Crimson Desert 

Currently in development at Pearl Abyss, Crimson Desert is an open-world game brimming with unrivaled ambition and vast swaths of potential. The game puts you in the shoes of a warrior who must battle insurmountable odds to save his kingdom from peril, and that journey is characterized by varied missions and complex game systems that are closely knit with one another to create something that looks truly mesmerizing and fresh. 

Death Stranding 2 

Death Stranding was not everyone’s cup of tea when it was released, but many fans eventually warmed up to this peculiar kind of cargo-hauling experience and came to appreciate its design and the meaning behind its world. Kojima is hard at work on Death Stranding 2, a sequel that will most likely showcase the true potential of a Strand game with its gameplay innovations and narrative developments. The teaser is chock full of questions waiting to be answered, and we are definitely excited to see what’s in store.

War of the Worlds 

Developed by FlipSwitch Games, War of the Worlds is a game that tells a story of humans trying to survive against an alien onslaught. It features shades of both action and horror as you slowly tiptoe around urban neighborhoods in search of a safe haven from all the commotion happening outside. It looks like a pretty open-ended game that allows different forms of gameplay ranging from driving to exploration and much more, and the multiplayer aspect also allows you to assume the role of aliens and experience the narrative from a new angle.

inZOI 

inZOI is a new life simulator that lets you live out a virtual life to the fullest as you try to keep tabs on hunger, happiness, and other meters of each individual that you control. It boasts incredible levels of fidelity thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5. inZOI has definitely managed to impress us with its vast array of gameplay options and the sheer breadth of choices you get within its sandbox elements.

Mouse 

Mouse’s concept of creating a violent first-person shooter with the jovial art style of cartoons might sound like something straight out of a fever dream, but it all surprisingly works while looking absolutely bonkers. The animation work is immaculate, and the gunplay seems really fun. Add to that a noir-inspired story that would most likely have morally gray characters and twists and turns galore, and Mouse becomes a really interesting game that’s worth keeping an eye out for.

Zoochosis 

Clapperheads is hard at work on the upcoming Zoochosis, a game that puts you in the shoes of a zookeeper of a very peculiar zoo. As the only person with the responsibility of keeping the animals safe and sound, you must keep inspecting these creatures for signs of mutation or infection – and deliver rapid response vaccines to keep things in check. Zoochosis also manages to throw in shades of horror with its dark and dreary aesthetic, and fierce mutations that can lead to scary outcomes. 

Screenbound 

Screenbound is one of the most creative ideas we have seen in recent memory, combining a 3D world with a 2D world in a very interesting fashion. Certain elements of the game world are only visible in the 3D realm, while others like the enemies are only visible on a 2D screen glued to the hands of the protagonist. There’s definitely some inherent jankiness or frustrations that might come from such a gameplay mechanic, but it would be interesting to see how the developers tackle those challenges and create something that’s as fun as it is unique.

Unrecord 

It’s easy to mistake Unrecord’s trailer for actual real-life footage, and that statement alone speaks volumes about its spectacular attention to detail. Everything from the texture work to the lighting and the animations has been created with extremely high levels of fidelity, and it makes great use of Unreal Engine 5’s graphical feature set to deliver something that genuinely feels like a step up from current-gen games. In addition to the visuals, Unrecord also provides an interesting gameplay loop that combines action elements with tactics to create something that’s both thrilling and engaging.

Light No Fire 

From the developer behind No Man’s Sky, Light No Fire feels like the natural evolution of the formula found in Hello Games’ debut title. Light No Fire is set against a massive open world that’s about the size of the Earth built to scale, and that vast space is filled with procedurally generated map geometry and a diverse cast of flora and fauna spread across multiple biomes. It truly feels like a world ripe for exploration, and it would be interesting to see Hello Games’ morphing its past learnings into an entirely new universe. 

Project TH

Heavily inspired by the likes of Splinter Cell or Hitman, Project TH is an upcoming action-adventure stealth game that puts you in the shoes of a covert operative who must make his way through enemy-infested mazes and complete objectives without raising alarms or commotion. Project TH impresses with its photorealistic visuals and smooth-flowing animations, making it a perfect showcase for the power of current-gen gaming systems.

Europa 

Set against the backdrop of an alien world, Europa is a tale about the last human alive trying to survive in a world that plays by its own rules. It features a cartoony aesthetic that has a distinct charm to it, and that also lends a really relaxing vibe to the overall experience. The gameplay entails exploring the many biomes spread throughout its world, solving puzzles, and taking part in missions that will test your survival skills to the fullest. 

Exekiller

Exekiller is a game that presents an interesting dichotomy of the past and the future. It takes the familiar setting of the American Wild West that is usually associated with horses and cowboys, and meshes those elements into a futuristic dystopia ruled by capitalism and technology. Apart from the more aesthetic elements, Exekiller also features a complex gameplay that prioritizes player freedom with the ability to craft your own narrative in a world brimming with choices and an open-ended combat loop. 

Paranormal Tales 

Built using Unreal Engine 5, Paranormal Tales does a great job of actually seating you into the horror. It showcases multiple horror vignettes from different perspectives like a bodycam or a VHS tape, but the more impressive part of the game is how it plays on the fear of the unknown with a stunning atmosphere and appropriately ominous sound design. 

Black Myth Wukong 

Game Science’s upcoming Black Myth Wukong remains one of the more interesting takes on the Souls formula, and that largely boils down to how the developer meshes those ideas with its own and in doing so creates something that’s just as recognizable as it is fresh. With a beautiful art design and compelling fast-paced gameplay, Black Myth Wukong has no shortage of impressive elements to its presentation. 

Pragmata

Currently in development, Pragmata looks like a wonderfully eccentric experience that raises more questions than it answers. The short teaser trailer showcases lunar travel, otherworldly beings, and an astronaut who apparently has to save Diana. While it’s difficult to make sense out of such visuals, they are definitely enchanting to say the least. While details about the gameplay remain shrouded in mystery for now, it is apparently inspired by modern action games so that’s something to look forward to as well.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

GSC Game World is bringing the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series back with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and the sequel is looking like an excellent modernization of this highly revered post-apocalyptic franchise. The team is using Unreal Engine 5 to bring the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone to life, and the textures and cutting-edge lighting techniques help create a really convincing look to this desolate landscape which in turn, should make for some really immersive gameplay.

Black Myth Wukong

The Soulslike genre is brimming with plenty of new and exciting releases looming over the horizon, but few are as popular and highly anticipated as Black Myth Wukong. While a lot of what makes the game such a looker is the fast and frenetic combat, equal praise needs to be attributed to the astounding world design. Black Myth Wukong’s fantasy world is highly imaginative and is peppered with fierce beasts to fight and wondrous realms to explore. Developer Game Science has made great use of Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 with its project, and it serves as a great example of how UE5 enables small teams to craft experiences that are capable of competing neck to neck against AAA blockbusters.

The First Descendant

Currently in development at NEXON, The First Descendant is an upcoming looter shooter that puts you in the shoes of a Descendant – warriors that are the last hope of humanity against the invading forces. Players can either jump in solo or with friends, and the gameplay revolves around fending against enemy waves all while juggling between your weapons and special abilities. Suffice it to say, The First Descendant looks absolutely gorgeous with high-quality textures and creative creature designs among a slew of other impressive graphical features.

Unrecord

One might be forgiven to think of Unrecord’s gameplay as real-life footage, and that alone speaks volumes about its amazing visual presentation. Everything from the subtle camera shakes to realistic movement mechanics and photogrammetry-based textures come together to create a very convincing illusion of real life, and we can’t wait to step into the shoes of these covert operatives and take on high-stakes missions when Unrecord releases for PC sometime in the near future.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 was one of the first UE5 games to be publicly showcased, and developer Ninja Theory has done a fabulous job of utilizing the engine’s toolset in a wise manner, which can be easily seen in every aspect of the game right from how the cloth physics work to how accurately the actors’ emotions have been mapped to the models and how realistic the lighting is. And that’s just scratching the surface of Hellblade 2’s amazing visual quality, which easily stands tall as one of the best-looking Xbox games to be released in the near future.

Post Trauma

Developed by RED SOUL Games, Post Trauma is as much a glorious throwback to the past as it is a technical achievement in modern game rendering. It borrows gameplay ideas and an isometric perspective from survival horror classics like Resident Evil 2 but presents it all with high levels of fidelity which should make for a great time. Post Trauma will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in the near future.

Phantom Blade Zero

Phantom Blade Zero thrusts players into a dark and twisted world brimming with masked warriors and demonic abominations waiting to slaughter you on the path of revenge. The game features some slick combat with fast-moving animations along with great environment design, which has been brought to life through smart usage of Unreal Engine 5’s assortment of visual features. It sounds pretty exciting, and we will be checking it out when it comes out for PS5 sometime in the near future.

Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater

After a long line of rumors and speculations, we finally have confirmation that Metal Gear Solid is indeed coming back albeit in the form of a remake. But thankfully, Metal Gear Solid Delta Snake Eater is a complete reimagination of the original with updated gameplay mechanics and visuals recreated with Unreal Engine 5 – and it looks absolutely amazing. The gameplay also looks promising with just the right modern touch, and we can’t wait to experience this remake when it comes out for current-gen consoles and PCs sometime this year.

ILL

Clout Games’ ILL is an upcoming hardcore survival horror game where players will be facing all sorts of gnarly undead monsters as they explore desolated mansions and abandoned countryside settlements all while trying to get to the bottom of an overarching mystery. Like any promising survival horror game, ILL features some thick atmosphere that’s wonderfully brought to life through the use of Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 with quality indirect lighting and high poly textures evident in every frame of the action.

Paranormal Tales

Paranormal Tales will tell mini stories of different survivors as they experience all kinds of paranormal activities from varying perspectives like a VHS camera or a fish eye lens or even a digital smartphone camera. Much like ILL that we discussed previously, one of the game’s biggest strengths are the visuals which are amazingly detailed and that coupled with a minimalist soundtrack should make it a bone-chilling horror experience.

Tekken 8

After a long and arduous wait spanning almost 9 years, fans have finally got a new entry in the beloved fighting franchise – and we are happy to report that it’s a significant step up from what came before in almost every conceivable way. Tekken 8 not only makes big changes to its brawling gameplay but also bumps up the game engine to Unreal Engine 5 and delivers some truly stunning visuals. While it doesn’t utilize the complete breadth of the engine’s features to prioritize performance, the stages and character models do look breathtaking nevertheless.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Bloober Team is hard at work on a full-fledged remake of Silent Hill 2, and it is looking like a very competent modernization of this excellent survival horror classic. Animation issues aside, the team seems to have nailed the ominous atmosphere of Silent Hill, and Unreal Engine 5’s suite of visual features like dense volumetric fog and reactive lighting do a lot of heavy lifting in bringing that creative vision to life. It comes out for PS5 sometime this year.

Kingdom Hearts 4

The adventures of Sora and friends are primed to continue with Kingdom Hearts 4, which sees our protagonist trapped in the real-life world of Quadratum as his friends try to save him from dark monsters hellbent on destroying anything and everything in their path. Kingdom Hearts 4 flaunts a weird but beautiful mixture of realistic and cartoony visuals, and Unreal Engine 5’s impressive feature set of realistic lighting models and a wide array of texture assets help in accurately mapping that mishmash of contrasting art styles into a cohesive visual presentation.

Hell Is Us

Hell Is Us describes itself as a third-person action-adventure game in its description, but it’s pretty hard to decipher just by looking at the cryptic visuals showcased in the teaser trailer. There are giant swords, companion drones, a post-apocalyptic world, and whatnot – and while that does make it hard to keep track of what’s going on, it’s also what makes it so intriguing in the first place. Of course, the visuals are also a big factor in nailing that ominous presentation, and suffice to say – Hell is Us uses UE 5’s toolkit to great effect for its purposes.

Ark 2

The original Ark turned out to be a big hit thanks to an addictive gameplay loop and its community-driven nature, and developer Studio Wildcard seems to be doubling down on these elements with Ark 2 along with a greater focus on the narrative side of things. Much like the original, Ark 2 flaunts some impressive visuals and realistic textures on the many creatures that populate the world.

State of Decay 3

Undead Labs has been hard at work on the next entry in the State of Decay franchise, and we haven’t seen much of the game except a short cinematic teaser that just gives brief hints about what to expect. It’s obviously going to be a brutal survival game where players will be clearing out waves upon waves of zombies with scant resources, and fans are here for it. It’s being developed using Unreal Engine 5 as well, so fans can be sure that the game will be a looker. It will be released for Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in the future.

Little Nightmares 3

Little Nightmares 2 is one of the best horror games of recent memory, thanks to its excellent jumpscares and consistently ominous atmosphere. Little Nightmares 3 is looking to knock those strengths up to eleven with an even better atmosphere, gargantuan enemies waiting to maul you at every turn, and a wide variety of cryptic environments housing these threats. It’s set to release sometime this year for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Echoes of the Living

Currently in development at MoonGlint, Echoes of the Living feels like the perfect homage to the classic Resident Evil games complete with an isometric perspective and tank-style controls. It’s a brutal horror game where players will have to go for long stretches with little to no resources, solve brain-tackling puzzles, and engage in boss fights. If Echoes of the Living manages to nail the element of nostalgia while avoiding the inherent frustrations with the previous designs, Echoes of the Living could turn out to be a big hit. It’s set to release sometime in Q1 2024 for PC.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is making a return with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, an ambitious post-apocalyptic sequel that seems to have a great understanding of what made the originals so great in the first place. Everything from the gameplay to the atmosphere and the graphics are looking really promising, and we can’t wait to dive into the Exclusion Zone once again and scour every inch of this carefully curated map. It’s set to release sometime in Q1 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando

John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is a game that takes inspiration from a bunch of action horror films of the 80s and uses those elements to craft a thrilling co-op experience. Little is known about the game at the moment, but the cinematic trailer has given some hints including but not limited to large groups of enemies and vehicular combat being in the game among others. Toxic Commando doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for this ye

Hideo Kojima OD

A collaboration between Xbox Game Studios and Kojima Productions, OD is being touted as the video game auteur’s most experimental game to date. And that’s saying something since Death Stranding in itself was a game that went against the current gaming trends and open-world conventions. The game’s announcement trailer was about as cryptic as you would expect, with actors muttering out seemingly random words that don’t make any sense. OD will also be utilizing Xbox’s cloud technology to power its mechanics, and we can’t wait to learn more about the game itself. It’s set to release sometime in the near future for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Siltterhead

Slitterhead is the latest game from Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, and the game revolves around the player trying to fend off against a host of deadly parasites. The gameplay showcases the protagonist using melee and ranged weapons along with some magical elements, which seems to make for a fresh gameplay experience. Slitterhead will be releasing for Xbox Series X/S and PS5 sometime in the near future.

Blight Survival

Blight Survival thrusts players into a brutal medieval setting and tasks them to slaughter waves upon waves of undead enemy soldiers with nothing but primal weapons like swords and shields. It looks really beautiful with realistic environments and smooth animations accompanying each moment of the gameplay, and the added benefit of experiencing it all with a friend through co-op also makes it an even sweeter deal. Blight Survival will be released for PC at some point in the future.

Still Wakes The Deep

Set against the backdrop of the ever-mysterious sea, Still Wakes The Deep tells the story of a sailor trying to find his crew all while he comes to grips with the many paranormal activities going on around him. It looks like a highly atmospheric game that pays a ton of attention on its visuals and audio design, and the developer The Chinese Room is known for its work on games like Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs – so there’s a good chance that it might just be great.

Paranormal Tales

Digital Cybercherries Paranormal Tales is all about getting through well, paranormal tales experienced by a bunch of survivors in different places. The game is presented in a bodycam perspective with different types of filters like a fish eye lens, a digital camera, or a phone camera which combined with the myriad of different settings should make for a consistently entertaining experience. Paranormal Tales is being built using Unreal Engine 5, and it does not have a release date at the moment.

Tormented Souls 2

Tormented Souls 2 is currently in development at developer Dual Effect, and it looks to be a worthy sequel to the original. The gameplay here revolves around carefully plotting your way through cramped corridors, solving puzzles, and overcoming tough obstacles – which remains fun despite its familiar nature. Between this and tank controls reminiscent of the original Resident Evil games, Tormented Souls 2 should be a rather unique experience that sounds really promising.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Silent Hill 2 is one of the most revered survival horror games of all time, and a lot of that could be attributed to the amazing atmosphere and the constantly twisting story about the town of Silent Hill. Bloober Team is hard at work on a full-fledged remake that not only brings the game’s visuals up to a modern standard but also changes the gameplay in significant ways to better serve a modern audience.

Silent Hill F

Set against the backdrop of an unnamed Japanese town, Silent Hill F is one of the more interesting projects from the array of Silent Hill announcements. The trailer doesn’t show much information about the game, but we have seen some wonderfully ominous atmosphere, a schoolgirl holding a metal pipe, and all kinds of weird imagery that has us excited for what’s in store.

Silent Hill Townfall

Yet another Silent Hill project in the works, Silent Hill Townfall is developer No Code’s take on this legendary horror franchise. The announcement trailer hints at the story revolving around the protagonist being trapped in a hellish nightmare as a punishment for his evil deeds, but it’s too vague and disjointed to make any concrete conclusions from what we know. Hopefully, Konami will shed some light on the game in the coming months. Currently, Silent Hill Townfall doesn’t have confirmed platforms and neither a release date, but hopefully we should know more this year.

Killing Floor 3

Much like prior entries in the franchise, Killing Floor 3 is all about shooting your way through hordes of different zombie types along with a group of friends. Killing Floor 3 thrusts players into a futuristic setting with high-tech weaponry and bioengineered monsters, so returning fans can expect plenty of new features and mechanics jumping into this game. The game will be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S sometime in the near future.

The Casting of Frank Stone

Supermassive Games is known for its signature brand of narrative-based horror, and the developer is currently hard at work on its next project The Casting of Frank Stone. The game is set in the Dead By Daylight universe, and the story follows a group of young friends facing the horrifying mystery of Frank Stone and his deadly legacy. It’s obviously a story where you make critical decisions at every turn which dictates the ultimate outcome, so it’s not uncharted territory for the developer – but it’s definitely worth a look.

ILL

Currently in development at Clout Games, ILL is an ambitious survival horror game that’s being built using Unreal Engine 5. Featuring stunning visuals and superb-looking gameplay, ILL seems to be punching well above its weight class and might just put up some fierce competition against its AAA competitors if it manages to stand true to its promises. It will be released for PC sometime in the near future.

Death Stranding 2

Death Stranding wasn’t a pure horror game by any means, but there were plenty of horror sequences that would snugly fit in the box of such games. Death Stranding 2 is set to build upon these foundations with a story that features both new and returning faces, new mechanics, and a convoluted story. Its release date isn’t set in stone, but it will be releasing for PS5 in the future.

LOST FRAGMENT

Currently in development at NIHIL INANE Studio, LOST FRAGMENT is one of the most realistic looking games on the market. Created using Unreal Engine 5, LOST FRAGMENT presents a striking rendition of its world with photorealistic textures and impressive lighting. It’s a survival horror game, and you will be slowly and steadily inching your way through these carefully curated environments as you anticipate the next jumpscare or the encounter. The first-person bodycam-style camera is perfect for immersing you in this world, and the subtle camera shake and slow movement speed really escalate the tension to another level. The game is currently slated to release sometime next year, so do keep an eye out for it.

This feature series is dedicated to showcasing such games, and breaking down what exactly makes them tick. Today, we will be looking at Paranormal Tales – a game that’s sure to unnerve you to the bone with its realistic visuals and unique found footage gameplay. It is currently in development at Digital Cybercherries which is also set to self-publish the game.

Digital Cybercherries, a small indie studio that previously brought us Hypercharged: Unbox, a third-person co-op shooter where you assume the role of action figures as they hop and fight around in comically large arenas like supermarkets and kids’ playgrounds that will be released in 2020. The game has been well-received by critics and fans alike, which has us confident that Paranormal Tales will also be a game that’s worth your time.

Coming back to the game itself, Paranormal Tales puts you in the shoes of lone survivors who must trudge through any and all presence of paranormal activity against the backdrop of horrifying environments. Players take on the role of multiple survivors, and each of these horror stories takes place in different locales with little to no narrative connections to one another. While this story setup definitely leaves something to be desired like characters that develop over the course of events or a central antagonist, these self contained narrative snippets can also be used to set up wildly distinct scenarios that wouldn’t be possible in a conventional story.

You can see that being used to great effect in the trailers, as the footage rapidly changes perspective from a forest to an abandoned home and much more. What remains to be seen is how the developer will build up tension and provide a favorable resolution in a short span of time. A good place to look for inspiration would be Resident Evil: Village’s House Beneviento level, where you get a good amount of horrifying chase sequences and brain tickling puzzles before finishing it off with a boss fight all within the span of an hour or so. All in all, Paranormal Tales has us excited to see the many different gameplay scenarios we will get to experience with the full release.

Coming over to the gameplay side of things, the most unique part of Paranormal Tales’ gameplay is definitely its perspective. Players get to view the action from a bodycam, which changes from story to story which should hopefully make for a consistently fresh experience. You might witness one story through a VHS camera complete with all its flaws, and the next story might be from a fisheye camera that gives you a wider perspective but has a blurry peripheral vision. Apart from that, the moment to moment gameplay involves exploring these levels and coming face to face with the many horrors that lurk around these environments.

The atmosphere is top notch, as you can already see in the trailers. There’s a palpable sense of tension pervading every step you take through the woods. The limited visibility afforded by the dim lights of your camera’s flash illuminates the area up to a few feet, leaving everything else in the dark. The rustling of leaves against your feet and your cries of help are the only things creating a semblance of sound in this environment.

The same story continues over in the indoor section as well, where an abandoned house provides the perfect backdrop for a spine-chilling horror story. The protagonist slowly tiptoes throughout the rooms as they survey their surroundings for any signs of paranormal activity, and the tension builds up to the grand reveal where we see a lady ghost donning white clothes is standing with her face towards the wall.

What we don’t know at the moment is whether Paranormal Tales will include any combat sequences or not, since the trailers haven’t showcased any such encounters with ghosts. Will you just be running away from the ghosts only to be greeted with an untimely demise at the end of each tape, or will you find ways to overcome these paranormal threats and emerge victorious at the end? Hopefully, the game will have some form of combat mechanics to keep things fresh and also add a bit of action to the gameplay proceedings as well.

Paranormal Tales is built using Unreal Engine 5, and it shows in the presentation. The game features a consistently high level of visual fidelity, and a lot of that can be attributed to the great usage of the engine’s feature set. The lighting is the most important part of any horror experience, and the developers seem to have used the Lumen system to simulate a global illumination system complete with indirect lighting and bounce effects. Furthermore, post-processing effects like motion blur and depth of field perfectly capture the aesthetics of video cameras, and it combines with life-like textures and realistic movements for a visual presentation that’s nothing short of extraordinary.

There are a lot of great things going for Paranormal Tales, but for the game to be successful – Digital Cybercherries has to be careful of not repeating the same mistakes as its past projects. Take for instance Hypercharged: Unbox, which also had a similarly interesting premise that was executed well enough to garner mainstream critical acclaim. But the lack of proper marketing around the launch and failure to generate hype for this release ultimately held the game from reaching its full potential. As such, Paranormal Tales needs to hit the mark in terms of marketing to turn out to be a commercial success.

Coming over to the release front, Digital Cybercherries hasn’t announced any release dates as of yet. The project looks to be still in deep development, so it seems we’ll have to wait until at least 2024 to finally get to experience it in all its glory. It’s more of an educated guess than a well-informed prediction, so fans are advised to keep their expectations in check for now since delays and push backs are always possible in such cases. Paranormal Tales is set to release on PC as of now, but it’s very likely that we’ll see console releases later down the line if the game ends up being a success.

Paranormal Tales’ unique bodycam perspective and impressive presentation make it a horror fan’s dream come true, and the game genuinely has a ton of potential that it can capitalize on. While we’re still waiting on important details like combat encounters or other gameplay mechanics, we can’t help but be excited about this release. The stage has been set, and all that’s left is for Paranormal Tales to stand true to its promises – which we hope it does in an effortless fashion.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

A.I.L.A.

A.I.L.A. is an upcoming sci-fi psychological horror from Sao Paulo based Pulsatrix Studio. Set in an uncanny near-distant future where advanced AI creates digital horror experiences, A.I.L.A. promises to tap into your inner psyche, establish your biggest fears and tug them to terrifying effect. There’s a sense from gameplay revealed so far that players will have a hard time distinguishing between virtual threats and real-life danger. No word on release windows or platforms yet as it seems Pulstrix Studio still need financial backing to finish the project off. Let’s hope they get there as A.I.L.A.’s creepy first-person perspectives look truly horrifying.

Paranormal Tales

Undoubtably inspired by now-vintage found footage horror movie The Blair Witch Project, with a sprinkling of Hideo Kojima’s P.T., Paranormal Tales is a next-gen horror daring players play through tragic tales of missing persons, experienced from the viewpoint of bodycams, mobile phones, and VHS cameras. Developer Digital Cybercherries are utilising Unreal Engine 5 to, in their words, create a sense of hyper-realism. Release date is to be announced, but Paranormal Tales can be wishlisted on Steam now.  

Layers of Fear

Bloober Team’s narrative-driven psychological horror is returning soon to tell its final bone-chilling tale. Comprising Layers of Fear and Layers of Fear 2 rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, plus DLC with brand new stories ‘The Final Note’ and ‘The Writer’ offering fresh perspectives on an already iconic series. Layers of Fear’s recent tech demo showcases ray tracing, HDR, 4K resolution and Unreal Engine 5 exclusive features such as Lumen dynamic lighting and Niagara real-time VFX, crafting an immersive, blood curdling environment. Layers of Fear will be out in June on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

Stray Souls  

Blending Alan Wake style psychological horror with Soulslike combat is the atmospheric, third-person action horror Stray Souls. There’s an air of eeriness in the game’s haunted town too, immediately conjuring memories of Silent Hill; ghoulish forests and crumbling, dilapidated suburbs are said by developer Jukai Studio to harbour a well of secrets waiting to be unearthed. Stray Souls makes ample use of Unreal Engine 5’s advanced facial animation innovation MetaHuman too, exaggerating fear with unprecedented photorealism and human emotion. Stray Souls is targeting a 2023 release, with PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows platforms announced.

Quantum Error

Cosmic horror FPS Quantum Error tells the story of daring Californian firefighters sent on a rescue mission to save survivors marooned on a mysterious offshore research facility, a sordid place where things unravelled after attack from an unknown entity. Heavily influenced by Dead Space, with maybe a dose of Metal Gear Solid for good measure, Quantum Error’s intergalactic happenstance look deeply unsettling and atmospheric. Originally targeting a 2022 release, Quantum Error still hasn’t arrived although official gameplay has recently surfaced indicating it’s at least on the horizon. It’ll be playable on Xbox and PlayStation when it finally does come out.

Wronged Us

Indebted to classic survival horror series Silent Hill, Wronged Us tasks players with tiptoeing through the darkness of a rotten town through the eyes of Isaac as he investigates chilling rumours of his dead son’s presence. This open-world survival horror from Delusional Studio is also said to take inspiration from Dark Souls’ quest design, so expect intense combat, challenging puzzles, and a ton of creepy crawlies lying in wait to kill you in a hostile environment. Although there’s no release window yet, Wronged Us has been announced for PlayStation and Xbox platforms plus PC via Steam.

EXP: War Trauma

EXP – shorthand for experience – War Trauma is an upcoming psychological horror from Brazilian dev team Cortez Productions. Assuming command of traumatised World War II veteran Krieger, players must navigate through a strange and mysterious apartment, establishing clues and solving riddles to eventually unravel Krieger’s psyche. With no weapons, Krieger is effectively defenceless against the harmful apparitions lurking down dimly lit corridors. Listed as coming soon on Steam, there’s a playable demo available right now.

Level Zero

Intriguingly described as an asymmetrical survival horror PvP, Level Zero’s premise is simple: a team of four scientists must work together to repair broken objectives to escape a dank facility all whilst evading the clutches of an opposing team of monsters; monsters capable of skulking in the darkness, stealthily eradicating light sources which the scientists depend on to survive. Unreal Engine 5’s dynamic global lighting systems are put to good use here, the contrast between neon and shadow a captivating battle between opposing teams. Scheduled for release in 2023 to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam.

File Destined  

Psychological detective thriller File Destined features an impressive story with visceral locations, and boy does Unreal Engine 5 do a good job of portraying the unnerving realism of a corridor cloaked in darkness. Clue gathering in the dangerous carbon blackness eventually unravels a deep mystery, with the truth according to developer Metavision Studio being disturbing and unexpected. File Destined is already out and playable on PC via Steam, with positive user reviews highlighting nerve-shredding tension littered with jump scares.

Fort Solis

Fort Solis glooms in sickly red; saturated neon unnervingly illuminates the confines of a docile Martian base, red dust hanging in the air, every viewpoint conjuring a deep sense of isolation and desperation. Whilst developer Fallen Leaf recently shared a first official look at gameplay with barely a second’s worth of actual third-person gameplay Fort Solis still looks stunning, the act of tentatively treading through dark corridors set to be a haunting experience. Coming in Q3 2023 to PlayStation 5 and Windows.

ROUTINE

This first-person sci-fi horror plunges players deep inside an abandoned lunar base, entrenched in the aesthetics of an 80’s vision of the future. Tentative exploration descends into a desperate need for survival, with immersion heightened by full body awareness and deadzone aiming alongside minimal on-screen UI. ROUTINE is coming to Xbox consoles, plus Windows and Mac via Steam, with no release window announced just yet.

Silent Hill 2 Remake

Recapturing the evocative, isolating atmosphere of the original Silent Hill 2 is no easy task, but Layers of Fear developer Bloober Team’s prowess at rendering realistic environments in Unreal Engine 5 seems like they’ll be the perfect fit. Chilling visuals and visceral sound effects are present and correct, as is a liberal dose of fog. Silent Hill 2 Remake is coming to PlayStation 5 and Windows some time in 2023.

Post Trauma

Both a homage to and modern take on classic survival horror games, Post Trauma’s semi-fixed camera angles evoke a sense of early Resident Evil titles. Assuming command of middle-aged train conductor Roman, players must tread through surreal subterranean locales, exploring blood-bathed surroundings unravelling haunted mysteries whilst coming face to face with a host of nightmarish creatures. Post Trauma’s release date hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s said to be landing on PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows when it does come out.

The Shivers / Demonologist

This upcoming ghost hunting co-op game is currently in early access on Steam, with early adopters citing the game’s unnerving terror as an advantage it has over similarly premised titles. In The Shivers / Demonologist players must identify an evil spirit lurking in cursed locales and exorcise it. Playing in squads of up to four, each run through The Shivers / Demonologist will be unique owing to the random concoction of ghosts skulking through the shadows.

The Hauntings

A rival to The Shivers / Demonologist also on this rundown is The Hauntings, an online co-op investigation and exorcism experience for one to four players. Working together as a team of paranormal investigators, unruly ghosts will need to be identified and removed, however these threatening spectres are able to possess players, distracting and hindering the investigation in unexpected ways. Coming soon to Windows, The Hauntings can be wishlisted on Steam now.

Welcome To Pine Harbor

Welcome To Pine Harbor is an upcoming survival game from a small group of developers by the name of Vision Forge Team, and it looks to be packing some punch. Set against the backdrop of the ominous town of Pine Harbor, the game is set to present a story that’s equal parts scary and immersive. While not a lot of information is available at the moment, the developers have stated that the game is inspired by the likes of Silent Hill and Resident Evil which has us excited to see what’s in store. Of course, it’s incredibly atmospheric and makes good use of Unreal Engine 5’s detailed shadows and realistic lighting tech – and we will be checking it out when it releases sometime next year.

Lost Soul Aside

Taking inspiration from the likes of action games, developer UtilZeroGames’ upcoming Lost Soul Aside is looking like a promising hack and slash game. Players take control of a warrior and a shapeshifting companion as they make their way through a world where technology and fantasy coalesce together in a beautiful way. The combat is fast and frenetic, and the visuals are absolutely stunning – which is why you should definitely keep an eye out for Lost Soul Aside when it releases in the near future.

Project: The Perceiver

One of the more recent announcements in the list, Project: The Perceiver can best be described as Ghost of Tsushima meets Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Set against the backdrop of ancient China, the game follows an artist who dies moments before completing his masterpiece – but is brought back to life by a mysterious force following which he embarks on a quest to save his land from intruders. The combat is stylish yet retains a methodical flair to it, and the open world looks gorgeous with stunning vistas and a grand sense of scale.

Project GRAY

Currently in development at In-D, Project Gray puts you in the shoes of a native who has gained some special abilities thanks to an advanced civilization that has landed on its shores. Now, it’s up to him to stand up to the aliens and drive them away from this planet. Project GRAY started life as a one-man project and it’s still some ways from release, but it looks gorgeous with some dynamic gameplay that revolves between traversal and combat flawlessly.

Mumbai Gullies

Mumbai Gullies is a story about the protagonist rising through the ranks of Mumbai’s underworld throughout different time periods. The game is open-world, so it seems fair to expect a number of surprises while exploring every nook and cranny of this faithfully recreated rendition of the Indian city of dreams. Mumbai Gullies has the potential to morph into a grand hit, and we really hope that it does exactly that.

Airtight City 2.0

Airtight City 2.0 sees players assuming the role of a soldier who is powered by millions of souls, and if you think that premise is interesting – wait until you see the game in action. The combat looks absolutely brutal with our armored protagonist seamlessly switching between weapons and abilities to get through hordes of enemies. Airtight City 2.0 doesn’t have a release date at this point, but stay tuned to learn more.

IGI Origins

Toadman Interactive is bringing back a beloved franchise with IGI Origins, which looks like everything we would want from a modern entry in the series. IGI Origins presents itself with a fresh coat of paint thanks to updated visuals, and the hybrid gameplay loop of action and stealth is sure to captivate gamers once again when it releases for all major platforms sometime in the future.

Moon Mystery

Moon Mystery – at its core – is a game about uncovering the many secrets that lie undiscovered on its surface. Cosmonauts ask some pretty intriguing questions about our race to the moon, such as what was the real reason behind the mad race to reach the moon. It’s pretty rooted in alternate history and sci-fi fiction, and the gameplay seems to put equal amounts of attention to combat and exploration – which has us salivating for the final release.

Bramble: The Mountain King

Bramble: The Mountain King might seem like an ordinary adventure game at first glance, but upon further inspection – you will soon realize that it’s so much more than just that. The story (which is inspired by dark Nordic fables) sees you embarking on a grand adventure to rescue your sister from dark threats that haunt these lands. The journey will be punctuated by interesting set-pieces, gargantuan threats, and emotional story beats that should make Bramble: The Mountain King a game worth looking into.

Little Devil Inside

Neostream Interactive’s Little Devil Inside has been a long time coming, and suffice to say – it looks really promising. The trailers showcase our explorer characters going through a mundane personal life as well as an adventurous professional life as they search for monsters. The game will be open-world, and the minimalist cartoony art style really draws you in.

Aftermath

Aftermath puts you in the shoes of Charlie as he trudges through a city in vain hopes of finding his daughter, all while dealing with perils of an inhuman invasion. Apart from that, Aftermath will also put a lot of focus on Charlie’s own mental health issues such as PTSD which will have huge ramifications on gameplay as well. Aftermath looks really intriguing, and while it doesn’t have a release date just yet – we are really looking forward to playing it.

Vigilancer 2099

Vigilancer 2099 is all about your player character taking up on bounties to pay off some huge debt. Envoidant Studios’ upcoming action adventure is steeped in references to famous works of cyberpunk art, but it also has enough flavour of its own to help distinguish it from the rest of the pack. The visuals look gorgeous, and while gameplay details remain scant for now – Vigilancer 2099 certainly has our attention.

ILL NESS

Not to be confused with Project ILL from Clout Games, ILL NESS is another upcoming different survival horror experience from publisher ASDStudio. ILL NESS is inspired by a classic horror fiction novel Dreamcatcher, and it paints a bleak and dim world where survival seems unlikely – but you must trudge through all odds to remain alive. It looks absolutely brutal, and it’s currently set for a 2022 release date – though that would be updated soon.

Where Winds Meet

Much like Project: The Perceiver that we discussed before, Where Winds Meet is an open-world action RPG that’s set against the backdrop of ancient China. And it also tells a story that’s deeply personal to the protagonist, as he faces a moral dilemma between upholding his code of conduct or use everything in his power to defeat his enemies. The combat and traversal are looking pretty fast paced, and they all culminate to form a dynamic gameplay proceeding that looks really enchanting.

Pioner

In so many ways, Pioner looks like a true next-gen survival game. GFA Games’ paints a bleak world on the brink of destruction, and that gives way to interesting gameplay elements like well-designed first person combat, PvP elements, and base building among others. Pioner will be coming to PC sometime in the near future, and more details will be revealed soon.

Paranormal Tales

Digital Cybercherries’ upcoming Paranormal Tales is a collection of stories about people who went missing in a dark forest, and players must play through footage of those recordings to find out the mystery behind those disappearances. Paranormal Tales utilizes a rather unique bodycam perspective, and the developers are teasing some disturbing horror elements that are likely to get under your nerves. And that has us excited to know more about it, and hopefully we will get to play it soon.