Critical Shift Two-Hour Demo Sends Six Operatives Beneath Antarctica

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Independent developer Rhinotales has released the first public demo for Critical Shift, its tactical RPG mixing turn-based squad battles with real-time exploration. Available through Steam, the approximately two-hour introduction sends players into an Antarctic research facility that has stopped responding.

ICE-1 is considerably more dangerous than a standard abandoned laboratory. A parasitic hive mind has taken control of personnel, automated security systems attack anything moving and scientific experiments have created anomalies capable of distorting time and space.

The demo covers three areas: the facility’s surface, administrative offices and warehouse. Six of the full game’s 11 operatives are available, including squad leader Bear, biohazard specialist Diver, occult expert Bishop, explosives enthusiast Goblin, engineer Rook and physicist Saint.

Combat is turn-based, but exploration happens in real time. Limited ammunition and equipment mean shooting everything is unlikely to be the smartest solution. Players can instead create noise, distract enemies, prepare traps or manipulate hostile groups into attacking one another. It sounds like the kind of tactical game where noticing the environment should matter as much as selecting the strongest ability.

The full version promises more than 40 hours of story and combat across over 30 handcrafted levels. Its paranormal science-fiction narrative was created in collaboration with Guiltythree, author of the popular web novel Shadow Slave. With that much planned content, this demo is essentially a test of whether the game’s exploration and tactical layers complement each other instead of interrupting the pace.

Critical Shift is scheduled to launch for PC in 2027, with console versions also planned.