Return to Grace on PC to stay

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Futuristic sci-fi narrative adventure available now to download on Steam and Epic

Speculating on the future of AI (and therefore humanity) is all the rage these days, with many potential outcomes theorized – some good, many of them not. Indie Canadian developer Creative Bytes Studios has a vision for just such a future as well, as we can check out now first-hand with today's release of Return to Grace.

It's 3820 AD, and nearly a millennium has passed since mankind's greatest technological achievement – an artificial intelligence known as "Grace," who was tasked with being the "caretaker of the solar system" – went quiet without warning, never to be heard from again. An intrepid space archaeologist named Adamari "Adie" Ito has spent almost a year alone on a "wildly dangerous mission" to reach Ganymede, the believed resting place of this long-lost godlike AI. At last she reaches her destination, where she discovers that "the only inhabitants of the site are fracture variations" of the original Grace, each with "their own quirky personalities and unknown motives." If she's to piece together the mystery of this place, Adie must "choose which personalities to build relationships with as she seeks to uncover the secret of why Grace was shut down" so many years ago.

Presented in free-roaming first-person 3D, Return to Grace features a futuristic sci-fi aesthetic inspired by the look of the 1960s. As you explore the "retro-futuristic structure on Ganymede," you must solve a variety of puzzles and interact with the environment in numerous ways, from "harrowing balance beam crossings; to hacking ancient computer systems; to operating an unwieldy, flamethrowing jetpack." Accompanied by a fully voiced cast of AI fragments who will provide "humor and perspective" along the way, Adie will be faced with important choices that impact "story branching, clue discovery, character relationships, and the game’s thought-provoking conclusion." As you progress, you'll begin "unearthing people’s most profound dreams and desires, and even discovering something new about yourself and your conscience." A single playthrough is designed to be "evening sized" but replays are encouraged to experiment with different choices leading to new paths and endings.

If you'd like to experience a little Grace for yourself, you can venture on over to either Steam or the Epic Games Store, where the game is available now to download for Windows PC.

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