You Are Empty Preview

A first-person shooter (FPS) is one of the defining genres in PC gaming. It seems every year a new game comes out that pushes the technological boundaries of the PC. Other FPS games try to push the gameplay aspect of the genre farther along while relying on existing technology. Another portion of the FPS genre sticks with the bread-and-butter roots of the genre by offering just a no-frills approach to an FPS. You Are Empty could be considered a game that falls into the latter category of FPS games. The preview copy of the game offers a glimpse of the soon-to-be-released title.

You Are Empty takes place in an alternate version of 1950’s Communist Russia. The scientists of the Soviet Union are trying to create an army of super soldiers by performing experimental procedures on humans. Unfortunately the results have been disastrous as the patients have been mutated into abominations and run amok across all of Russia. It’s up to you to explore locations across the Soviet Union and put an end to the horror.

The game starts off with a very abstract artistic representation of, what I assume is, your character at work. The visual style was presented almost entirely in black and white, with actors blended in with various pieces of animations. Characters were constantly moving and shaping during the opening scenes that had me captivated. I felt like I was watching a science-fiction animation instead of a game. Unfortunately the animation really offered no explanation about the story or what’s happening in the game. 

Gameplay-wise You Are Empty plays like a typical FPS shooter instead of the trippy headcase the opening animation had me wanting to play. The game tries to set a creepy atmosphere at the beginning by having enemies run across the screen at surprising moments. The majority of the enemy encounters are usually the same way with you running into an enemy when you walk inside a door or enter a new area. Unfortunately the game would ruin these tense moments by having enemies appear almost out of nowhere, always right behind me where I couldn’t see them. The game was very straightforward with its progression and only had you performing very minor backtracking.

Visually the game does a solid job of presenting a Cold War-era Soviet Union under distress by mutated humans. Right at the beginning of the preview I was encountering enemies that had exposed bones in their legs and an exposed skull. Other enemies in the game included mutated dogs, transformed super Chickens and some very angry firemen determined to take me out. The majority of the characters looked great with some nice details. The locations in the game looked solid as well with notable details in all textures for the various stages. I did notice some issues with the framerate becoming choppy at times during the game.

You Are Empty should attract plenty of FPS fans looking for another title to add to their collection. Based on the preview the game doesn’t offer anything ground breaking or completely different than other FPS games. However, the Cold War Soviet Union setting is practically untouched in gaming lore and the animated scenes are fantastic at times. Look for You Are Empty in your local PC store when it’s released later this year.