Within

Within (previously titled Simulacrum) is a third-person based puzzle-platform video game developed by Apogee and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released on May 10, 2015 as an exclusive for the PlayStation 4 and is also the first major release by Apogee.

Gameplay
Within is a third-person puzzle-platforming video game with elements of the action-adventure and stealth genres. The player controls Darrick, who can navigate through the simulated reality he is trapped in. The main objective of the game is to overcome various obstacles and puzzles that require a significant amount of logical thinking and tactical observation in order to proceed. Along with getting through puzzles, Darrick must face bizarre creatures known as "constructs" which represent his fears, and escape the world of the Simulacrum.



The  puzzles that the player must surmount are widely varied and each contain an overlying theme. Each puzzle is crafted after optical illusions, impossible objects and paradigms that otherwise challenge the perception of one's mind. The photo on the left for example shows how just  some of the puzzles are modeled.

Plot
The story revolves around a man named Darrick Weiss who awakens to find himself strapped to a chair-like apparatus in a dark room. Suddenly, a floodlight activates, blinding Darrick temporarily and revealing a group of individuals in black suits. One of them approaches Darrick and tells him that he has become part of a scientific experiment which will prove to be a breakthrough if successful. Not long after, Darrick is sedated and later awakens inside a completely white void. A voice echoes through and addresses Darrick, explaining that if he manages to subvert the boundaries of what they call the "simulacrum", he will be freed.

Characters

 * Darrick Weiss: The game's main protagonist.
 * Judith: The simulacrum's artificial intelligence.
 * Mr. Harrison: The enigmatic leader of Zephyr: a clandestine group of intelligence specialists.
 * Mr. Vance: Harrison's co-advisor.
 * Mr. Zellner: Zephyr's top engineering operative and the main designer of the simulacrum's protocols and firmware.
 * Hailey Weiss: Darrick's wife.

Proposed co-op multiplayer concept
Originally, it was planned for Within to have a co-operative multiplayer mode. The story involved two unnamed characters who were also kidnapped by Zephyr but were tasked with acquiring what is labeled as a "meridian". The gameplay would be similar to that of the final singleplayer mode, but would contain puzzles that required both of the players to solve. The concept was removed because Apogee felt it detracted from the importance of Darrick's story.