While PlayStation Studios made the strongest impressions at the recent State of Play, Team Clout’s ILL looked surprisingly enthralling in its new trailer. But lest the abundance of action makes you think otherwise, it still aims to create a challenging experience. After all, challenging the “most seasoned fans of the genre” is an outright promise on the Steam page.
Of course, there’s a fine line to straddle in such instances, and ILL isn’t interested in a stingy atmosphere that’s too punishing. When Insider Gaming asked if it’s as difficult as it looks, Team Clout responded, “When it comes to difficulty, we don’t want to overly punish players, but we also don’t want them to feel like an unstoppable action hero who can just brute-force through every obstacle.
“Players will need to carefully and tactically manage their resources, which will be incredibly scarce, and makeshift melee weapons, like pipes ripped straight from the walls, will degrade and break over time.”
Going into further detail, it sounds like your average survival-horror gameplay loop made famous by genre greats like Resident Evil and Silent Hill (which is one of the game’s inspirations). “You’ll have to think on your feet: deciding which resources to use now, what to save for later, and assessing the specific types of monsters in front of you to properly leverage the environment and your position. So yes, players will need to stay sharp and adapt, but we don’t want the experience to be frustratingly difficult.
“First and foremost, we want the action to be fun, even amidst the unfolding bloody nightmare. For us, it’s all about striking that perfect balance between survival horror and action.”
Which is easier said than done, and it wouldn’t be surprising if ILL offered varying difficulty settings for those who want a more story-focused experience while retaining the horror. Meanwhile, seasoned veterans who prefer a punishing experience with scarcer resources can take their skills to the limit. How well will the default difficulty sit in the middle of these two figurative options? That remains to be seen.
For now, Team Clout has plenty of time to polish ILL, which is currently targeting a 2027 release for PS5 and PC. For even more of its gruesomeness, check out the first disturbing trailer here.
