‘ARKTIKA.1’ Gets Companion eBook Penned by NYT Bestselling Author Christie Golden

4A Games, the studio behind the Metro series, has partnered with Del Rey Books and New York Times bestselling author Christie Golden to produce an official eBook novella that lets you dive further into the upcoming Oculus Touch first-person shooter ARKTIKA.1.

image courtesy 4A Games

Golden is no stranger to gaming fiction, evidenced by her previous work on novels and short stories including IP from World of Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed, and Halo. Having also written the script for ARKTIKA.1, it’s only natural she’d also write the eBook ARKTIKA.1: My Name is Viktoria, or what she calls the game’s “bible”.

In a blog post, Golden says she’s never actually had a chance to actively participate in the creation of a game, but ARKTIKA.1 let the seasoned sci-fi/fantasy author cut imbue 4A Games’ envisioned world with her own ideas, activities, and background concepts, and “weave around and through them a story with solid science fiction, clever dialogue, tension, stakes the player grows to care about, and memorable characters.”

The short story is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com for $1, releasing October 10th, 2017. Here’s the eBook’s synoposis.

Viktoria can barely remember life before 2081. It’s painful to think of the time before the Great Freeze, when humanity finally paid its due for plundering the earth, plunging the world into frigid cold, scarcity, and decay.

Yet humanity has found a way to carry on. The remnants of civilization persist in settlements like ARKTIKA.1, where Vika tends to survivors with her Mamochka and Papochka, protecting their fledgling colony from the threat that lurks in the snows. The yaga—vicious, deformed cannibals made monstrous by disease—prey on the surviving communities, spreading their affliction as they go. And Vika’s parents are the only scientists left who can stop the contagion.

Called upon by the Citadel Security defense corporation, Vika’s family makes their way to a research facility near the Equator. Only there, with mercenary protection and superior laboratory equipment, can the two scientists hope to make the discoveries that might protect ARKTIKA.1. But when shots ring out through the cold, their research expedition becomes a mad dash for survival. Because saving the world means nothing if they can’t save their daughter.

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Arktika.1 to get Companion eBook Penned by NYT Bestselling Author Christie Golden

Due for release later this year on Oculus Rift and Touch is Arktika.1, a first-person shooter (FPS) from Metro 2033 studio 4A Games. Today, 4A Games has announced a collaboration with Del Ray Books which will see a companion eBook, ARKTIKA.1: My Name is Viktoria accompany the virtual reality (VR) title.

Del Ray Books partnered with the studio on Arktika.1’s storyline, with many of the narrative elements behind the videogame penned by New York Times (NYT) bestselling author Christie Golden – known for several Star TrekStar Wars, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft novels.

ARKTIKA.1: My Name is Viktoria

“I couldn’t ask for more from 4A Games and my publisher, Del Rey Books,” said Golden in a statement. “We’ve worked together every step of the way to bring Arktika.1 to life. I brought my A-game to this project, calling on my playwriting training to create sharp dialogue and utilizing my world-building skills to help complete the immersive experience virtual reality offers. Players looking to dive into the game’s universe by cozying up with a book have much to look forward to!”

The fast paced shooter is set nearly a century in the future, in which Earth has entered a new ice age. Only the equatorial regions remain habitable, yet pockets of humanity still manage to survive in small numbers all over the planet. These regions of civilization sit on resource-rich, highly desirable territories to the north and south. As a mercenary hired by Citadel Security, players must protect one of the last colonies in the wastelands of old Russia from violent raiders, marauders, and horrifying creatures.

“Story is at the heart of any AAA game – and we have some things to say about that! With our experience making post-apocalyptic games, we’re now taking players a hundred years in the future and presenting them with a dangerous yet hopeful world,” says Yevhen Fedorets, lead game designer on Arktika.1. “We’re building environments filled with detail – resulting in believable, atmospheric locations. Immersion is all about connecting everything in the world with the player, and we found that this feeling of ‘being there’ is by far the best way to tell an engrossing story about survival.”

ARKTIKA.1: My Name is Viktoria is set to release towards the end of Q3 2017, with pricing and launch date yet to be announced.

As 4A Games release further details, VRFocus will keep you updated.