Imagine this: you've just awakened from a long cryosleep on a spaceship. As you wander through empty corridors, you begin to find the bodies of your crewmates, all dead. Something lurks in the shadows, but you have limited resources: do you fight or flee?
This is Syndrome, a video game that promises to return players to the roots of survival horror games, including situations such as limited supplies, little ammunition and monsters that appear randomly. The player's goal is to uncover what happened to the ship while staying alive.
"The creatures hunting you are stronger, faster, and utterly deadly," writes developer Camel 101 in an email press release. "Watch their movements from the shadows, hiding in breathless anticipation for the right moment to strike or sneak away. Every encounter is an internal battle between fight or flight, your dwindling resources a tenuous lifeline to survival."
Camel 101 released a new trailer for Syndrome, one which shows off the game's claustrophobic environments as well as teases the story with physical scares and psychological horrors.
There are weapons on the ship, but there aren't a lot of them, and ammunition is hard to find. Players must not only make every attack count, but must also decide when it is more prudent to hide. Stealth is also important because enemies react to noises by investigating them.
"A lot of folks have been wondering if there is any combat in Syndrome," writes the developer on its blog. "The answer is yes, there is. The player's choices aren't limited to running or hiding. It might not always be the best option, but there's always the option of fighting back."
Meanwhile, the player must keep this in mind while exploring the ship for clues about how an innocent exploration and science vessel ended up in such turmoil.
Syndrome also doesn't feature an actual soundtrack, but instead relies on ambient "soundscapes" that lend their sounds to the game's creepy environments.
Syndrome lands on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC this summer. The first-person game will also feature support for Oculus Rift for those who really want to immerse themselves in horror.
