Planet X

Planet X is a Virtual Reality Found Footage Psychological Survival-Horror game developed and published by Capcom in collaboration with Kojima Productions. It is director Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear, Silent Hills)'s second game under his new standalone Kojima Productions studio. Jun Takeuchi, who produced Capcom's Resident Evil, Lost Planet and the rebooted Dino Crisis series, is the game's producer.

is hyped as the spiritual successor to Silent Hills/P.T. with many of the original Lost Planet and former Konami staff from both production studios having been hired to work on the game. It follows the story of 4 dangerous convicts who've been sentenced to exile on a newly-discovered planet filled with terrifying paranormal and extraterrestrial activity: the titular Planet X.

The game is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC with full VR support on all 3 systems. The game also boasts a first person Found Footage game mode, played entirely through a camera lens of each of the 4 playable characters, which can also be played in VR for full scare effect.

Synopsis
In the year 2032, a group of anarchists attempt to overthrow the government in what became known as the most egregious case of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Held to answer for treason, capital murder of government officials, sedition and espionage, they're spared death and given an alternate sentence in lieu of a recent shocking astronomical discovery. With paranormal and celestial life lurking in the stars, these dangerous criminals must go where no astronaut has made it out alive: the extraterrestrial ghost planet, Nibiru AKA Planet X.

Content Warning Screen
In lieu of an old tradition, Capcom has re-implemented the content advisory message seen before the intro of many of their classic Survival/Action-Horror games. In recent years, it has been brought back with its contents being expanded to warn potential players of disturbing content in addition to "explicit violence and gore" similar to the additional blurbs about strong language seen in REmake and RE4's warning message screens. Each of Capcom's latest Survival-Horror games, Resident Evil 7: The War Ends Now and the Dino Crisis reboot featured such a warning message.

Planet X continues this tradition, warning players with an ominous disclaimer screen after loading the game up.

Characters
Planet X features four playable characters, each with their own separate-though linked-chapters as they try to find the rest of their crew after being separated in the game's opening cutscene.
 * Victor Markus-The brawns of the group. A former discharge of the U.S. Marine Corps, he's known for his brutal methods and hostile attitude.
 * Jake Hanley-Victor's right-hand man and sidekick. He accompanied Victor throughout all government raids. Very trigger-happy, but also likes to let his mouth rip with his cocky demeanor. Like Victor, he, too has a hostile view of the government/justice system after a Baltimore police officer was acquitted in his brother's murder.
 * Lisa Fox-The brains of the group and Victor's fiance. Named after Lisa, the poltergeist from P.T. and Gray Fox from Kojima's former Metal Gear franchise. She's a trained spy who specializes in her advanced hacking skills, she is the one responsible for illegally-obtaining and relaying all information and enemy coordinates to her fellow colleagues.
 * Colin Trevereaux-The sniper of the group. Colin would regularly post up top and help clear the area for his partners-in-crime. A retired hitman who was once the leading conman of the biggest murder-for-hire syndicate in Toronto (hence the Canadian surname), he was discovered and enlisted due to the vetting efforts of their fellow hacker, Lisa. Knowing his in-and-outs of the TPD, Colin looked to use his stealth and resourceful ways to help bring down the U.S. government.
 * Valor-The main antagonist of the game. She's a zombie-like poltergeist/ghost who can change the enviroment and appear/disappear at will. She regularly tests the will of all who encompass her home planet in the way of haunting puzzles which can have traumatic, if not deadly consequences for those who fail. She will also send extraterrestrial beings after the 4 conmen through a channeling with the dead. Worst of all, she psychologically-profiles each of her targets as she plays these mind games and uses this knowledge to exploit their biggest fears, even appear (completely at random) when the time is right. She's basically every player's biggest fears of the Xenomorph from Alien: Isolation and Lisa from P.T. all rolled into one horrific package.

Gameplay
Planet X combines many elements from each studio's signature survival horror franchise, Resident Evil and Silent Hill/P.T., respectively. Like Resident Evil, the game features combat, exploration, item management, and puzzles with the game's main campaign set in an OTS third-person cam, and like Silent Hill/P.T., it psychologically-profiles you as you play and try to solve each puzzle with each course of action yielding different results. Moreover, each puzzle is shrouded in paranormal activity-fog, apparitions, noises, voices, silhouettes, etc..-used to build tension and, in many cases, lead up to a scare, making the game a mix of Psychological and Survival Horror.

The game's setting is based entirely on a haunted, extraterrestrial planet, Nibiru with surreal, nocturnal Lovecraftian environments that the player is free to openly explore in full 1080p resolution and 60FPS. Each character must delve through an unpredictable wave of alien and ghost-like creatures that randomly appear dependent on the choices made by the player. Environments can also change on a whim with whole new areas randomly opening up, in many cases, creating a puzzle within a puzzle.

Planet X centers around 4 convicts in an episodic, story-driven narrative as they attempt to contact and find the others after being separated due to unforeseen environmental changes in the game's opening. The 4 characters-Victor, Jake, Lisa and Colin-each explore unique environments in armored jumpsuits, but with static telecommunications reception and limited resources for dealing with the otherworldly threats they encounter. They must each find a place of sanctuary in order to gain the needed reception for contacting the others, but encounter inherent traps-such as entity-luring EVP and pentagrams-and nightmarish puzzles-often cutscene-filled based on the criminal past of the 4 playable characters-lurking within. The 4 elite con-men are, both figuratively and literally faced with their inner-and outer-demons as well as those lurking on the planet as they fight for survival on a nightmarish, oft-terraforming environment of surreal proportions.

In another subtle nod to classic Resident Evil and Silent Hill entries, Planet X abandons checkpoints, instead leaving tape recorders scattered around random points on each terrain in order to save progress, similar to the ink ribbons and pen and notebook of earlier entries in each respective franchise. However, this is an obstacle in and of itself as they're intrinsically tied to EVP and can unravel a new series of dangers, even lure other ghost/alien creatures completely at random-and in a number of different ways-if you don't pick your spots carefully.

Like P.T., a tech demo of the cancelled Silent Hills, it also features a ghost woman (Valor) who actively pursues each of the 4 characters throughout the course of the game as well as constructing the monstrous puzzles each character must solve. There are numerous different paths each character can take at various points in each level, each yielding a different set of actions and items. A close up of her monstrous face will repeatedly flicker on screen, directly appearing over the character model when she's in the vicinity of the player, warning him or her of her presence. This is done specifically to attempt to illicit a sudden response from the player (knee-jerk), potentially setting off an undesired set of consequences (i.e: luring enemies) while in the midst of a puzzle.

In addition, the game takes cues from several noteworthy horror film franchises. Valor will leave tapes of her past victims-namely the team of astronauts first tasked with exploring Nibiru-and other objects behind-such as notecards, photographs, etc.-in order to help the player solve each puzzle as a nod to Paranormal Activity and Saw. When viewing the tapes, the game will enter a first person cutscene with a green, nightvision lens surrounding the field of view as a nod to various found footage-style horror films, the last of these tapes containing especially gruesome and disturbing images. Valor will also hide ammo, green/red herbs, and other collectibles behind contraptions which can only be obtained by finding the right objects or, in many cases, by simply being in the right place at exactly the right time.

Other subtle horror film references feature alien creatures buried in ice (The Thing) and others in fog (The Mist) as well as those lured through EVP via channeling of Valor (Poltergeist) and Ouija boards/incantations (Evil Dead). In most cases, these creatures are completely invisible until you reach the blockade surrounding them, providing for intense jump scares.

Weapons
Planet X features a wide array of futuristic weapons with its 2032, extraterrestrial/paranormal setting. Weapons are divided into two classes: Lethal and Elemental. In addition, many of these weapons are exclusive to each character's respective campaigns with each character having a base Lethal and Elemental weapon.

Lethal

 * Executioner: Futuristic machete.
 * Apoc: Furistic pistol complete with a laser sight attachment.
 * L19A6: Futuristic machine pistol.
 * AMX Z32: Futuristic double barrel, pump-action shotgun.
 * Marauder: Futuristic full-auto, .50 Cal shotgun.
 * Zeyphrus: Futuristic SMG equipped with thermal scope and laser sight attachment.
 * Baruda 85: Futuristic assault rifle equipped with a detachable silencer and laser sight attachment.

Elemental

 * K32 Radon Launcher: Futuristic grenade launcher that fires corrosive radon rounds.
 * Corroder: Futuristic bow that fires explosive plasma arrows.
 * Turbine: Futuristic lightning/tesla gun that, when charged, fires singular large bursts of electricity. However, due to its immense power, it can only be used twice and cannot be used again until fully recharged.
 * Annihilator: Futuristic carbine-like weapon that fires large spiral rounds of UV energy.
 * Ray Gun: Futuristic assault rifle that shoots plasma rounds.
 * Crippler: State-of-the-art, futuristic laser baton.

Found Footage Mode
After completing the game, you'll unlock a special Found Footage Mode where the entire game is set in a first person, Found Footage-style camera screen. You'll gain access to additional areas and puzzles not featured in the campaign along with whole new scares.

Several warnings are also issued upon starting Found Footage Mode for the very first time.



After proceeding following each of the prompt screens, the player will be met with hideous laughter and a spooky, transparent close-up shot of Valor-ghost woman from the campaign-'s face. This image is made all the more terrifying if playing through a PlayStation VR/Microsoft Oculus headset. Afterwards, she'll mutter "you're in my world now" in a demonic, echoing voice, revealing that the "I" in the final prompt screen was, in fact, her all along.