Hello, folks! I’m Yonghe Wang, the Creative Director at Pollard Studios. Today, I have some thrilling news to share. Our team, along with our publisher, Wired Productions, is all set for a major release. Mark your calendars because “Karma: The Dark World” is landing on PlayStation 5 on March 27, with full PS5 Pro enhancements.
To mark this occasion, we’re peeling back the curtain on how we’ve turbocharged the game using the PS5 Pro features, enhancing visuals and performance to an exciting level. Plus, we’re launching the second trailer in our three-part series, featuring some of the game’s mind-bending environments and intriguing characters. These glimpses will give you hints about their unique connections to you, the player. Dive in and enjoy!
So, what exactly is “Karma: The Dark World”? It’s a gripping first-person psychological thriller set in an alternate post-World War II era, where a cassette-driven future unfolds. In this narrative, the Leviathan Corporation wields unimaginable technology to control Eastern Germany, enforcing a regime that demands absolute productivity and obedience from its citizens.
They’ve got quite the toolkit to make this happen—mass surveillance, mind-bending substances, and a clandestine group known as the Nightcrawlers. These special ROAM Agents have free rein to investigate crime scenes and interrogate citizens, even diving into their memories using advanced tech. In these Mind Dives, they explore twisted recollections and deep-seated traumas, seeking out hard truths hidden in the rubble of people’s pasts.
You’ll step into the shoes of Daniel McGovern, a ROAM agent on a mission to solve a theft at one of Leviathan’s scientific facilities. But that’s just the beginning, as you’ll soon find yourself plunging into a profound exploration of empathy, love, humanity, and the intricate dance of morality.
Our creation process feels like a soulful dialogue, going beyond mere stories to capture genuine life experiences and emotions. We’ve woven philosophical thought into the game design, evident in the very essence of this title. Karma: The Dark World isn’t just about striking visuals and engaging storytelling; it’s an exploration that nudges players to uncover answers during their journey.
The visuals are crafted with stark lighting contrasts and bold color palettes that blend realism with surrealism, drawing inspiration from the likes of Remedy’s games like “Alan Wake” and “Control,” and the extraordinary vision of David Lynch—known for masterpieces like “Twin Peaks” and “Eraserhead.” We wanted to create an experience that’s hauntingly beautiful, one that sticks with you long after you’ve stopped playing.
We’ve also got exciting news about the PS5 Pro. During development, we really squeezed the juice out of its capabilities to boost the game’s visual and performance details. What’s in store for PS5 Pro players? Exclusive environmental footage, and a thrilling experience that showcases the world we’ve crafted with its enhanced features.
At the heart of our visual upgrade is the PlayStation’s Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology. What does this mean for gamers? Picture-perfect image quality, razor-sharp edge and texture clarity, all while maintaining top-tier performance. And it doesn’t stop there: optimized gameplay at native 4K resolution, rock-solid 60 FPS, and a silky-smooth experience thanks to consistent frame pacing.
The PS5 Pro version also shines with superior texture filtering, enhanced volumetric effects, richer distance rendering, and exceptional temporal stability—all thanks to our deep dive into memory optimization, shader processing, and other hardware advantages. Our journey to craft Karma was all about using these tools to deliver an experience that players will cherish.
We wanted to give you a peek behind the scenes at the visual wonders of Karma. Whether you’re playing on a standard PS5 or upgrading to the PS5 Pro, we’re confident that this story will linger with you. Get ready for March 27, when we welcome you into the world of a ROAM agent. But remember, entering the mind can be perilous territory.
