《恐懼子午線》（Dread Meridian）是由獨立團隊KUKRGAME開發的第一人稱VR生存恐怖冒險遊戲，於2026年1月22日正式登陸Steam VR與Meta Quest平台。本作明確受到H.P.洛夫克拉夫特名作《瘋狂山脈》（At the Mountains of Madness）的精神啟發，將宇宙恐怖、極地孤絕與心理壓迫感融合為一段令人不安的沉浸式體驗，特別強調「人在未知面前的渺小與崩潰」。

故事背景設定在20世紀1930年代。玩家將扮演一名研究員丹妮拉（Daniela），她為了尋找在北極偏遠島嶼「奧格蘭比恩（Oglanbyen）」失蹤的雙胞胎姊姊伊莎貝拉（Isabella），獨自踏上一場近乎自殺的科考之旅。這座被冰雪與風暴吞噬的島嶼，表面上是科研與礦業的遺跡，實際上卻隱藏著違反人類理解的存在。隨著探索逐步深入，丹妮拉不僅要面對物資短缺與極端氣候，更必須承受精神逐漸崩潰的壓力，因為她所見到的事物，已不再能以理性或科學來解釋。

劇情推進並非單純線性敘事，而是透過探索環境來拼湊真相。廢棄的研究設施、被冰封的礦坑、殘破的文件與錄音紀錄，逐漸揭露奧格蘭比恩曾發生的災難，以及一場人類不該觸碰的禁忌研究。玩家將不斷懷疑，伊莎貝拉是否仍然存活，抑或她早已成為這片土地詭異命運的一部分。遊戲的敘事核心圍繞在「追尋真相的代價」，並在結局階段拋出殘酷的選擇：是揭開迷霧，還是讓自己永遠沉淪於恐懼之中。

在操作與玩法方面，本作以VR沉浸感 為設計核心，所有行動都強調真實的空間互動。需要親手搜尋物資、打開抽屜、破解機關，甚至在極度緊張的情況下裝填彈藥。資源管理是生存的關鍵，彈藥、醫療用品與工具都極為稀缺，迫使玩家在每一次衝突前仔細權衡風險。戰鬥並非鼓勵正面對抗，更多時候是為爭取逃生空間。武器可以透過撿拾到的零件進行簡易改裝，但即使如此，火力仍然有限，當槍械失效時，只能依賴手中的刀具進行近距離搏命。

敵人設計明顯帶有濃厚的克蘇魯風格，牠們並非單純的怪物，而是對人類感知與理智的挑戰。某些生物無法正面直視，某些則會在玩家不注意時悄然逼近，利用 VR 的視角限制與空間感製造強烈心理壓迫。恐懼不只是來自戰鬥，而是來自不確定性，永遠無法確定下一個轉角是否潛伏著致命威脅。

環境探索同樣是遊戲的重要支柱。奧格蘭比恩被塑造成一個廣闊卻極度危險的極地舞台，暴風雪、低能見度與狹窄空間不斷挑戰玩家的方向感與心理承受力。解謎設計多半與環境敘事緊密結合，需要觀察細節、理解過去事件留下的痕跡，才能繼續前進。這些謎題並不刻意刁難，而是讓人感覺自己正在逐步揭開一段被掩埋的歷史。

整體而言，《恐懼子午線》並不是追求快節奏驚嚇的恐怖遊戲，而是一場緩慢、壓抑且令人不寒而慄的心理折磨。它透過VR技術，放大孤獨、未知與理智崩壞的感受，讓玩家真正「置身其中」。如果你偏好洛夫克拉夫特式的宇宙恐怖、重視氣氛營造與敘事深度，而非單純的動作爽快感，那麼《恐懼子午線》很可能會成為一段讓你久久無法忘懷的極地惡夢。

Dread Meridian is a first-person VR survival horror adventure developed by the indie studio KUKRGAME, scheduled for release on January 22, 2026, for Steam VR and Meta Quest. Deeply inspired by H. P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, the game blends cosmic horror, extreme isolation, and psychological pressure into an unsettling immersive experience that emphasizes humanity’s fragility when confronted with the unknowable.

The story is set in the 1930s. Players take on the role of Daniela, a researcher who travels alone to the remote Arctic island of Oglanbyen in search of her missing twin sister, Isabella. On the surface, the island appears to be little more than a frozen wasteland littered with abandoned research stations and mining facilities. Beneath that surface, however, lurk forces that defy human logic and scientific understanding. As Daniela presses deeper into the island, she must contend not only with scarce resources and brutal weather, but also with the gradual erosion of her sanity, as what she encounters can no longer be rationalized.

Narrative progression is driven primarily through environmental exploration rather than a strictly linear storyline. Players piece together the truth by investigating derelict laboratories, ice-choked mines, scattered documents, and audio logs, slowly uncovering the catastrophe that befell Oglanbyen and the forbidden research once conducted there. Throughout the journey, the game continually raises doubts about Isabella’s fate: is she still alive, or has she become part of the island’s twisted destiny? At its core, the narrative explores the cost of pursuing forbidden knowledge, culminating in a grim choice near the end—whether to fully unveil the truth or be consumed by the terror surrounding it.

In terms of gameplay, Dread Meridian is built entirely around VR immersion, with an emphasis on realistic spatial interaction. Players must physically search environments, open drawers, manipulate objects, and solve puzzles using their own hands. Resource management is central to survival: ammunition, medical supplies, and tools are extremely limited, forcing careful planning before any confrontation. Combat is deliberately de-emphasized; direct engagement is often a last resort, used only to create an opportunity to escape. Weapons can be lightly customized with salvaged attachments, but even then, firepower remains scarce. When firearms fail, players may be forced into desperate close-quarters encounters using only a knife.

Enemy design draws heavily from Lovecraftian cosmic horror. These creatures are not merely monsters, but assaults on perception and sanity itself. Some cannot be stared at directly, while others stalk the player silently, exploiting limited visibility and VR spatial awareness to create constant psychological tension. Fear in Dread Meridian does not come solely from combat, but from uncertainty—the knowledge that danger may be waiting just beyond the next corner.

Exploration is another core pillar of the experience. Oglanbyen is presented as a vast yet hostile Arctic environment, where blizzards, low visibility, and confined interiors challenge both navigation and mental endurance. Environmental puzzles are tightly woven into the narrative, requiring players to observe subtle details and interpret the remnants of past events to move forward. These puzzles are designed to feel organic, reinforcing the sense that players are uncovering a buried and forbidden history rather than solving abstract challenges.

Overall, Dread Meridian is not a fast-paced, jump-scare-driven horror game. Instead, it offers a slow-burning, oppressive descent into fear and isolation. By leveraging VR technology, it amplifies feelings of loneliness, uncertainty, and psychological collapse, making players feel truly present within its frozen nightmare. For those who appreciate Lovecraftian cosmic horror, atmosphere-driven storytelling, and immersive exploration over action-heavy gameplay, Dread Meridian promises to be a haunting Arctic journey that lingers long after the headset is removed.