A Void Hope Preview

When you start playing A Void Hope, you find your character in the Central District, outside of what, colour-wise, looks to be a 7-11 convenience store. There is a dark, shadowy person with glowing eyes and a shining crystal in their chest walking towards you. They are not friendly; if they touch you, your character collapses and seems to be dead, as you will begin again from the spot you started at. Trying to make sense of what is going on here, you walk down the dimly lit dystopian street. Residents stand in the shadows, seemingly minding their own business, though at any time, they can be taken over by the mysterious figure and start coming for you.

To avoid being caught, you will need to crawl up ladders, push boxes so that you can reach higher platforms, or hide in buildings that have unlocked doors. The easy way to tell if a door can be opened is if it has a “sparkle” that looks like a shining star. Some of the doors that are locked have switches and buttons that, when pressed, will unlock them or open a barrier that you couldn’t get past previously. One of the first buildings you go into has an elevator that will take you down to the underground. Upon leaving this town, you find a house with a creature sitting on top of it; this is apparently your house.

Inside the house, you meet a man named Keegan; he calls you Gilda, and he must be your partner because he calls you honey — or maybe he’s just one of those overly friendly people. He is wondering where you have been, as he was worried that you ran into some trouble with one of the Empties. This is the name for those creepy, shadowy figures that were following you. They used to be human, but this fast-spreading virus hollows them out; their memories are the first thing to go. Keegan suggests that they leave the city and go hide out at the cabin until a cure is found, surely in the next few weeks — wishful thinking, but at least he’s trying to be positive!

Weeks later, we see Keegan and Gilda still in the cabin, having a conversation about what to do. Apparently, Keegan does not remember talking about this before, which is very concerning as he may be infected. Gilda has been back in the city since they left and states that she knows what she must do, so she goes. You are now playing as Keegan in this 2D platforming puzzle title. So you leave the cabin and head out into the forest, where you find your way through the trees to the Abandoned Mine. Each new area that you visit has its own objectives to complete; you don't need to complete them all to progress, but you can always return to finish them. To get through the mine section, you will need to figure out where to push the crates and boxes so that you can access spots that were blocked off to you before. The best part about this mine is that it has a Research Outpost where you will find a gun. This weapon can be used to temporarily stun the Empties so that you can run past them without taking damage or hitting switches that are out of your reach. It has unlimited ammo, so you don’t have to worry about having to constantly look for bullets.

A Void Hope has a retro look to it with pixel environments and characters; it also has the option to turn on scan lines if you really want that classic feel. Fitting in with that ‘80s look is a great soundtrack that uses synths along with a creepy atmospheric sound that fits this mysterious game very well. We learn through memories that Keegan is a fan of movies like Night of the Living Dead, Hellraiser, and The Thing — great film, by the way — so he has a bit of knowledge about strange creatures that may prove useful on his journey.

I’ve had a great time playing A Void Hope, trying to unravel exactly what is going on here and the importance of these main characters. It was very fulfilling to learn more about this story while trying to avoid being caught by the Empties. If you are a fan of platforming games with puzzles and a compelling story, A Void Hope is a title you will want to have on your must-play list! Will you be able to find a cure to restore this collapsed city and its people?