Athanasia Steam Review: System Shock Meets Dinosaurs [Confirmed]

Black Lantern Collective and Momentum Games have launched Athanasia on PC via Steam in October 2026, introducing a retro-inspired immersive sim that seamlessly fuses System Shock environmental exploration with intense dinosaur survival horror across vast, multi-layered underground facilities. According to verified reports from Kotaku, the title rejects modern hand-holding, forcing players to assemble mental maps as they scavenge sparse keycards, decipher email logs, and manipulate physics-based objects like barricade boxes and toppled chairs. Combat is intentionally punishing; while protagonists unlock shotguns, crossbows, pistols, and sci-fi gadgets, hyper-scarce ammunition dictates stealth and environmental traps over direct gunfire. Just as indie developers champion open problem-solving, much like how [Subnautica 2 Early Access: Devs Urge Ugly Prototypes [Confirmed]](/news/subnautica-2-early-access-development-strategy) highlights emergent survival sandbox design, Athanasia rewards tactical ingenuity over brute force. Gamers face ruthless velociraptor packs requiring gas canister detonations or room-wide neurotoxin venting to survive. Kotaku highlights that the title achieves true tension through seamless exploration, split-second load times, and intricate level design that elevates the atmospheric pedigree of late-90s PC gaming masterworks into a modern tour de force.