Originally planned to release this week, Bandai Namco’s Get Even has been pushed back until June 23. The delay for this first-person shooter comes in the wake of the attack in Manchester, England, when a suicide bomber struck an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring 59 more.
“Given recent events and out of respect we have decided to postpone the commercial release of Get Even to June 23rd,” a company representative said in a statement to Polygon. “We would like to express our deepest condolences to everyone concerned.”
The game was originally planned to release on Friday for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC. Developed by The Farm 51, it focuses on an amnesiac after waking up in a rundown house. Equipped with a phone and a gun, he must save a young girl as he escapes the strange people coming after him.
Throughout the game, players will constantly be using an in-game phone to survey the area. The camera collects evidence and analyzes physical objects. An ultraviolet light and thermal reader can be used to discover secrets and hidden trails. Additionally, a map overlay can be used to keep track of the layout. Using the phone is important for solving the many environmental puzzles, but many features multiple approaches to the solution. For instance, a player might be tasked with deciphering a code, but later clues might make it easier to decipher.
As a narrative-driven thriller that emphasizes psychological horror, its release would be ill-suited to the mood following Monday’s events.
This is not the first time a game has been delayed following a tragedy. According to Daily Tech, many video game developers delayed or even canceled any upcoming games that featured apocalyptic themes after a massive earthquake in Japan in 2011.
Further details about Monday’s tragic event can be found here.
