Whispers of a Machine will make you a Nordic cyber cop in April

Whispers of a Machine is Nordic noir sci-fi adventure set in a post-AI world with cybernetically enhanced cops, including protagonist and special agent Vera. It's a collaboration between Clifftop Games and Faravid Interactive, developers of Kathy Rain and The Samaritan Paradox, respectively, and you'll be able to unravel its mysteries come April 17.

AI has been outlawed in this particular gloomy future, but of course some people think that's just silly, so they're building a new, super-intelligent AI, while also doing a spot of murdering. It's the murders that attract Vera, who finds herself stumbling onto the AI cult's big plans.

Being a cyber cop, Vera's got a few sci-fi tricks up her sleeve thanks to some fancy nano juice called Blue. When she's all Blued up, she gets superhuman abilities that adapt to her actions and psychological mindset. So, if you play more aggressively or analytically, apparently Vera's augmentations will change, which will also change how you solve puzzles.

Vera's also got a "painful past" that continues to haunt her, just like all fictional cops. No well-adjusted, happy officers here. We're warned to expect existential twists and a morally-ambiguous yarn. Depending on your choices, you'll end up with one of multiple endings.

Though it seems more overtly gloomy than Technobabylon's dystopia-masquerading as-a-utopia, I was still immediately reminded of Wadjet Eye's sci-fi thriller. It turns out that Wadjet Eye's Dave Gilbert is involved, too, directing the voice acting.

My interest is more than piqued. The augmentation system, and the way it reacts to Vera's approach and opens up different puzzle solutions, sounds pretty novel. Playing a cop hopefully means we'll also be doing more proper investigative stuff instead of squashing shit together in our inventories.

You'll be able to grab it on Steam on April 17.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.