Here’s a new homage to 80s and 90s “B-Horror” movies and pulp horror comic books. A real tribute to 2D-arcade vampire horde shooters. Publisher VoxPop Games and developer Salt N Pixel wanted to create a true hybrid arcade experience in Outer Terror. I had the unique opportunity to speak to the developer team about their upcoming horror game and I liked what they were bringing to the table!

Gameplay

In true arcade horror survivor-shooter fashion, there is one true goal, which is also the motto for this game - “DON’T DIE!!” You start on a map you seemingly know nothing about and, sticking to their hybrid experience, you’re given a little bit of roguelite gameplay where you learn the map as you play and if you die you start back at the menu, spend your gold on upgrades, and try again. You are given an objective to complete and you will work this objective while being swarmed with ghouls, vampires, toasters, you name it, it will be chasing you, trying to kill you, but remember - DON’T DIE!

The game is currently built for controller or mouse and keyboard compatibility that you can customize to how you want to play, which I think is a nice touch. If you want to play it as a twin-stick shooter, play it that way. If you want to play it as a point-and-click survivor shooter, play it that way. There is even couch and online co-op, so grab some snacks and a friend and DON’T DIE! To add to the customizable gameplay there is a super easy HUD to understand which adds to its vintage arcade feel.

Outer Terror does a great job of showing that it has real roots in the horror fandom that true horror fans can appreciate. There is a wide variety of characters that each have their own special abilities that will aid you as you attempt to complete your given objective and not die. Fans will notice that the characters might seem familiar even though it’s their first time playing or seeing the game. Well, that's because the characters are a nod from the developers to classic horror films that we know so well. Each of the characters comes in a pair that is grounded in its own chapter, which is formed in a story-telling format that feels like it was pulled straight from the pages of an EC comic book. Now, I did ask if you are able to intermix characters between chapters and was informed that this is a question they get a lot. Characters are meant to be played in their own chapters. The reason being that their abilities are built to work for the different conditions in the chapters and to complete objectives.

The graphics are a little more than a 2D side-scroller; they’re more 2.5D. You’re a 2D character surviving on a 3D playing field. It gives it a cool mix of arcade games and tabletop games that is really unique.

Expectations

First off, I want to say that for Outer Terror being one of VoxPops’s first fully micro-funded games, they did a lot to give us everything we could have wanted and I hope that this is a game horror and arcade fans are looking forward to. I asked about a true arcade mode where you would get the full quarter arcade experience - pick a character, pick a level, don’t die, get a high score, and share it with all your friends. This is something the developers could be open to if there is enough demand and if there is enough fan support, which I hope there is!

On top of that, I think what I would really like to see from this game is the ability to play with an arcade-style joystick pad. I would love to experience this game in the purest form with a joystick like I’m hanging out at the arcade with some friends.

Verdict

Outer Terror really impressed me, especially after speaking with the developers. I see the love for horror that the development team has and the love for arcade games as well. I think that it has a lot of potential to be a great game to play when your friends come over and you want a challenge that will spark some really intense moments. I can’t wait to get a look at this full release!

Outer Terror is set for an April 20th release date on the VoxPop Store , Steam, and Epic Games Store, so mark your calendars; I know I will. There is also a free demo available on Steam as we speak!