Maximum Games and Pulsatrix Studios have unveiled Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel, an survival horror game seemingly influenced by classics of the genre including the Outlast series popularized night vision and the use of in-game cameras to ramp up the terror.
Resident Evil became one of the staples of horror following the release of the first game in the series back in 1996. The title uses close-quarters, fixed camera angles, and the infamous halls of the Spencer Mansion to great effect, cementing what the survival horror would look like for many years to come. The title's setting is perhaps one of the most memorable in gaming, with the mansion providing a chilling and unforgettable backdrop to the zombie-fuelled storyline, something seen once again in Resident Evil Village's castle. Mansions and other similarly-large buildings such as asylums, seen in Outlast, have since become something of a trope within the gaming genre, but it's arguably Resident Evil's iconic Spencer Mansion, as well as RE Village's Castle Dimitrescu, that have done it best.
The Steam listing for Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel is now live following the game's official announcement, alongside a free demo giving players a taste of the horror within. Described as a first-person psychological horror game with environment exploration, survival, and puzzle-solving, the game teases a Spencer-esque decadent hotel and Resident Evil-looking weaponry, which players must explore and use in order to unravel the mysteries and conspiracies of a technologically advanced sect. According to developer Pulsatrix Studios: "This sect preaches the union between science and religion, secretly conducting human improvement experiments involving genetic modifications and parallel realities."
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel's gameplay appears to take inspiration from Resident Evil, not just in its world setting, but also in its exploration and focus on puzzles, but its Outlast vibes are also clear. The game will see players use a camera to explore the mysterious hotel, offering a new look at the environment through night vision, with the camera able to connect worlds together. It's likely that survival horror will play a big role here, perhaps with s needing to track down batteries while potentially bracing themselves against terrifying night-covered jumpscares.
While the new horror doesn't yet have a release date, players can expect to experience the terror for themselves sometime in 2022. With its mash-up of established survival horror ideas, intriguing classic setting, and what sounds like a promising story, Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel has the ingredients to be one of the most chilling games of the year, though it may have competition from 2022 horror games like Scorn, Martha is Dead, and more.
Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel comes to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam next year.
Source: FOBIA - St. Dinfna Hotel/Steam
