Set in 1984, in the rural English county of Shropshire, Sony’s Cry Engine 3-powered PS4 exclusive, “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture,” tells the tale of a small community dealing with the aftermath of an earth-changing event beyond human understanding. The game’s developer, The Chinese Room, famous for its work on the haunting PC exclusive “Dear Esther,” has released a new trailer and discussed a variety of topics ranging from the possibility of a PC port to the choice of the game’s setting, story and gameplay.

The new trailer, hosted on the official PlayStation YouTube channel, gives gamers a better look at the open-world, narrative heavy adventure game. Speaking with U.S. Gamer, The Chinese Room studio manager Tom Turner discussed the developer’s reason for setting the end of the world in a sleepy British village.

“‘Everybody's Gone to the Rapture’ is about you and me sitting in our living rooms experiencing the end of the world, and how normal people would react to that. That's part of the reason that makes the game different and compelling; we’re treading territory that developers don't normally explore – normal life where something unimaginable is happening,” he said.

Turner went on to provide more information on gameplay, stating that the game is entirely open world, focused on discovery and doesn’t funnel or force the player down any paths. The game also contains no cut scenes, as the developers prefer to allow the player to experience the world at their own pace, crafting their own unique story as he or she uncovers the mysteries of Shropshire.

From a gameplay point of view, “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture” focuses heavily on creating a sense of atmosphere. Players will find recordings on radios, telephones and TVs, and discover that someone is broadcasting information about the strange events. Gamers can also find imprints and memories of events left by residents before the apocalypse to get a sense of their lives and histories.

On the subject of a PC port of the game, the studio’s official Twitter account reiterated that “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture” is a PS4 exclusive. They added that they would love to port the game to PC, but it would be entirely up to Sony, who owns the IP. While no release date has been set, the game is scheduled for release on PS4 some time in the summer of 2015.

(Credit: YouTube/PlayStation)

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