Encased tells the story of a disastrous research project inside an anomalous zone - the Dome - built in the middle of a desert by an unknown civilization.

The events of the game happen under the Dome - an artificial construction of unknown origin that is shaped like a sheer half-sphere with a small aperture at the top. The Dome is indestructible. Technology, items, and relics can be extracted from it, but people who enter the Dome cannot leave. Beneath the earth, yet more mystery awaits, as the Dome is just the cap of an enormous complex hidden under the sands. Ancient underground labyrinths contain bountiful artifacts, weapons and artificial intelligence systems that control the whole complex… not to mention lethal traps and curious anomalies that guard these riches.

Research and exploration of the Dome are conducted by staff of the C.R.O.N.U.S. Foundation - an international corporation and a state-within-a-state. To the outside world, little is known about the inner workings of C.R.O.N.U.S. Those that sign up for a life within the Dome do not speak of their experiences, and those managing the Foundation from outside speak even less. Thanks to the bounty extracted from the Dome, C.R.O.N.U.S. have become powerful enough to hold sway over the leaders of the world. Now, the fate of the entire planet rests in the hands of the soldiers, businessmen, scientists and even criminals who comprise their ranks.

However, within the Dome, something is changing. Another power has arisen - something never faced by explorers before. As a direct result of actions performed by the expedition of the player’s character, an intelligent entity has awakened in the depths of the underground complex - an unstable AI nicknamed Maelstrom. Upon breaking loose, it will change the world under the Dome beyond recognition - all connection to the outside world is lost, and the denizens trapped within the Dome become desperate and split into warring factions.

Encased takes place in an open world consisting of more than 200 locations, with over 100 side-quests and 75 random events. During the main story, featuring 30+ hours of gameplay, players can choose to join one of the five main factions or remain neutral. The player’s every action, decision and criminal act will affect our hero’s reputation and the development of the plot.

Players start off in one of five disciplines – science, engineering, security, management or convict -  which affects both their initial stats, specialisation and opens (or prevents) unique dialogue within the game. After entering the dome and completing the initial level, a cataclysm happens that changes everything inside the dome.

We’re not going to give too much away #NoSpoilers suffice to say that the imperfect world under the dome becomes a dystopian challenge of quite epic proportions. And, as you would expect, is packed to the gunwales with quests, items, crafting and everything you would expect from a top-notch RPG.

Owing some of its spiritual inspiration to books like Roadside Picnic, the intent had been to release the game across all platforms but, as development progressed, it became apparent that the complexities and depth of the game meant the team needed to focus all their efforts on getting the first platform right and then looking at either ports or bespoke console versions after that.

Encased was one of the key reveals when Koch Media launched its new premium gaming label and will see Koch responsible for digital distribution, sales and marketing of Encased.

Recommedned PC Specs

• Minimum: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Intel Core i5-3.3 GHz or better, or AMD Equivalent, 4GB RAM, : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660m or AMD Radeon R7 260x (2GB of video memory)
• Recommended: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, : Intel Core i7-3.7 GHz or better, or AMD Equivalent, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB), or AMD RX 480 (8GB)

Key Features:

• Become a driving force in a large-scale story that runs before, during and after the apocalypse.
• Start the game in one of the five divisions of the corporation, get unique opportunities, mechanics, gameplay options.
• Threaten, persuade and bribe: the dialogue system of the game offers a load of ​​mechanics, and you can achieve your goal in different ways.
• Fight smart: spend action points carefully. Use food, stimulants and different types of weapons to gain an advantage over the enemy.
• Upgrade your hero: learn dozens of useful skills. Learn to hack computers, knock down doors, disassemble mechanisms and apply pyrokinesis.
• Explore and study: scan relics to reveal the secrets of the Forefathers technology bit by bit, travel through the desert and find new places, anomalies and organisations.
• Make significant decisions: make allies and enemies, remember that sometimes compromises are impossible, and reputation is everything.
• Repair and create: forge armor, build cool guns and produce ammunition. And also repair cars and cook food, without this you cannot survive in the wasteland..

Currently available through Steam Early Access, Encased is coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG) in Fall 2021.