The first game was an insider tip, Industria 2 is supposed to improve on everything. If Valve isn’t making Half-Life 3, then it’s up to German developers to step up.
The developer duo David Jungnickel and Steve Chapman are very open about the background to the development of the new single-player shooter from Bleakmill.
When GlobalESportNews, on behalf of Find Your Next Game, speaks to the two permanent employees of the team behind Industria 2, which consists of just seven people, numerous details come to light about the surreal shooter , which has no multiplayer, microtransactions or other bells and whistles
Above all, however, it becomes clear how ambitious the developers are after their respectable success of 2021 (78 percent positive Steam reviews).Because Industria 2 is supposed to outdo its predecessor in every way.
More of everything, even the second time around
“Everything is designed with replayability in mind,” the developers assure us in an interview when we talk about the very short playing time of Industria 1. The sequel should be “much longer,” but should stay under twelve hours. Part 1 was over after a maximum of three hours.
An upgrade system for weapons in which you cannot unlock all dynamically interchangeable attachments and improvements within a single run, as well as inventory management of limited resources, should ensure a deeper gaming experience. For the latter, think of survival action games like Resident Evil or The Last of Us.
At the push of a button, you spread out your backpack on the floor and drag crafting materials such as chemicals, fabric, gunpowder, and scrap metal onto a work surface. From these, you can create bandages, ammunition, Molotov cocktails, or pipe bombs.
At the same time, Bleakmill wants to reduce the pace of gameplay compared to before. In retrospect, the developers criticize their levels in the debut game as being too large and empty. Industria 2 is supposed to vffer imagined environments with significantly more detail . Ammunition is usually scarce, so you have to set traps for enemies and throw objects like glass bottles to get their attention.
It’s fitting that Bleakmill wants to turn up the creepiness, with the developers citing the Ravelholm level from Half-Life 2 as an example. Industria 2 is also to become more immersive, with more cutscenes from the first-person perspective. The story picks up a few years after the events of its predecessor.
In Industria 2, you once again play scientist Nora. After an experiment gone wrong, she finds herself trapped in a virtual world in East Berlin, ruled by a symbiosis between her ex-colleague and the artificial intelligence Atlas.
Atlas sends rows of new enemies to prevent Nora from escaping the construct. A new weapon and the arsenal of her predecessor serve to defend her. The protagonist gets help from Marleen and other NPCs. Some of them accompany you through the levels and even fight.
By the way: According to the developer, no previous knowledge from the predecessor is necessary; the story should leave no question marks even with new players.
Chic AI apocalypse, also in German?
Visually, the Unreal Engine 5 once again provides chic environments and bizarre opponents. Thanks to new lumen technology, the lighting is dynamic this time compared to the static light sources of its predecessor. Bleakmill wants to have a good grip on performance.
Meanwhile, you don’t have to expect frequent physics puzzles. “Puzzles are not our strength,” the developers admit. “There will be no brain teasers, only basic interactions with objects.”
And what about German voice acting? “Maybe,” David Jungnickel replies hopefully. He doesn’t want to promise anything, because localization into German costs money. And Industria 2 is already threatening to blow his budget.
The release is planned for 2025, but Bleakmill and Headup Games don’t want to commit to an exact date yet.
Editor’s conclusion
In my review, I called Industria a “fascinating design study”. And it’s true: the environments, enemies and ideas of the first-person shooter are still exciting four years later. It’s only in the gameplay that the lack of experience and the small budget of the Bleakmill team are clearly noticeable.
I wholeheartedly welcome the fact that Industria 2 is now addressing precisely this point of criticism and also promises more of everything (especially in terms of playing time). The result probably won’t be able to keep up with AAA productions – but since so few single-player projects are still being released in the shooter genre, Industria 2 still has a good chance of finding success in its niche.
