What could be scarier than going through a haunted house blind? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Deep End Games has announced its newest game, a first-person horror title called Perception. The studio is made up of scary game vets, with a staff from the developers of BioShock, BioShock Infinte, and Dead Space games, headed up by Creative Director Bill Gardner, formerly of Irrational Games. The new studio aims for a fresh take on narrative games with some interesting twists for Perception, including a blind protagonist.
Cassie regularly sees a house in her nightmares, and after mouths of research, she finds herself in Glouchester, Mass., in the Estate at Echo Bluff. Being blind, she relies on sharp wits and heightened sense of hearing to navigate the haunted mansion, working to solve mysteries and escape a presence that has threatened the estate for decades. She’ll do so weaponless, armed with only a cane and a smartphone, using the mobile device to help solve mysteries
Echolocation is a primary game concept. By cluing into ambient sounds, or by making noise with her cane, the player will be forced to “see” with their ears, with sound uncovering nearby objects through a unique visual presentation. But making too much noise will attract the attention of the evil presence, which will have the player running and hiding. The video below demonstrates how hearing will be tied to Perception’s visuals.
Perception will come to Steam for PC in 2016, with console versions also possible. A Kickstarter for the project has been launched, aiming for $150,000. A stretch goal of the campaign could bring VR support.