Salvation

Salvation is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure survival video game developed and published by Prodigal Games. Unveiled on October 30, 2016, the game was officially released as an Xbox 360 exclusive in 2017.

Setting
The game is set in 2063. A virus only known to the modern world as "the Pestilence" has spread across the earth. People infected by the Pestilence have turned into mutants through means of DNA manipulation and horizontal gene transfers caused by the virus. The main game takes place within Gemini: a melancholy and rather putrid city-state that is the latest target of ARIOCH's oppressive regime. While not the most crowded city, Gemini accomodates many Scions as well as survivors trying to scrape by.

Backstory
Salvation takes place in an alternate future where the Cold War continued beyond the 1980s. See here for the full backstory.

Protagonists

 * Matthew Raynor - The main protagonist of the game, Matthew Raynor is an esteemed scientist who has volunteered to track down the source of a specific gene that exists within certain Scions that allow for secondary mutation. He is voiced by Joshua Jackson.
 * Gavin Walker - Gavin Walker is a former criminal who managed to escape from a local penitentiary shortly after the Pestilence was unleashed in the United States. He is voiced by Sean Bean.

Antagonists

 * Commander Tidys Faust - Tidys Faust is the callous leader of the Gemini division of ARIOCH and the main antagonist of the storyline. He is voiced by Giancarlo Esposito.
 * Scions - The mutants who were transformed by the Pestilence.
 * ARIOCH - A paramilitary organization that has gradually established some semblance of order in the United States with the goal of eliminating the Scions. In recent years however, they have adopted a rather harsh regime after the replacement of the organization's superintendant, who is simply referred to as "Evander".
 * Evander - The engimatic superintendant of ARIOCH.

Gameplay
The game plays from a third-person perspective. The player controls Matthew as he traverses the parlous city-state of Gemini. The main aspect of the game is to survive, but there are components of stealth, role-playing and shooter games incorporated.

Button layout

 * A Button - Scale/Jump/Climb
 * X Button - Dodge/Block (hold)/Interact
 * Y Button - Strike/Execute
 * B Button - Grab/Let Go/Throw
 * RB Button - Sprint/Brake/Drift
 * LB Button - Holster/Unholster Current Weapon
 * RT Button - Use Weapon/Accelerate
 * LT Button - Aim/Lock On/Reverse
 * D-Pad - Cycle Melee Weapons (Up/Down)/Cycle Guns (Left/Right)
 * RS - Crouch/Sneak
 * LS - Look Behind
 * Start - Pause Menu
 * Back - Matthew's Inventory/Journal

Combat
The game heavily involves melee combat and gunfighting as well as a cover mechanic when facing off against aggressive survivors or Scions. When in melee combat, the player's main button commands are strike, grab and dodge/block.

Dialogue
Salvation draws hard from interactive conversations which not only affect Matthew's overall principles, but give the players an in-depth look into the naturally occurring cycle of events within the game world as well as specific information that may come in handy during tasks.

Integrity and immorality
As said above; through interactive conversations, Matthew's sense of morality is affected by how the dialogue flowed. For example, if Matthew is approached by someone in need, whether or not Matthew responds with a magnitude of sympathy or indolence greatly influences Virtue and/or Dishonor ratings. Depending on what rating Matthew has, he can gain benefits in some way or another.

Multiplayer
The game will feature a multiplayer mode.

Modes

 * Acquisition - Two teams, one objective: recover the SOI (Subject Of Interest) before the opposition does and return it to a specified drop point.
 * Intense Acquisition - Same game, but with Scions of all kinds thrown in. Player health is also dramatically realized.
 * Rummage - There are multiple SOIs.
 * Houdini Acquisition - Two or more SOIs are scattered throughout the playfield. Be quick though; the SOIs teleport incoherently.
 * Entourage - One team must protect a person from the opposition as they make their way to a predetermined destination.
 * Intense Entourage - Game is the same spare the narrowed player health and friendly-fire activation.
 * Symbiosis - The entourage gains benefits from how close they are to the VIP.
 * Convoy - Multiple VIPs. Team communication is highly recommended.
 * Handle With Care - The VIP is extremely vulnerable.
 * Deathmatch - Straight-up battle between two teams. Team with the most kills lives on.
 * Intense Deathmatch - Friendly-fire is on and player health is radically narrowed.
 * Brutality - A deathmatch made for true men. User interface is removed, only a crosshair remains.
 * Survival - One team versus an enemy faction. Who will survive?
 * Intense Survival - Friendly-fire, narrowed health. Need I say more?
 * Foxhole - The team must remain in a specific location.
 * Intense Foxhole - The location the team must root themselves in moves sporadically throughout the map. Teammates out of range will have no user interface.

Sequels
Creative director Robert Jones-Bussing announced shortly after the game's release that the game was to be the first in a trilogy.