Moebius: Empire Rising is the veteran designer's first adventure game since 2010's Gray Matter, and the first she has completely overseen since Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned in 1999. This publishing deal marks the culmination of a successful collaboration between Jensen - the game's writer, designer, and creative director -- and Phoenix Online, who developed the game under her supervision.
In Moebius: Empire Rising, players will step into the shoes of Malachi Rector, a high-end antiquities dealer with a photographic memory, a genius for history, and an uncanny talent for discerning genuine artifacts from cheap knock-offs. At the request of a secretive government agency, Malachi flies to Venice to determine whether a recently-murdered woman resembles any particular figure in history. Why would the U.S. government offer him $50,000 to perform this odd job? Why does a stranger he meets randomly in the desert seem like someone he's known all his life? And how come every time Malachi lets down his guard, someone tries to kill him?
In the layered mystery of Moebius: Empire Rising, players will travel the globe with Malachi and his bodyguard, former special forces operative David Walker, to analyze suspects, make historical connections, and piece together clues to uncover a conspiracy the U.S. government and other covert agencies will defend at any cost. A modern adventure game styled in the vein of recent Sherlock Holmes and James Bond thrillers, it merges classic point-and-click puzzle solving with Malachi's unique deductive powers and the sophisticated storytelling Jensen's games are known for.
Since raising funding for Moebius: Empire Rising through a 2012 Kickstarter campaign, Jensen has kept backers informed of the game's progress with monthly updates, playable beta builds, and an open house at her home studio on Pinkerton Road farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In return, her biggest fans have had an unparalleled opportunity to see and participate in the adventure's development, with much of their feedback directly influencing the final game.
"Working with Jane, one of gaming's most accomplished storytellers, has been an incredible experience from the perspective of both a fan and partner," said Cesar Bittar, CEO of Phoenix Online Studios. "We're thrilled to help bring her new series of paranormal thrillers to life – and even more thrilled to bring to one of 2014's most-anticipated titles straight to gamers worldwide."
Following its April 15 debut on PC and Mac, Moebius: Empire Rising will release for Linux and iPad and Android tablets later in 2014.
