Different from the dystopian environments of their previous releases - STASIS and CAYNE - the studio embarks on a fresh but evocative African environment to whet any adventure gamers' appetite. Beautiful Desolation aims to be a dramatic sci-fi story inspired by the 80s - with a futuristic twist!

The never before seen, African, post-apocalyptic setting opens up a menagerie of bizarre creatures and vibrant characters, alongside a new world inspired by Sub-Saharan flora and fauna.

1980 saw the Penrose appear without warning. One day the sky was empty, and the next it was filled by an impossibly shaped monolith. The Penrose technology hurtled mankind forward, but a catastrophic event meant that desolation would ensue...

The world's chaos quietened, but tragedy hit home for Mark and Don Leslie, when an incident tore apart their brotherly bond in this dramatic story that spans the 1980s and beyond. Allow the Leslie family's story to unfold as you delve into a unique adventure with Beautiful Desolation, to explore this futuristic wasteland to discover villages, destroyed cities, and uncover the secrets of strange and abandoned technology.

But beware, newcomers are either revered or hated.

Publisher Untold Tales and developer The Brotherhood have confirmed that all PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions of the upcoming sci-fi adventure game Beautiful Desolation will come a with a free 80+ page digital artbook plus the full soundtrack composed by Mick Gordon, most notable for his works on DOOM, Prey and Wolfenstein.

Creative Director Chris Bischoff collected some of his favourite cutscenes that he single handedly created to bring people ever closer to the captivating African sci-fi world the team created.

“Whenever other developers ask us how we were able to justify the time and effort spent making these cutscenes for the game, I ask them ‘Do you remember the cutscenes in StarCraft?” and they immediately get it. I grew up playing that game and can remember every story scene to this day. They sucked you into the world even deeper or made the characters feel more tangible, and that’s exactly what I wanted to do here with Beautiful Desolation.”  Chris Bischoff, Creative Director, The Brotherhood

And finally, a behind-scenes video showcasing how the team used photogrammetry to build their vision of a sci-fi African apocalypse. Part of what makes Beautiful Desolation so special to the South African developers is how they were able to put actual pieces of Africa into the levels, art and characters themselves using this method. 

By using photogrammetry and scale model elements, The Brotherhood hopes to deliver the unique tribal punk aesthetic they have in mind for this point-and-click game.

The Brotherhood have brought award-winning composer and sound designer, Mick Gordon onto the project. Mick Gordon is a prominent industry name and is known for his work on score titles such as DOOM, Wolfenstein: The New Order and Microsoft’s Killer Instinct.

Key Features

• AN EPIC SCI-FI ADVENTURE LIKE NO OTHER: You are flung into a futuristic, alternate-reality South Africa dominated by advanced alien technology that’s both revered and reviled. Explore, solve puzzles, make key dialogue choices and be prepared to face tough decisions in a sci-fi setting left pretty much untouched by other games. From thriving African sci-fi villages to crumbling tropical cities. Mutated forests and bone-dry ocean beds - all beautifully rendered in 2D isometric art.  
• UNFORGETTABLE FACES ALL FULLY VOICED: Humanity as you know it has been reshaped, something most evident from the characters in Beautiful Desolation. Technology and sentient life have become totally blurred. Religious zealot mechs run rife. Humans willingly stripped of their flesh for immortality. Trans-humanistic tribes warring for power. And ruthless alien-like hunter mercenaries roaming the grasslands - to name but a few. Meet and interact with over 40 unique and bizarre characters, each fully voiced by authentic African voice actors, with thousands of lines of dialogue and multiple conversation paths. Additionally, CGI cutscenes are strewn throughout the story to bring you even closer to this enthralling sci-fi world and its characters.
• MASTERFUL MUSIC SCORE BY MICK GORDON: Beautiful Desolation features a vibrant and highly experimental soundtrack by none other than Mick Gordon, known for his work on DOOM, Prey and Wolfenstein.
• REVAMPED FOR CONSOLE CONTROLLERS: Controls, UI and movement have all been fully redone to work intuitively on console controllers. Experience a true gem from the PC adventure genre now with the use of your console’s gamepad.

Currently available for PC (Steam and GOG), Beautiful Desolation is coming to Nintendo Switch and PS4 on May 28, 2021.