Shatterline frames its apocalypse around an interstellar object that shatters near Earth, scattering jagged fragments across the planet. The resulting devastation leaves cities as toxic craters, while an alien contaminant called Crystalline spreads through the wreckage. Its threat is both environmental and bodily: it disrupts geomagnetic fields and transforms living flesh into razor-edged silica.
The game is described as a single-player first-person shooter, with explosive action and smooth, satisfying gunplay at its core. Players enter as skilled Operatives chosen to oppose the contaminant, and the roster includes roles such as a lethal sniper, an armored juggernaut, a warfare specialist and a medic. That range of character identities gives the fight against the same alien menace a distinct cast, without implying that their abilities or missions work in any particular way beyond what is documented.
