A derelict spaceship, homicidal robots and the most ear-piercing sound a video game can produce, all in the first five minutes of Night Dive Studios' Spirits of Xanadu.
Spirits of Xanadu is a first-person action adventure game that has many early reviewers name-checking the classic System Shock, so I went into the game expecting some severe head-fuckery couple with sci-fi action. I was not disappointed. I'm also quite fond of tape decks and 3.5 inch floppy disks in space, so there's another win.
From the game's Steam page:
At the farthest edge of the explored universe, the research ship Xanadu slumbers in orbit around a mysterious planet. Her systems remain active but there has been no message from her crew for months. Now a lone operative has been sent to wake the Xanadu and bring her home to Earth.
Spirits of Xanadu is an atmospheric exploration game set aboard a deserted starship in an alternate 1980s. It draws inspiration from classic sci-fi films, novels, and games to create an immersive and highly interactive environment, featuring puzzles and FPS elements in the service of a unique and layered plot.
This game opens nine years and eleven months after my birth, only we've launched tape cassette recorders into space. I was born in the wrong reality.
The First Five is the first five minutes of a game with light commentary. Once the five minutes are up, so are we.