VR itself isn't a new medium for Supermassive. In fact, over the past two years, four out of five of the studio's games have been made specifically for PSVR. Similarly, the choose-your-own-adventure playstyle of Shattered State is something Supermassive has honed over the years, it being the main mechanic of games in the Until Dawn series and 2017's Hidden Agenda. But with Shattered State, the developer is attempting to bring in an altogether different audience -- those that may not have spend a lot of time with consoles and controllers -- both through the genre of political thriller and the accessibility of the Daydream VR platform.

Shattered State is set in a country with a recent history of civil unrest. You spend a day in the shoes of the head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) -- their most chaotic day on the job, as you quickly discover. Without spelling the story out blow-by-blow, it features government leaks, terrorism, the threat of civil war, a military coup and conflicting agendas within your own inner circle. Even if I did recount my specific journey, every decision you make can take the narrative down vastly divergent paths.

For the most part, you're sheltered from the reality of what's unfolding in the city below your penthouse office at NIA headquarters. You're only really made aware through the sporadic reports of your closest advisors, an informant on the ground and the screens of the situation room. The choices you make, though, have consequences that can end up affecting everyone, from the people standing in front of you to the county's leadership.

There's a certain frustration in being confined to your ivory tower. You never really feel well-informed enough to make the right decision, but that's all intentional of course. No choice feels mundane or irrelevant, good or evil, and most have ramifications you don't see coming. The stakes crescendo, and you never fully gain control of the situation as you become more invested in the outcome. You just take the path that feels right to you, because there is no winning.