Today’s Niche Spotlight is Recompile, a digitized 3D Metroidvania by Dear Villagers and developer Phigames.

The game follows a semi-sapient program trying to escape deletion in the computer world of Mainframe. Use hacking-based powers to fight enemies, and alter the environment as you explore.

Uncover the secrets surrounding the Hypervisor, and discover the true purpose of the world you inhabit. The game features multiple endings based on your decisions as you restore lost data, repair damaged systems, and hack enemies.

You can find the launch trailer below.

Recompile is available on Windows PC (via GOG, and Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for $19.99 USD.

You can find the rundown (via Steam) below:

Witness the birth of sapient AI in this sprawling atmospheric hacking adventure.
Combining Metroidvania progression with non-linear exploration and gameplay. Recompile challenges players to explore, fight, hack, and survive. Discover the many secrets beneath ancient digital landscape and prepare for system-wide reconfiguration.

The game’s entire narrative takes place within 1 second of real time.

EXPLORE
Delve into the ancient, sprawling ruins of the Mainframe and discover a range of traversal abilities to help you on your journey towards attaining true sapience.

The game has multiple endings based on the players actions; you can repair systems, restore lost data, hack or destroy enemies, all whilst uncovering the truth about the Hypervisor and the original purpose of the Mainframe.

FIGHT
The inhabitants of the Mainframe are strange and diverse, and many are found to be inherently hostile. A full complement of powerful weapons and abilities are available to help you survive, defend and destroy.

HACK
Many environmental features, such locked doors, forcefields, elevators and even enemy spawning systems are all powered by intricate, interconnected logic gate circuitry.
Nothing is hardcoded, everything is systemic, and all fully exploitable.
Logic gates can be freely inverted (and reverted), allowing puzzles or other threatening obstacles to be peacefully and safely bypassed. Even the inhabitants themselves can be tampered with, their programming changed to follow the player’s commands.

AWAKEN
The story explores everything from machine sentience to the nature of choice.
Life and death. Chaos and determinism. Sentience and sapience. Intelligence exists in many forms. In this dying world, one must explore all possibilities. Observe and respect all perspectives. Only then, can we truly survive.

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