The Survival/Horror games of 2008 [Lots of info]

[Arch_Tyrant]

Well it seems that there are ALOT of survival/horror video games being released in late 2008 so I thought I would make a thread for all of them.

 

 

 

Warning: Some videos may contain mature content.

 

 

 

Silent Hill 5: Homecoming

 

Developer: The Collective / Konami

 

Publisher: Konami

 

Release Date: September 30th, 2008 (unconfirmed)

 

Console: Xbox360, PS3

 

[hide=Silent Hill 5]GAMEPLAY AND STORY

 

The official announcement of Silent Hill: Homecoming named the protagonist as Alex Shepherd, a war veteran who returns home from an overseas tour of duty to find that his father and younger brother are missing, and his mother has gone into catatonia. Alex begins to search for his brother, leading him to Silent Hill after searching his hometown of Shepherd's Glen, where he will have to traverse real world areas covered in fog, and also the "Otherworld" version of the same maps. EGM magazine confirmed that there will be a female supporting character named Elle, who is an old school friend of Alex. It is unknown whether she will be a playable character at the moment. A trucker speculated to be Travis Grady of Silent Hill: Origins also appears to transport Alex to Silent Hill.

 

 

 

Combat in the game will take into account Alex's experience as a soldier, and the psychological aspects of other installments of the game will have a part in Homecoming. Confirmed enemies in the game include the nurses and a new androgynous creature called "Siam", as well as "Schism", a humanoid with a massive, seemingly pointed head split down the middle, and "Smog", an emaciated corpse covered in boils who spews poisonous gas which resembles the Lying Figure from Silent Hill 2. The game play will feature real time wounds that show up on both Alex and his enemies. New fighting techniques will be offered as way for Alex to deal with enemies, including grappling and evasive maneuvers. Enemies will have upgraded artificial intelligence, adding new ways to attack or avoid enemies. The game engine used allows all this, and also incorporates realistic physics. For example, if the player bumps into a table, the table itself will move as well as any objects on it. Such interactions with anything in the environment can bring a monster's attention to Alex.

 

 

 

It is rumored that the developers are once again planning to create multiple endings based on the way players do things in the game, continuing the tradition of the other games in the Silent Hill series. Acts of aggression, kindness and interactions with other people met in the game will impact how it ends.

 

 

 

VIDEOS

 

Game Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=N0gHQ578g3A

 

Gameplay Video #1: http://youtube.com/watch?v=odnoO_TcWq4

 

Gameplay Video #2: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8ORQWbeveXY

 

Scary Cutscene: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cb_f4q3CU5U[/hide]

 

Resident Evil 5

 

Developer: Capcom

 

Publisher: Capcom

 

Release Date: Before end of year

 

Console: Xbox360, PS3

 

[hide=Resident Evil 5 info]STORY

 

Few details have been released about the game's storyline other than the fact that the setting will have a similar feel to the film Black Hawk Down. Takeuchi added that the development team is composed of staff members who worked on the first Resident Evil. He has stated that Resident Evil 5 will be an actual sequel to the Resident Evil series. Before Takeuchi took over, the game's former producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi stated "it's safe to say that Resident Evil 5 will naturally proceed from where Resident Evil 4 left off."

 

 

 

In a July 2007 Famitsu interview, producer Jun Takeuchi revealed the main playable character as Chris Redfield and the game takes place ten years after the events of the original Resident Evil. The story will explore Chris' life during the ten year interval between the two games. During the game's events, he is a member of a group known as BSAA, and sent to investigate an incident in a desert area that serves as the game's setting. Takeuchi also confirmed that a female character from the series, who is seen briefly at the end of the trailer, will appear in the game. In an online interview, Takeuchi revealed that the game's plot will be set in Africa, and will concern "the origins of the virus." He also stated one of the plot's key elements will revolve around the whereabouts of STARS and Redfield's life after the first Resident Evil game.

 

 

 

UK-based publication Xbox World 360 revealed that the game takes place in a unnamed African country near a line of active volcanoes that stretch across Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Kenya, where volcanic activity is threatening to release a previously dormant virus. They also confirmed the return of recurring antagonist Albert Wesker, as well as Sherry Birkin (last seen in Resident Evil 2). Another game trailer that was released on May 31, 2008 depicted an unknown female character who assists Redfield.

 

 

 

GAMEPLAY

 

Jun Takeuchi, the game's producer, stated that Resident Evil 5 will feature similar gameplay to Resident Evil 4. The player will control Redfield similarly to how the player controlled Leon Kennedy in Resident Evil 4. The game's environment will also play a significant role. For example, if Redfield suffers prolonged exposure to heat, he will begin to see mirages and hallucinations. Also, the game implements various lighting effects. If Redfield moves between bright and dark areas his eyes will have to adjust, causing the player to briefly lose some visual of their surroundings. The player will be able to take cover and dodge (using a similar control scheme in God Hand). The Mercenaries mini-game, which was featured in both Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4, will also make a return in Resident Evil 5.

 

 

 

The game will also feature new types of enemies. The extended E3 trailer revealed several sequences involving Redfield attacking hordes of fleet-footed enemies, who possessed melee weapons.[8] Takeuchi has also stated the game's enemies will also possess human-like intelligence and awareness. Furthermore, he stated they will be different from the previous zombies and ganados.

 

 

 

In an interview with XBOX360ISM, Keiji Inafune briefly stated that the game will feature some online elements. Resident Evil 5's main story mode can be played with two players, in a co-operative online mode. The feature will allow players to enter or leave anytime during the game. Both players will not always stick together, and can be separated at points during the gameplay.

 

 

 

VIDEOS

 

Original Trailer:

 

New Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=-R2oJKjcQcE[/hide]

 

Alone in the Dark

 

Developer: Eden Games (Xbox360,PS3,PC versions) / Hydravision Entertainment (Wii,PS2 versions)

 

Publisher: Infogrames / Atari

 

Release Date: Late June 2008 (unconfirmed), Fall 2008 for PS3 version.

 

Console: Xbox360, Wii, PS2, PS3, Windows PC

 

[hide=Alone in the Dark info]STORY

 

Set during 2008, the story continues with Edward Carnby, the main protagonist from the original game, looking for answers to strange supernatural and bizarre occurrences while battling his way through the opposition in New York City's Central Park.

 

 

 

The game story centers around rumors, allegations, and suspicions of clandestine activity in tunnels found below the park.

 

 

 

When browsing the official website, there are sections of the site dedicated solely to the mysteries of Central Park. Subjects of investigation include possibly mutated trees, unusual aviary migration behavior in the park, astounding insect invasion problems, as well as the park's value in real-estate; which is stated to be in excess of $528,783,552,000, a finding produced in 2007. In addition, the park's value is compared to the national defense budget, with the park being 26% higher in value than the defense budget in 2007. Also, to further support rumored reports of tunnels found below the park, it is said that the atom bomb was invented by instigation of the Manhattan Project (Central Park is located in Manhattan). Conclusively, at the time of writing, there is a historical reference to a treaty between The Dutch and The British in 1667, in which The Dutch gained the island of Run in exchange for the Manhattan Islands.

 

 

 

Alone in the Dark will develop ties between these mysterious aspects of the park, while dealing with supernatural elements as well.

 

 

 

GAMEPLAY

 

The game is constructed around a unique episodic format. Each episode will conclude with a cliffhanger ending and, once the player leaves the game, a teaser of the next episode will appear. Every episode will also have video summaries which retell the player about the previous episode when a saved game is loaded, allowing them to quickly remember what objectives they have to complete.

 

 

 

The game has been hailed by the producers and developers to be open-ended and expansive. One such feature is the hot-wiring mini game. In one dire moment, the character may need to commandeer a car by hot-wiring. This will initiate a mini game, where Edward will rip the wires out of the car and try to start the engine. He could either succeed and be able to drive the car, or blare the car horn loudly, alerting enemies to his presence.

 

 

 

The player is also allowed to choose how they want to play the game. For example, instead of using a flashlight in dark areas, items can be lit with fire to traverse through the dark.

 

 

 

The player can also heal their wounds to regain health. First they must use a disinfectant spray on the wound, then bandage it.

 

 

 

VIDEOS

 

Game Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=m3IxKuuZJbU

 

Tech Demo:

[/hide]

 

Dead Space

 

Developer: EA Redwood Shores

 

Release Date: October 2008

 

Console: Xbox360, PS3, PC

 

[hide=Dead Space info]STORY

 

The game's plot revolves around Isaac Clarke, a space engineer who works for the Concordance Extraction Corporation (C.E.C), a company that operates "giant mining ships" throughout the galaxy. His company receives a distress call from the USG Ishimura, a Planet Cracker class ship that destroys planets in order to extract valuable ore. Assuming that the ship has had a mechanical failure, Isaac and two other C.E.C employees set out to rendezvous with the Isimura. They soon discover that the ship has been overrun by a hostile alien race. After boarding the ship, Clarke is separated from his party and must battle his way through various hazardous environments to safety. Based on the two graphic art videos released for the game, it seems that a mysterious "artifact" had been found near one of the colony planets and was brought aboard the Isimura despite the fact that it seemed to make the miners who extracted it go insane. This artifact seems to not only play a large role in the games story but also seems to be closely followed by a cult, known as the Unitologists.

 

 

 

GAMEPLAY

 

The player must fight their way through various levels of a stricken mining ship, which has been infested with an alien species known as the 'Necromorphs'. The game features an 'over the shoulder' third-person perspective, similar to games such as Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War. The interface does not feature a traditional 'heads up display'. Instead, information is relayed to the player via lights and translucent screens which hover over Isaac's weapons and armour.

 

 

 

The player will encounter weightless and decompressed environments, which Isaac can navigate using a pressurized suit, dubbed The Rig by EA (revealed in Official Xbox Magazine, April 2008)[citation needed] equipped with magnetic boots. Some levels will even lead out onto the surface of the ships hull. Floating debris will present a hazard, and Isaac can lose his footing and simply float off into space. In keeping with Isaac's profession as an engineer rather than a soldier, weapons in the game are mostly improvised, and consist of an array of bolt cutters, stasis guns and rudimentary energy weapons.

 

 

 

Combat in the game is complicated by the fact that Necromorphs are not simply rendered 'dead' after a certain number of rounds have been fired at them. Rather, they can adopt new stances and tactics, and even sprout new limbs, based upon where they have been wounded. Hence, the player must find and exploit specific weak points. The game's Executive Producer, Glen Schofield, has said that 'the primary theme of Dead Space is dismemberment', and early previews of the game have noted the high levels of gore.

 

 

 

VIDEOS

 

Game Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=87ojldfvJ_o

 

Development Diary #1:

 

Development Diary #2:

 

Development Diary #3:

[/hide]

 

Alan Wake

 

Developer: Remedy Entertainment

 

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

 

Release Date: Late 2008

 

Console: Xbox360, Windows PC

 

[hide=Alan Wake info]STORY

 

Alan Wake is a bestselling horror writer. Early on in his career, his fiancée Alice was his muse. Just prior to meeting her, he had started to have strange dreams which he used as material for his first book. The book was a big success, a dream come true. But then Wakes fiancée vanished without a trace. Wake was devastated. He couldn't write anymore, his dreams stopped and he began to suffer from insomnia. At the beginning of the game, Wake travels to a sleep clinic to seek treatment for his condition. The secluded clinic is located near the small town of Bright Falls, Washington, far away from the stressful urban lifestyle. Receiving treatment at the clinic, Wake is able to sleep again. At the clinic, he meets a mysterious woman who is the very image of his missing fiancée, uncannily so. At once, his dreams return, this time as terrible nightmares. Wake begins to write again: a new book based on those nightmares. But something is horribly, horribly wrong. Impossibly, the town of Bright Falls starts to change to something awful that bears a close resemblance to Wakes new book. Wake ends up fighting for his life with a gun and a flashlight in his hands, trying to understand whats happening.

 

 

 

GAMEPLAY

 

The dark-forces (enemies) coming to 'take care of' Alan Wake are vulnerable to light. So the most useful weapon of all is actually the flashlight. You will be able to place booby traps which will illuminate when executed, etc. Light will weaken or hurt Wake's enemies, and creatively taking advantage of any and all light sources within Alan Wake's grim world ought to be one of the interesting aspects of play.

 

 

 

Like Max Payne before it, the title Alan Wake has a double meaning. Combining the main character's first initial with his last name forms "A.Wake," or "Awake".

 

 

 

Remedy Entertainment also promised a free-roam 3-dimensional city, similar to the Grand Theft Auto series.

 

 

 

"The basic idea with the free-roaming world is that we give the player goals, and then the player can go about achieving those goals in the way he chooses. Alan Wake is more tightly character-driven and story-oriented. Meaning that the players goals and missions are closely focused around Alan Wake and his story. Also, the setting, the tone and the game being an action thriller all set it clearly apart from the GTA games." Sam Lake

 

 

 

"Intense cinematic action is something that we love to do, and Alan Wake features tense combat gameplay as well, but all things considered the game has a lot more emphasis on adventure and exploration than what Max Payne did. Driving is an integral part of the game" - Petri Järvilehto.

 

 

 

There will be no multiplayer in this game. "We'd much rather give the players a great single-player game, than a mediocre single and multiplayer game." -Petri Järvilehto.

 

 

 

VIDEOS

 

Game Trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=0x1WX16vgf0

 

Game Demo (Amazing graphics): http://youtube.com/watch?v=mV2AYoKc1u8

 

 

 

Link to article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Wake[/hide]

 

 

 

Well so far the most interesting game by far out of these 5 would have to be Dead Space in my opinion. Also, being a fan of the Resident Evil series, I am looking forward to RE5. Most of these games look quite interesting and it is pretty cool that so many of them are coming out around the same time. As some may know...They are not many Survival/Horror games around compared to most other genres.

[Caxis]

I'm not a big fan of horror games, but I do like survival games :D. I'm really looking forward to Resident Evil 5 though, 4 was awesome; and even better on the Wii.

[Lenin64]

For almost a year, ever since it was GI's cover story, I've been looking forward to Dead Space. Will I buy it? Probably not. From what was in that article, they said it was going to [attempt to] be the scariest game in the history of survival horror. I was seriously freaked by Bioshock, a game where horror wasn't the big point of it (definitely a point made, though), so chances are I wouldn't be able to finish this. Unless, of course, it's in-your-face horror, where it's more than just shadows leaping across the screen and such. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't try ;)

[Arch_Tyrant]

For almost a year, ever since it was GI's cover story, I've been looking forward to Dead Space. Will I buy it? Probably not. From what was in that article, they said it was going to [attempt to] be the scariest game in the history of survival horror. I was seriously freaked by Bioshock, a game where horror wasn't the big point of it (definitely a point made, though), so chances are I wouldn't be able to finish this. Unless, of course, it's in-your-face horror, where it's more than just shadows leaping across the screen and such. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't try ;)

 

 

 

I'll agree with them when they said it would be the scariest game ever. Just take a look at some of the trailers and developmental diaries...They sure know what they're doing. It's going to be absolutely AWESOME.

[Lenin64]

For almost a year, ever since it was GI's cover story, I've been looking forward to Dead Space. Will I buy it? Probably not. From what was in that article, they said it was going to [attempt to] be the scariest game in the history of survival horror. I was seriously freaked by Bioshock, a game where horror wasn't the big point of it (definitely a point made, though), so chances are I wouldn't be able to finish this. Unless, of course, it's in-your-face horror, where it's more than just shadows leaping across the screen and such. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't try ;)

 

 

 

I'll agree with them when they said it would be the scariest game ever. Just take a look at some of the trailers and developmental diaries...They sure know what they're doing. It's going to be absolutely AWESOME.

 

Oh, definitely. There's going to be quite a few shouts of 'HOLY [cabbage]!" and "CRAP-F*" coming from my basement in November :lol:

[limpbizkit]

Left4dead.

[nine naked men]

Alan Wake sounds pretty interesting. I'll probably get that. :thumbsup:

[ReapMe]

Resident Evil 5 and Dead Space are both on my to get list

 

 

 

Not a fan of silent hill but i'll probably rent both SH and Alan Wake

[Stephleref]

You forgot Fatal Frame.

[Arch_Tyrant]

You forgot Fatal Frame.

 

 

 

Alright, I'll look it up.