It’s that time of year again. You know, the one where everyone begins asking “why are there Christmas decorations out when it hasn’t even been Halloween yet?”. And they’re right to be frustrated because before they’ve even had a chance to enjoy some scary movies or their favourite horror games and feast on the candy their sons, daughters, nieces or nephews have worked hard to gather up, we’re already having Christmas shoved down our throats.
The one good thing about it though is it has inspired us to create something a little different this year. Whilst everyone is focusing on their favourite horror games, including the ones they’ve played this year and in years gone by, we’re looking to the future and listing some upcoming horror titles we’re looking forward to but that is not yet released. Don’t worry though, because if you are dying to know what my favourite horror games are, you can find out by visiting NinjarRefinery.com and checking out my guest post over on his site.
But for now, it’s time to look at some upcoming horror games that have piqued our interest.
4 horror games that piqued our interest
The Callisto Protocol
Developed by Striking Distance Studios and published by KRAFTON, the creation of The Callisto Protocol is led by the original series creator for Dead Space, Glen Schofield. This upcoming sci-fi horror game is said to be Dead Space’s spiritual successor and is due for release on December 2nd, 2022, on PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
If you haven’t seen anything of the game so far, beware of watching trailers like the ones below because they aren’t for the squeamish or the faint of heart. The Callisto Protocol does not hold back in terms of gore, with one particular trailer showing a man crushed in two by the blade of a turbine, the sound of his bones crunching still in my ears.
Add to that, a game that takes place heavily in the shadows and that feels like you’re alone besides from disfigured humanoid creatures, who we assume want to eat your flesh. This survival horror sets a perfect-looking atmosphere for a modern horror game that gives us some Alien Isolation vibes.
Sker Ritual
You may remember not that long ago really; we checked out Wales Interactive’s Maid of Sker as it was released on new-gen consoles. This indie title was a survival horror game that saw you exploring the grounds of an old hotel and unravelling the mysteries which it held to answer questions like, why were you there? What was going on? Why haven’t I left already to avoid inevitable torture?
Well, the developers are back with a new iteration of this game and one that is a little different in Sker Ritual. Rather than being a single-player game like the first in the series, this new title is a round-based co-op experience where you must try to survive the supernatural onslaught of the Quiet Ones featuring characters such as Abraham from the original title, and some new faces in the form the teleporting Banshee, the lethal Mariner and the invisible Phantom.
Don’t worry if you can’t find friends brave enough to play with you though, you can play it solo too when the game releases in Spring 2023. If you dare!
The Outlast Trials
With the first in the series being one of my favourite horror games of all time, I couldn’t not include the latest instalment to the Outlast series. This latest creation from indie studio Red Barrels will be the third Outlast game that has been released, and sadly, I do feel the games became a little stale over time and became stranger and weirder, unnecessarily so. But this new game is changing things up for a fresh new feel.
This will be the developer’s first time working on a multiplayer title with The Outlast Trials focusing on a new format that will see players coming together for the first time. Set during the Cold War, you play the part of human guinea pigs that become subject to experiments that will push your mental stability to the limits. Are the things you’ll witness real? Or has your mind been broken beyond repair? We’ll have to wait for a release date for this one to find out for ourselves.
Sons of the Forest
If you know me, you know I love good survival horror games like 7 Days to Die, Survive the Nights and Green Hell. Well, another popular survival game that we enjoyed and that was incredibly popular was Endnight Games’ The Forest. A horror game that could be played single-player or with friends as you didn’t just battle the elements but also cannibalistic natives whilst you tried to find your missing son following a plane crash.
Endnight Games will be back in February 2023 and this time with publisher Newnight, as they try and build on the successes of the original title with Sons of the Forest. The developers are looking to take the game to the next level with enhanced crafting and combat, and a whole host of new monstrosities that will look sink their teeth into your sweet flesh and feast on your body as your heart continues to pump blood that will inevitably spurt out of your punctured veins.
Very little else is known about this game, with not much information made available so far except that which has been deciphered from trailers. So, if you want to know more, it’s well worth checking them out. But beware, some of the creatures you will face will look a little disturbing, to say the least.
Closing thoughts
And there you have it, of all the horror games that are due for release this year and next, these four are the ones we’re most keen on. Now, there are other horror titles we’re looking forward to as well, but we deliberately excluded remakes, remasters and reimagining of horror games from days gone by because as much as I like the nostalgia trips, I’m becoming frustrated at a lack of new content. Instead, we’re made to pay through the nose to revisit games we’ve already played, just with better graphics.
But enough of me moaning. What do you think of the games above? Are you looking forward to any of them or are there other titles you’re more interested in? Let us know in the comments below.
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