INFERNIUM Windows, PS4, Switch game

Surival Horror meets Pac-Man?

When you think about a survival horror game, you don't think about the legendary Pac-Man. That's a reality. On the other hand, what defines a survival horror game? Ugly environments? Smelly enemies? Jumpscares? Is it all that, or is it something deeper?

Today I would like to share the announcement trailer of Infernium and would like to talk a little bit more about the survival "pacman-esque" horror component of it.

Without more wait, here is the trailer:

Fear through Gameplay

In the gameplay of Infernium one element is key: you can't kill almost any enemy. At the same time, if they touch you, you die. Most of the enemies of Infernium work in a really simple way: they are slower than you and onces they see you the walk relentlessly finding always the shortest path to you until you close a door or get to a place they can't reach.

That's why I am 100% convinced that the aspect of the enemies (blankets of colors) is totally unimportant for them to be scary. Actually, I think they could be just colored cilinders and they would be equally scary. Why?

Because the constant preasure and tension they set in the player by the way they behave. The level design of the game will constantly ask the player to find an exit or solve situations that requiere a little bit of thinking but while constantly being chased. Yes, most of the time they are slower than you, but that also means you as a player don't have all the time in the world to think.

World Design

In the other hand the game design of the game will constantly works thowards one unique goal: making the player loose control of the situation. As a player you will make a plan and then because reasons I don't want to spoil something will happend that will force you to rethink your plan in the middle of it. The game constantly forces the player to improvise while being chased.

That's why the blankets are scary. Not because they are blankets, not because they are red. They are scary because of the way you, the player, behave.

I hope this article has made you, the reader, understand a little bit more what is going on in Infernium. Remember you can wishlist the game on Steam and you can also pre purchase the game on the Humble Store 20% off and also get for free MIND: Path to Thalamus!