Critical Shift: Everything We Know

Triple shots spooky, bloody, uhm, robot-y? Critical Shift has my eyes peeled for the immense potential it could have in the gaming world. It might just make an actual tectonic shift of the turn-based and survival ventures we’re used to. 

While we’ve just caught wind of the announcement of the game’s development, it’ll be coming quite sooner than expected. And so, preparation is vital to ensure that you have all the information you need to make the most of your experience.

Sit back as we uncover everything we know about Critical Shift in the article below.

What is Critical Shift?

Critical Shift is an upcoming hardcore, turn-based, tactical, thriller game. Those are not the only wild genres you’ll be playing through, but also survival, story-driven missions, and RPG elements are thrown into the mix. The trailer alone sends your heart fluttering with joy and excitement at the potentially high-stakes missions you’ll be going on. But first things first. 

Story

You can look forward to a deep and dramatic story. It’ll take place in an atmospheric setting with sci-fi and mystical elements. An intriguing mystery will underlie your missions, twisted in the ideas of android robots and the unknown. From the trailer, it seems the game will take a strange turn of events, featuring bizarre events you’re trying to get to the bottom of.

Based on Steam, you’ll be part of an elite squad answering a distress call. The call came from a top research station in Antarctica. While communications have completely cut off, you manage to salvage an official report that states:

…experiment #347 has reached critical parameters… …transportation of the sample from Sector D to████████████… …stability indicators are dropping… …WARNING… …containment conditions have been breached… …personnel evacuated from Levels 6 to 9… …OH GOD, █████████ IS REAL… …TIME CAN ████… …IT’S NOT A VACUUM, IT’S WATCHING US…

At once, you set out to ICE-1 Station to investigate. It’s under thick layers of ice, where hundreds of scientists, soldiers, and researchers are based. However, the walls of the station are now riddled with mysterious beings threatening the fabric of reality. You must contain the threat within the station or else the outside world could meet its end. 

The world in Critical Shift is the creation of the cult web novel Shadow Slave author, Guiltythree. The novel boasts a dark atmosphere, rich character development, and surprising plot twists. In the game, though, the writing will reinterpret familiar events, infusing mystery and rising heroes in a world full of treachery and danger.

Gameplay

Critical Shift will use turn-based gameplay employing a challenging tactical battle system. Your squad will have dozens of unique abilities and access a diverse range of skills. By exploring the station, you’ll unlock better weapons and gear. You must be on high alert, using your limited resources wisely. 

Your missions will integrate mystery-solving. You’ll run into strange anomalies, exploring labs and accommodations that are now full of weird creatures. All of this is the work of a hive intelligence turning people into mutant puppets. It’s a rogue AI that is spawning hybrids of flesh and metal. However, there still are a few survivors who band together to stop the rising threat.

To beat the game, you must optimize the battlefield. You must study enemies, who feature horrific and savage android robots. They will fight against you, as you rally your squad to push them back.

Steam suggests another enemy breed: creatures hiding in the shadows with unknown origins. It seems Critical Shift will have different factions of enemies and allies, which you can align with. 

Rhinotales promises “a fair fighting system.” So, it’ll be impossible to miss when you have, say, a 99% hit chance. As long as you strategize carefully, you’ll make it out alive. 

Besides combat, you’ll explore Critical Shift’s massive underground complex beneath the Antarctic. There are labs, accommodations, and other areas, with top-secret documents to find, mysterious artifacts to collect, and survivors to rescue, all along uncovering the truth one mission at a time.

Development

Developer Rhinotales is working on Critical Shift. The studio will publish the game as well. Their website describes them as “a humble indie game studio with a big heart for games.” Further, that the team enjoys making games that feature “engaging stories” and “enjoyable gameplay” with the goal of serving a “memorable experience” for you. 

You might know their first game, She Sees Red. It’s quite a thought-provoking and engaging experimental interactive movie game, making the best of filmmaking to tease the senses. You make choices that impact your journey. Overall, the reception has been exceptional, praising the game’s execution and replayability. 

However, the team is now turning toward a new project: Critical Shift’s turn-based horror game. And while a few details might still be in the pipeline, the studio assures players an “intriguing story” and “engaging gameplay.” In the meantime, you can request access to the game’s Playtest via Steam. Then, wait for the studio to send a notification about when you’re able to participate. 

Trailer

The announcement trailer for Critical Shift gives off the vibes of XCOM. So, fans of the XCOM series should definitely keep an eye on this one. It looks divine but with some kinks that need ironing out, like the punch in the gunshots. Otherwise, you should have a good idea of what’s to come from the turn-based gameplay and survival mechanics in the video.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Critical Shift will be coming sometime in 2025. So, be on high alert for the exact release date as we draw closer to it. You can ready your PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms. Also, feel free to add it to your wishlist on Steam. That way, you can receive a notification when it drops. 

The developers are calling on all interested parties to discuss the game, share their theories, and join the Discord community. Here, you can stay in the loop of any updates, including editions, or provide feedback. Otherwise, you can follow the official social handle to keep track of the development progress.