Asymmetric, the developer behind browser-based MMO Kingdom of Loathing and 2017’s marvellous wild west comedy West of Loathing, has surprise-launched a follow-up on Steam in the form of tentacular open-world adventure Shadows Over Loathing.
In Shadows Over Loathing – which sports the same eye-searing black and white stick-figure aesthetic as its predecessors – players are summoned to Ocean City at the behest of their Uncle Murray in order to help run his antiques shop.
Unfortunately, on arrival, Murray is nowhere to be found, and so begins an investigation into his disappearance that might just bring about the end of the world as players uncover a terrible (and almost certainly entirely ridiculous) eldritch plot.
Asymmetric describes Shadows Over Loathing as a single-player comedy RPG, set across a sprawling open-world – one promising danger, quests, puzzles, inappropriate fishing, authentically baffling 1920s slang, an infinitely tall building, sentient math, pettable cats, superior stick-figure customisation, and more.
“See how many enemies you can stuff into a phone booth as the athletic Pig Skinner,” Asymmetric teases, “control the curds and whey of the cosmos as the cunning Cheese Wizard, or march to the beat of your own inscrutable purposes as the hip Jazz Agent.”
Shadows Over Loathing is out now on Steam, where there’s a 15% launch discount until 18th November. Until then, it’ll cost £16.99 instead of the usual £19.99.
