NeverAwake, the twin-stick shoot’em up set in the world of a young girl’s nightmares from developer Neotro Inc and publisher Phoenixx, performs a terrifying bullet ballet today on PC via Steam, with versions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4|5 releasing Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.
Guide Rem, a small girl trapped in an endless sleep, through visions from the darkest corners of her mind. Shimmy between projectile patterns fired by disturbing, hand-drawn representations of Rem’s fears, manifestations of vegetables, dogs, classmates, and more as grotesque creatures.
Overcome fear with ferocious firepower through more than 80 levels demanding fast-paced precision. Shoot back with combinations of twin-stick weaponry paired with accessories and upgrades bought with the souls of defeated enemies. Try to defeat foes on the first loop of each level, with each further loop posing further risk of failure. However, souls earned don’t disappear on death, giving Rem the chance to afford the weaponry she needs to break free.
However, Rem’s freedom won’t come easily, with more than a dozen bosses trying to keep her shackled in eternal slumber. Perform well and discover secrets leading to multiple endings, in this white-knuckle experience bestowed the Vermilion Gate Award (Grand Prize) at Japan’s most prestigious indie game event, BitSummit X-Roads.
Available on Steam alongside the game are the official NeverAwake “Nightmare World Art” digital artbook, and the soundtrack. Neotro enlisted YonYon, a Seoul-born, Tokyo-raised DJ, singer-songwriter, and producer to create the official theme “AWAKE”, streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
“When I heard about this project, I wanted to make an emotional song for the ending theme,” said YonYon. “I tried to capture in the lyrics the main character Rem’s feelings as she overcomes her many traumas toward the end of the game, as well as her changing feelings toward her friends and family, and her realization of how important it was to spend time together and support each other.”
NeverAwake releases today on PC via Steam for $19.99 with a 15% launch discount, with support for English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese language text. Also available today are the “Nightmare World Art” digital artbook for $7.99, and the NeverAwake soundtrack also for $7.99. A bundle with the game, artbook, and soundtrack is available for a 15% discount on top of the launch discount.
Versions of NeverAwake for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4|5 arrive on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, with physical editions set to release in 2023.
For more information, visit the official NeverAwake website, and follow Neotro Inc. on Twitter.
