One distinctive feature of the project is ESA's direct participation in its creation. According to the agency, the scientists, engineers, and astronauts collaborated with the studio to develop a game based on realistic space exploration methodology. (Image: ESA) The European Space Agency(ESA) has partnered with French game studio DON’T NOD Entertainment to develop Aphelion, a new science-fiction adventure game inspired by real-world space exploration and scientific research. The game, which launched on April 28 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, takes players on a deep-space mission to Persephone, a fictional ninth planet located at the outer edge of the solar system. In Aphelion, players take up the roles of ESA astronauts Ariane Montclair and Thomas Cross, assigned to the Hope-01 mission to study the mysterious and unexplored planet. The gameplay is based on a combination of cinematic narration and elements of survival, exploration, and scientific research.…