SPOKANE, Wash. – Cyan Ventures, the highly praised indie studio that is perhaps most known for its 1994 title Myst, today announced that ZED will be released on June 4th, 2019 for PC, Rift and VIVE. Mac and Linux versions will be released later in June.
ZED is the story of an artist who suffers from dementia, a topic that we here at Doctors of Gaming are all too familiar with. Dementia is a basket term referring to cognition and memory impairing disease. There are multiple etiologies and subtypes of dementia, the most common being the well-known Alzheimer’s disease. ZED is perhaps the first video game to touch upon this topic, which is interesting as some researchers have actually looked into the benefits of video gaming on real life dementia patients.
The player does not assume the role of the demented, however. Instead, one can expect to have a first-person experience exploring the dreams of the demented artist’s mind. The purpose? To help him recall enough meaningful images to piece together a final memoir and legacy for his granddaughter.
In terms of gameplay, it appears that there is a blend of world exploration, puzzles, and an interesting narrative. Some in the community have already dubbed it the spiritual successor to Myst. “Cyan Ventures was created to connect our amazingly supportive Myst fan base to inspiring artists like Chuck at Eagre Games,” said Rand Miller, CEO of Cyan. “We hope that ZED, with its graphically mesmerizing narrative, will resonate with our fans and audiences worldwide.”
ZED is scheduled for release June 4th, 2019 and will be available on Steam, GOG, Oculus Store and VivePort, as well as other digital services. You can check out the official trailer here.
