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In The Occupation, you play a whistleblower journalist after a terror attack

The Occupation is a real-time game about journalism from the makers of Ether One that deals with the politically-charged topics of security and freedom.

First off, it needs to be mentioned that even if The Occupation was announced today, that was before the grisly and unfortunate terror attack on the British Parliament that has since unfolded. It’s really the worst sort of coincidence the developers could have asked for.

The Occupation is set in 1987 Great Britain and has you playing as a journalist in the aftermath of a devastating terror attack. The attack has led to the creation of The Union Act, an overreaching piece of legislation that threatens the civil liberties of British citizens. The game is set in the final hours—specifically the final 4 hours—before the fate of the Act is decided.

As if this premise wasn’t fascinating enough, The Occupation has been revealed to be a real-time game, which means that events will go on without your intervention during the game’s 4-hour length. Of course, what you choose to do during those four hours will determine the fate of the Act and as a consequence, the fate of the British people.

There’s a lot to love about The Occupation even through these sparse details. In an industry inundated with violent media, The Occupation is promising a very fresh take on what is possible with video games. There’s a lot of potential in the game’s politically-driven premise, and Manchester-based developers White Paper Games might just have what it takes to realise that potential.

The Occupation is expected to release some time later this year. There are presently no details on what platforms the game will launch on, but it is known that the game is being built in Unreal Engine 4, so you can make an educated guess. If you’re at EGX Rezzed, you can even play an early version of the game.