We just uploaded patch 1.06 of Near Death, which features a number of fun new visual modes for the game. Why? For no other reason than we had some free time and it looks cool!

The new effects really lend a whole different feel to the game; it's really fun to move through the base as if Sutro Station is a painting or a retro Nintendo game. Here's a quick rundown of the effects. Still images don't really do them justice, so fire up the game to check them out in motion or take a peek at the gifs we're posting over on the Near Death Twitter page.

To begin, here's a still image for reference:



The first effect is subtle, but effective: a 2.35:1 letterbox mode that matches the aspect ratio John Carpenter used in his late 70s/early 80s classics (the most relevant to Near Death being The Thing, of course). This effect can be used on its own or in combination with the effects below.



Next, we have a painting effect that almost makes the game seem peaceful. Quite a contrast to the brutal conditions at Sutro Station.



And here's the first of three retro-inspired effects, a simple pixelation overlay.



Then there's a pixelated retro effect with a unique condensed color palate. The game feels really, really cool with this mode enabled.



And there's another retro color effect that's really ... effective ... as well.



And finally, to capture the feel of an Antarctic base in the early 80s that's using technology from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, we have a black and white TV effect.



Fire up the game and give the new modes a shot; theyre a lot of fun to tinker with, and seeing the familiar sights in a different light is super cool. And last, but not least, the new build also includes a handful of bug fixes and polish bits. Here are the full patch notes:

• Added some fun new visual effects for playing the game with a different look: Painting, Retro 1 & 2, Pixelated, and TV. To enable them, just click the Effects button on the Video options page.
  
• Added an optional letterbox setting; play the game in a classic, Carpenter-esque 2.35:1 screen ratio!
  
• The game now fades down to black when exiting.
  
• Slightly increased the drain rate of the blowtorch.
  
• Fixed a bug where the screen would sometimes not fade fully to white upon death, making it hard to read the menu.
  
• Fixed a roll of duct tape that couldnt be picked up in the Water building.
  
• Fixed an issue where UI buttons would sometimes not have the proper highlighted state