Sharing some of its DNA with CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077, Core Decay takes place in a dystopian sci-fi future where you play as a cybernetically enhanced human. The title is set in 2089, in a future where, according to the game's Steam page, humanity is teetering "on the brink of an ecological collapse."

Core Decay has you follow the trail of a conspiracy that aims to allow humanity to weather this calamity, but only by using a method that "means sacrificing all it means to be alive."

Following in the footsteps of the best story games, it looks as though Core Decay will wrestle with heavy themes of identity, individuality, and transhumanism - a real treat for those who enjoy hard-hitting immersive sims like Deus Ex and System Shock.

Core Decay is set to release on PC, though we don't yet have a launch window.

Looking for more great titles? Our lists of the best PC games, best Xbox Series X games, and best PS5 games will bring you up to speed.

An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.

A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.