Alternate Reality Y2K Game Coming To PC On July 9

KEY POINTS

In the alternate reality of "Fires at Midnight," making love when not in love can lead to spontaneous combustion with the person you care about the most causing the fire
The game allows you to play as both young photographer Yun and his girlfriend Chitra, using both of their perspectives as you navigate through their relationship
Developed by indie game studio Persona Theory Games out of Malaysia, “Fires at Midnight” will be available on Steam and Itch.io on July 9 for US$11.99

In 1999, the world was prepping for a new millennium but the fear of Y2K crashing all our computers was looming. Imagine a world then when making love without being in love makes you spontaneously combust and the person you love most would be the one to burn you.

That’s the premise behind the alternate reality game “Fires at Midnight” which is launching on PC on July 6. An interactive narrative game, “Fires at Midnight” gives you the perspectives of a couple and their memories of each other, says IGN. Meanwhile, the world around them burns.

On the one hand is Yun, a newbie photographer who is trying to balance his career and his relationship with girlfriend Chitra. On the other hand, Chitra has been living-in with Yun and she too sees the world differently. You’ll experience the events from both of their points of view.

The game’s trailer takes you right into life 21 years ago, with Nokia phones, SLR cameras, and clunky personal computers being standard fare as smartphones, sleek laptops, and WiFi was still years away from being the norm.

As “Fires at Midnight” progresses, you get to peel away at the relationship of the couple from their respective perspectives. Fiddle through Yun’s things, look at newspaper headlines, play mini-games, or listen to different kinds of music on his Discman.

Collect photos for Chitra’s photobook, and those photos will reflect what memories she recalls. Hidden objects also abound in the “Second Layer” of “Fires at Midnight,” which is the way both of them truly see the world.

The Second Layer offers players a chance and dives deep into the mysteries surrounding the game, all while solving puzzles and completing mini-games to get a full picture of this intriguing story. Every time you play through the game, the game experience will be different as the choices you make will have an impact on the ending. Thus, IGN notes that the decisions you make must be decided upon wisely.

Developed by indie game studio Persona Theory Games out of Malaysia, “Fires at Midnight” will be available on Steam and Itch.io on July 9 for US$11.99. You can also purchase the game and artbook bundle for US$13.99.