A new light has shined in the horror genre as Loaded Games brings forth the announcement of their upcoming title Crimson Hills! Taking a new visual attempt to the genre by taking it out of the usual darkened surroundings and adding strong color with an interesting defenseless, yet not so defenseless approach!
Crimson Hills plans to launch later this year on Steam and will put you in an unfamiliar surrounding with a haunting experience! With unknown and various creatures lurking and few locations that you can survive, what move will you make?
Story
You play as an ex-soldier who has returned from the war and comes home to his wife a changed man. He decides to rent a cabin in the woods to be by himself to process all that he has seen and experienced. The forest looks peaceful at first, but looks can be deceiving. Deep inside the mist something is following him, and the forest is ripe with old evil deeds that have sunk into the soil. Orders of old have spilt into the ground and will never go away. Their twisted growth permeates the forest. One thing you should keep in mind: is it your post-traumatic stress disorder that is playing you, is it the forest itself… or is it both?
Interview with Katarina Eriksson, Editor
What inspired you to make this game?
“Life, both good and bad, along with a local forest and an old cathedral are some of our inspirations. And of course, Lovecraft’s many stories have been a big influence. We are also a big fan of the type of horror movies that focus more on building up tension and playing with people’s psyche than scaring you with blood and gore. We have taken this thinking into the development of this game. Of course, there will be some blood, but it will not be the main source when it comes to making you want to quit the game in fear.”
What kind of creatures can players expect to face?
“You will meet deformed creatures, like those from your worst nightmares or sleep paralysis. The things you meet in the dusk and the mist; are they humans transformed into animals through cruel experimentation, or is there something else going on? And the most important question; who is behind these macabre creations? You will have to figure it out for yourself.”
Will there be a way to fight back? If so, what weapon options will there be?
“If you get attacked by any of the creatures you meet on your journey you will have the opportunity to grab an item nearby, for example a stick or a rock, to defend yourself with and maybe have a chance to get away. The item you grab is a "one-time use only" and you will therefore not have the opportunity to carry it with you for later use. It is only possible to use items to defend yourself if you are in a location where items are placed. Should you be unlucky and find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will only survive by trying to run away and hide.”
How long has this been in development?
“The game has been in development for about 2 years since the first idea came up.”
What makes your game different from other horror games?
“The game stands out because it takes up a theme that has not been used in a horror game before, at least as far as we know. One of the members of our team has suffered from PTSD and knows how frightening it can be. We have used his experience to create this game to show people what it’s like to have the condition. Another factor that makes the game different is the choice of colors. The coloring in the game is not the typical gray and black like most horror games, but we have also added strong colors to create a unique horror environment. The monsters are inspired by real-life creatures that have been deformed by various witch covens. Death is also something mystical.”
Which part of the game is your favorite so far?
“The best part is when you get past the mystical forest and reach the old cathedral, which is inspired by a real place.”
Check out the Trailer:
I love the fact that your only real way to fight back is if you are lucky enough to have an item nearby! It's the perfect mix that gives the defenseless feeling with a strong sense of hope that comes from survival games!
Another interesting fact is that some of the games voice work will be done by Brandon Fugue who has also worked on Metro and a few other titles. We can also expect to see this title make it to consoles after initial launch.
You can follow the development further on Facebook and Twitter.
