Among Us Meets Terminator In Debut Ghostless Trailer

The machines sure do love to rise up, but in the upcoming Ghostless, they've already taken over, and it's up to players to form the rebellion, all while sentient AI machines attempt to infiltrate the group and destroy them from within.

Social deduction games saw a massive surge in popularity during lockdown, as it's far more enjoyable to work out who the secret enemy is in a game of Among Us than it is when facing off against computer AI. This might be why few video games have attempted to mimic the horror of movies like The Thing, despite it being a (on paper) perfect concept for an interactive medium.

A new game is taking on the Cylon approach, as Ghostless by Coffeenauts was announced at Latin American Games Showcase - Summer Game Fest Edition. Ghostless is a survival shooter set in a world where machines have already won, and are attempting to take down the player's burgeoning resistance movement from within.

Ghostless Pits Players Against Deceptive AI Monsters

Ghostless is a 2.5D shooter with a gorgeous pixel art aesthetic. The game is set in an alternate 20th century, where a rogue AI created by the Soviet Union has taken over the world. So far, so I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, but humanity is still in game, fighting against the robots that are trying to take them out.

The player takes on the role of the Envoy, a soldier tasked with investigating a facility where the machines are said to be creating a super weapon. This mission is too big to take on alone, so they must find survivors and allies who can help them, as there are enemies waiting around every corner.

The problem is that there are enemies within, as allies can turn out to be AI spies that masquerade as humans, transforming into camera-headed monstrosities when discovered. The threat of betrayal hangs heavy over the mission, and the player will always have to have one eye over their shoulder.

The combat stages involve running, gunning, and platforming, much like the Contra games. The enemy strongholds are too difficult to overcome with one character, which means the player will need allies who can fight alongside them in levels. They also need allies who can build and maintain their base, creating better gear that will make the robot battles that much easier.

As the player completes stages, they'll gain access to more levels and allies. The enemy won't sit still, however, as they'll periodically send invasion forces to attack the player's base, which they'll need to defend from destruction. This is going to be significantly harder to survive if there are enemy robots inside the base, as one tin can behind the gates is going to be worth a hundred outside them.

The Ghostless in the title refer to the androids who are trying to sabotage the player, which can involve destroying vital parts of the base. Like The Thing, the player can interrogate suspects, and getting it wrong can lead to losing innocent and useful helpers.

Ghostless has an amazing aesthetic and a gameplay loop that's surprisingly unique, considering how social deduction and working out monsters hiding among players is so popular. Unfortunately, Ghostless doesn't have a release date, but it's available to Wishlist on Steam, and is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in the future.