Psychological horror and survival horror is a staple genre in video games for how tensely atmospheric they can be. Psychological horror games such as Silent Hill, Soma, and Visage, 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 inspirations afford 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.
Today, ONE-O-ONE GAMES and META Publishing's Aftermath has been revealed with an announcement trailer. Aftermath, from the team behind The 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 on Aftermath'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 foundation similar to Dead Space's Isaac Clarke, Aftermath presents 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 of Aftermath may 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 with Silent Hill 2's narrative. Regardless, there is currently no release date planned for Aftermath, so players will likely have to wait until new updates and information is revealed throughout the next year.
Aftermath is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Steam