History VideoGame / Observation

When the answer to that question turns out to be "Saturn", things get a lot more complicated.

* ActorAllusion: S.A.M. is an artificially intelligent computer voiced by Anthony Howell, whose previous role was voice actor for Samuels, an artificially intelligent android in ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation''.

* AIIsACrapshoot: Averted. [[spoiler:S.A.M. is no longer ''artificial'' when the game starts, which is represented by him being controlled by the player. All of his decisions are made in the same way that any human would make decisions.]]

* ActivationSequence: The beginning of the game, as Emma works to get S.A.M. back into proper working order, except this time we see things from the computer's point of view.
* ApocalypticLog: Various journal entries and messages from the crew are scattered about the station and stored in laptops.

** During exploration of the [[spoiler:second LOSS]], S.A.M. encounters [[spoiler:his alternate's mainframe]] and is able to link to it, downloading critical mission data that was previously classified. He learns [[spoiler:that the mission was assembled and launched because he identified unnatural radiance variations that were linked between 23 pairs of stars whose link lines all converged on the storm in Saturn's upper atmosphere. Even more whammy, he learns that the variations in stellar output, when arrayed in series, identically matched the chemical structure of human chromosomes - implying that the entire plot is the result of some extremely powerful extraterrestrial manipulation.]]

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Several characters [[spoiler:or their alternates]] exhibit signs of this, either through direct actions and dialogue or through voice logs S.A.M. can download. [[S.A.M. is affected from the very beginning of the game's plot. Later, this extends to Emma as well.]]

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler: Several characters or their duplicates exhibit signs of this, either through direct actions and dialogue or through voice logs S.A.M. can download. Later, this seems to happen to Emma and S.A.M. themselves.]]

** During exploration of the [[spoiler:second LOSS]], S.A.M. encounters [[spoiler:his duplicate's mainframe]] and is able to link to it, downloading critical mission data that was previously classified. He learns [[spoiler:that the mission was assembled and launched because he identified unnatural radiance variations that were linked between 23 pairs of stars whose link lines all converged on the storm in Saturn's upper atmosphere. Even more whammy, he learns that the variations in stellar output, when arrayed in series, identically matched the chemical structure of human chromosomes - implying that the entire plot is the result of some extremely powerful extraterrestrial manipulation.]]
** Just before the climax begins, [[spoiler:the duplicate of Jim Elias]] tries to destroy S.A.M.'s mainframe. When the front plate is cracked, [[spoiler:a mass of the same reddish ooze that has been spotted around the station comes flooding out, leading Elias to ask what is happening. S.A.M.'s response is, "I am different now."]]

** Throughout the story S.A.M. is given a command multiple times: BRING HER. At the very end of the game, [[spoiler:after S.A.M. and Emma are merged in Emma's body, the flash of light and symbols cuts across their vision one last time, accompanied by a new command phrase: [[AssimilationPlot BRING THEM]].]]

** Midway through the game, Emma and S.A.M. explore a second station that they believe was sent from Earth to rescue them, though it quickly becomes clear there are a number of disturbing similarities to the LOSS. [[spoiler:And then S.A.M. discovers a duplicate of Captain Jim Elias, in exactly the same location and condition as he was found on their own station.]]

** In a brief action sequence leading to the game's third act, S.A.M.'s connection sphere gets knocked away from the LOSS right outside the airlock. As camera pulls back, [[spoiler:at least six copies of the LOSS can be seen in various positions above Saturn.]]

** The ''2001'' novel has the ''Discovery'' travel to one of Saturn's moons, the same planet that ''Observation'' ends up in orbit around.

* ArcSymbol: A hexagon.

* TheMultiverse: [[spoiler:The first alternate 'Observation' appears halfway through. Then another. A wide shot later shows even more. At the end of the game, the hexagon is surrounded by Emmas, all converged to a single point in space and time.]]

* AssimilationPlot: The seeming goal of the hexagon. [[S.A.M. and Emma are merged into a single being at the end and given a simple directive: BRING THEM.]]

As strange noises sound and mysterious occurrences repeat themselves, Dr. Fisher and S.A.M. race to find the rest of the crew, fix the station, and discover what happened before everything goes dark.

* TheVoice: [[spoiler:Most of the crew is this. Of the six crew members, two are never seen but heard via audio logs, and one of them is only seen in a space suit. S.A.M. kind of counts, since as an AI, he has no 'body' to inhabit, except the small spheres he occasionally uses.]]

* TheVoice: [[spoiler:Most of the crew is this. Of the six crew members, two are never seen but heard via audio logs, and one of them is only seen in a space suit.]]

* SpaceIsolationHorror: In a crippled space station at least 746 million miles away from home with no idea how they got there.

'''Observation''' is a 2019 sci-fi thriller by No Code (''VideoGame/StoriesUntold'') and published by Creator/DevolverDigital.

* BrownNote: The [[spoiler:sound that occurs before the strange hexagons appear]] is painful to Emma (and S.A.M, if the video distortion is any indicator).

* Precursors: [[spoiler:Since whoever or whatever made the hexagon (and the marker) left a hint for humanity in the form of ''literally encoding our DNA into the stars'', they must possess some measure of intelligence.]]
* SensoryAbuse: Grating noises, flickering lights and displays, and rapidly shifting images often take over the screen when [[spoiler:the hexagon is present or exerting some influence.]]

* AbsentAlients: [[spoiler:Unless the black hexagon counts as an alien. The jury is out on what, exactly, it is, though it seems closest to 2001's monolith in both form and function.]]

* ArtificalGravity: Not present, as the station doesn't spin - the technology level for ''Observation'' is on roughly the same level as the ISS.

* BrownNote: The [[spoiler:sound that occurs before the strange hexagons appear]] is painful to Emma (and S.A.M, if the video distortion is any indicator).

As strange noises sound and mysterious occurrences repeat themselves, Dr. Fisher and S.A.M race to find the rest of the crew, fix the station, and discover what happened before everything goes dark.

A sci-fi thriller in the same vein as ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' or ''Film/EventHorizon'', ''Observation'' changes up the formula by having the player control S.A.M instead of Dr. Fisher. Controlling cameras, re-establishing links with the station, and interacting with the station's components and systems form the bulk of the gameplay, with the closest comparison being a point-and-click adventure from a first-person perspective. Small minigames are often used to accomplish system tasks.

* ActivationSequence: The beginning of the game, as Emma works to get S.A.M back into proper working order, except this time we see things from the computer's point of view.

A sci-fi thriller in the same vein as ''Film/2001ASpaceOdyssey'' or ''Film/EventHorizon'', ''Observation'' changes up the formula by having the player control S.A.M instead of Dr. Fisher. Controlling cameras, re-establishing links with the station, and interacting with the station's components and systems form the bulk of the gameplay, with the closest comparison being a point-and-click adventure from a first-person perspective. Small minigames are often used to accomplish system tasks.

'''Observation''' is a 2019 sci-fi thriller by No Code (''VideoGame/UntoldStories'') and published by Creator/DevolverDigital.

'''Observation''' is a 2019 sci-fi thriller by No Code and published by Creator/DevolverDigital.

In February 2026, Dr. Emma Fisher awakens inside of the low-orbit space station Observation after an unknown incident. Unable to contact Houston or determine their position above Earth, she quickly gets to work rebooting the stations' AI, S.A.M. Together, they solve a few critical issues, put out a fire, and are finally able to re-establish links with the outside cameras so they can figure out where they are.

As strange noises sound and mysterious occurences repeat themselves, Dr. Fisher and S.A.M race to find the crew, fix the station, and discover what happened before everything goes dark.