'Amy' Is a Zombie Survival Nightmare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nElUPQVsg-A

I’m intrigued by the games of Lexis Numerique. They’re doing some really interesting, unusual things with gameplay, and as someone who’s attracted to original stories, I’m fascinated with the outside-the-box storytelling Lexis is coming up with. Their upcoming Red Johnson’s Chronicles looks very cool, and today I learned of another title they’re working on called Amy.

Set in December of 2034, Amy tells the story of a girl named Lana, who wakes up to a world that’s changed radically from the one she knows. A comet has struck the planet, causing natural disasters and unleashing a deadly virus that’s infected nearly everybody. Lana awakens in the small American town of Silver City and realizes that the virus is infecting her as well. She decides to run, to try and get free from the nightmarish, zombie-like “horde” that was once the human race.

The plot thickens when Lana meets an eight-year-old autistic girl named Amy. Amy has unusual powers; her mere presence near Lana pushes back the effects of the virus, allowing her to hold onto her humanity. But having Amy in her care gives every choice Lana makes the added weight of responsibility. As a player, you’ll make decisions in conjunction with Amy, giving the game a cooperative play style, even though Amy is an A.I. Lexis hints that the choices Lana and Amy make could even somehow save mankind.

Players will find that Amy features a mixture of stealth, action, and melee combat, which is made all the more difficult because Lana and Amy are physically weaker than their zombified enemies. Sometimes the best course of action will not be to stand and fight, but to run and hide. A unique gameplay strategy will be the way that players have to balance Lana’s exposure to Amy. Sometimes, you’ll want to separate yourself from Amy and let the virus take hold (temporarily), because it will help you proceed through the levels unharmed. (The horde leave Lana alone when she’s succumbing to the virus.) But if she stays away from Amy too long, she’ll transform completely, and you lose the game.

Amy is a downloadable title that will be available on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade sometime this Fall.