David Bowie’s Digital Legacy

Beyond his immense musical talent, David Bowie was also known as an actor, appearing in films such as Labyrinth and The Prestige over his career. But beyond that, he’s remembered in the video game community for his contributions to a game called Omikron: The Nomad Soul, which was developer Quantic Dream’s first release back in 1999.

The game takes place in a science fiction setting, in the city of Omikron. The player helps a police officer investigate a series of serial killings that have been taking place in the city. Omikron itself is trapped under a crystal dome that was erected to protect against the ice age that the planet is going through. It is also ruled over by an oppressive government headed by a supercomputer called Ix.

The player later joins an anti-government movement called “The Awakened” and soon discovers that what’s happening in the city is merely an extension of a war between mankind and demons that has raged on for thousands of years. It’s up to the player – now called “The Nomad Soul” – to destroy the leader of the demons and return to his own dimension.

Bowie had involvement on the game design and storyline itself, and he also made two in-game appearances as different characters. One of them was named Boz, who was the revolutionary figure in charge of leading “The Awakened” against the government, and the other was as the nameless vocalist of the in-game musical group called The Dreamers. Tracks from Bowie’s album Hours… also were written specifically for the game and then redone for the album’s release (which was after the game first launched). Bowie’s wife, Iman, also cameoed in the game as one of the citizens of Omikron.

Omikron: The Nomad Soul received mixed reviews, though the game’s soundtrack was widely praised. A sequel was planned, but never went into full development, as Quantic Dreams opted instead to move forward on a different title.