Sneak Peek: Dead Reset Preview

Recently, those Full Motion Video (FMV) games have been creeping back into the indie scene. They’re like those old choose-your-own-adventure books but on-screen. Weird, right? Anyway, stuff like The Shapeshifting Detective hit that sweet “Whodunit” vibe, with actors doing their best within a quirky framework. Oh, and Not for Broadcast? Way more interactive, and honestly, I laughed so much. Now, Dark Rift Horror’s got something cooking with Dead Reset, a spooky narrative-driven mystery. I’m intrigued.

So, Dead Reset plops you into Cole Mason’s shoes. He’s a surgeon, and bam, he wakes up on this space station floor – think Aliens vibe. Suddenly, this guard yanks him up and drags him to an operating table. A patient with a weird abdominal growth is there. You’re freaking out while being forced to operate at gunpoint. Decisions, decisions — you could yank a gun or bolt instead. But oh man, I had Cole agree… then all hell breaks loose. An alien explodes out, turning the room into a disaster zone. But wait — death isn’t the end here. Cole’s stuck in this time loop, Groundhog Day in space! I got to see the first of eight chapters, and looping can be a trip. Got Cole’s arm blown off once, but eventually cracked that chapter, containing the alien and all. Intense stuff.

The actors, they’re into it. Some are better than others in the nail-biting bits. Conversations fly fast, making interactions more personal than you’d expect with almost strangers, but it kind of works. Time constraints, I guess? Horror does that – strangers bonding fast under stress. Oh, and the gore? Totally wild: guts everywhere, aliens attacking, all that. Those little aliens are weirdly adorable but scary, kept mostly in the shadows. Gunshots remind me of that old Area 51 arcade game – you know, those cheesy screen flashes. Even on a tight budget, the direction keeps it all together without falling into silly territory. Kudos there.

Wandering through the preview was something. The mystery’s gripping, and Cole plus this ragtag crew are acting up a storm. I’m itching to unravel this whole time loop and alien skin-crawler genre mashup. Marking my calendar for September 11th when Dead Reset lands on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Can’t wait!