Most modern survival horror games give players plenty of ammunition and over-powered weaponry, but the best games in the genre know how to make someone feel vulnerable. Whether it's refusing to give players a weapon or pitting them against an unstoppable enemy, the best horror games will take away any advantage the player has.
Perception is taking that notion to the extreme. Instead of just taking away a player's weapons, or throwing wave after wave of enemies at them, Perception is taking away one of the player's main senses: their sight.
That's right: in Perception, you're blind. The only way to make out what's happening in the world around you - and find those who wish to end your adventure - is to reach out with echolocation. At first, it might sound like it'd be impossible to base a game around something like that, but after watching the game's first trailer, it's easy to see how horrifying a game like Perception could be.
Considering the recent return of 'true' survival horror games, Perception's reveal makes a lot of sense. It fits right in with games like Alien: Isolation and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but it also brings its own ideas to the table. While all of those games were first-person horror adventures in which players are pitted against unbeatable adversaries, Perception's echolocation is something that hasn't been done before, and just thinking about all of the different ways that the team could scare players is enough to send shivers down your spine.
Speaking of the team, Perception's got a great pedigree: the game's being developed by The Deep End, and features some of the key staff behind BioShock, BioShock Infinite and Dead Space. Based on the team's previous works alone, Perception could be an amazing game...if it ends up getting funded.
Yes, like so many other independent projects these days, the team over at The Deep End has taken to Kickstarter in order to get their game made. Relatively speaking, they're not asking for much: Perception will be funded if the project raises $150,000. As of this writing, the team is sitting at roughly $13,000, with 29 days to go.
Thankfully, it won't cost players an arm and a leg to help fund the campaign and receive a copy of the game. Perception starts at $20 (there is a $5 reward tier, but it doesn't include a copy of the game), and there are plenty of other incentives to donate more.
Perception is exactly the sort of project that Kickstarter was made for: it's unique, it's innovative and it's something that more traditional publishers wouldn't touch. With any luck, gamers will get to see a final version of the game sometime next year.
If you're interested in donating, you can head over to Perception's official project page.
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