Developer – The Deep End Games
Publisher – The Deep End Games
Location – Boston, Massachusetts
What is it?
If you could combine Gone Home‘s storytelling with Firewatch‘s paranoia and a healthy helping of Outlast‘s terrifying sense of vulnerability, you’d get Perception. In The Deep End Games’ first title, you play as blind woman plagued by strange dreams of a Gloucester mansion. To quell these dreams, you break into the long-abandoned mansion and begin your search for answers. Along the way, through a series of audiolog and environmental clues, you’re plunged into a Stephen King style rabbit hole of paranormal and psychological terror.
Why should I care?
Created by veterans of Rockband, Dead Space and the BioSchock series, this game is more than just another “scary walking simulator.” As a blind protagonist, you must use echolocation to sense the world. More similar to Suprise Attack Games’ Blind than Marvel’s Daredevil, your “vision” is limited by time and space, offering close, proximal glimpses that fade after a few seconds. If Perception‘s eerie ambiance wasn’t enough, you are stalked throughout the mansion by “The Presence” and without any weapons, your only options are hide or flight! While wholly original, Perception is reminiscent of classic horror games, such as Clocktower, and its themes clearly pay homage to classic horror films such as The Shining and Aliens.
When can I play it?
Kickstarted last year and already Greenlit on Steam, Perception should be available on PC, Xbox One and PS4 in early 2017.