A derelict station with no one talking
Downward Spiral: Horus Station drops you into a lost vessel abandoned by its crew, and it tells its story entirely through what you see around you. There are no dialogue scenes and no cinematics to explain what happened. You piece the plot together by observation and interpretation as you move through the station's environmental details. The whole thing runs on a zero-g movement system that handles differently from a normal shooter, so drifting, pushing off surfaces and steering with thrusters is the core of getting around. An electronic ambient soundtrack by Ville Valo of HIM sits under all of it.
Playing it with friends
The story campaign runs solo or with two players in online co-op, so you can work through the mystery with one friend. Before you start you pick an approach. Engage mode lets you fight the station's threats using maintenance hardware: bolt throwers, rail guns, grappling magnets, thrusters, arc welders and other electromagnetic devices. Explore mode removes the threats entirely, leaving only the puzzles and the atmosphere while you hunt for the truth behind why Horus Station is drifting in space. The choice changes the shape of a session, so settle it with your group first.
Multiplayer and VR
Beyond the campaign there are eight-player multiplayer modes, both PvP and PvE, including Deathmatch and Horde, all played in zero gravity. That gives your group a competitive option when you want something shorter than the story run. The game also plays in flat mode or in VR, with support for HTC Vive, Oculus Touch, Oculus Gamepad and Windows Mixed Reality. Expect a slow, atmospheric pace with no hand-holding on the plot, and a movement system that takes a little getting used to before it feels natural.