Psychological horror and survival horror is a staple genre in video games for how tensely atmospheric they can be.Psychological horror games such asSilent Hill,Soma, andVisage, for example, have perpetuated the genre with unique storytelling and narrative-driven experiences that keep players agitated and on the edge of their seats while playing.
As the genre’s popularity continues through modern game franchises, more titles are appearing with clear influences to survival horror and psychological horror predecessors.Wronged Us' many horror inspirationsafford it a compelling premise, with cinematic visuals and graphics that assist in solidifying their capacity for horror. Recently, the latest in games marrying dystopian science-fiction elements with traditional psychological horror has been announced.
RELATED:Open World Horror Game Wronged Us Inspired by Silent Hill and Dark Souls
Today, ONE-O-ONE GAMES and META Publishing’sAftermathhas been revealed with an announcement trailer.Aftermath, from the team behindThe Suicide of Rachel Foster, is described as a story-rich “psychological thriller” where protagonist Charlie Gray, a “talented engineer and European astronaut,” searches for her daughter, Sammy. The emphasis here seems to be onAftermath’s psychological characteristics, with many ontological perspectives and choices embraced in the game’s premise of “a deserted, defragmented world.”
Aftermath’s in-game screenshots showcase action-adventure combat with firearms, though it is addressed that either the main or primary antagonist is an “unseen adversary” and players must “use every facet of your arsenal to outwit them and survive.” Further, with Gray’s engineering skills as a foundationsimilar toDead Space’s Isaac Clarke,Aftermathpresents a unique crafting system where players “invent a blueprint and then find and combine the necessary parts to adapt and overcome.”
Aftermath’s announcement trailer gives a glimpse at what may be the first look at what gameplay intends to look like, with a third-person camera perspective following closely behind Gray as she escapes from the apartment building. The story takes place “following a reentry to earth gone wrong, and the traumatic events that ensued,” and as a result it is currently unclear how much ofAftermathmay be a mystified falsification based upon its psychological nature.
Rather,Aftermath’s story may merely be a metaphysical or metaphorical lens with which to look at a harrowing incident, such is the case withSilent Hill 2’s narrative. Regardless, there is currently no release date planned forAftermath, so players will likely have to wait until new updates and information is revealed throughout the next year.
Aftermathis currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
