Horror games seem to be having quite the renaissance recently. With huge names like Resident Evil putting out great titles and remakes of beloved classics, or the return of the space horror subgenre fans have been missing since Dead Space 3, it's fair to say that horror games are having a bit of a heyday. Luckily that trend looks like it will continue, with a slew of exciting news coming from Gamescom Opening Night Live.
Gamescom is the biggest convention of its kind, drawing in hundreds of thousands of attendees. It's one of the main events of summer where developers make announcements for the coming years, and Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live is where the biggest and best of those usually happen. With E3 taking a hiatus this year, there was even more anticipation for Opening Night Live, and it certainly delivered - especially for horror fans.
The Callisto Protocol
The most anticipated horror game (and one of the most anticipated overall titles) of the year is the Dead Space-inspired sci-fi survival horror game, The Callisto Protocol. A few months ago, fans had been treated to some suitably gruesome gameplay trailers during Keighley's other major event of the season, Summer Game Fest. These reveals also came with a release date announcement, with the game dropping on December 2, 2022.
Gamescom Opening Night Live brought some limited but exciting news for eager fans. Glen Schofield, CEO of developing studio Striking Distance, and co-creator of Dead Space, made an appearance on stage to share new details about the game. The main topic was how the dismemberment system of The Callisto Project differs from its spiritual predecessor. Here, the game brings in an interesting mutation mechanic where enemies will grow stronger if they're not taken out in time. The system was shown off in a grisly new gameplay trailer, where one of the biophage enemies regrows new appendages after protagonist Jacob Lee blasts its head off.
Dying Light 2: Bloody Ties
Story DLC for open-world survival horror game Dying Light 2 Stay Human has been in the works for some time, but was delayed just a few months ago. Developer Techland put the delays down to trying to add more features that the Dying Light 2 community was asking for. Luckily, new details came with a flashy new trailer for the DLC at Opening Night Live. This first installment, Bloody Ties, is set before the ending of the base game, and is part of a five-year content plan to support the game.
The trailer gives the impression that the expansion will deviate somewhat from the gloomier horror themes of the mainline game. Bloody Ties takes place in Carnage Hall, an opera house-turned-combat arena, home to boisterous gladiator-like events. It looks like it's placing most of its emphasis on the human combat side of Dying Light, as opposed to the undead element. In fact, there isn't a single zombie in the reveal trailer. This, plus the narration mentioning the "most deadly species of all" as humans points to interesting human horror aspects likely playing more of a role. The trailer ends with the announcement of a community update, which brings features like more roaming zombies and weapon performance changes to Dying Light 2.
The Lords of The Fallen
A confusingly named sequel to 2014's Lords of the Fallen, The Lords of the Fallen is a soulslike action RPG set in a similar medieval fantasy world to Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Almost a decade after its announcement, very little has been revealed about the title, with development slowed by the poor reception of the original game. The Lords of the Fallen has had a bumpy ride, being handed between numerous developers until it landed at the studio Hexworks in 2020.
Few new details were announced for The Lords of the Fallen at Opening Night Live, but it did get an official reveal trailer. Narrated by Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things' Eddie Munson), the trailer showcased an atmospheric world of frightful undead soldiers and disfigured monsters. While it doesn't look to be an overly horror-focused title, it looks like it may ride the middle ground between elements of survival horror games and third-person action RPGs, just like other games in the soulslike genre. That means it could hold some promise for horror game fanatics. To the dismay of some, however, The Lords of the Fallen won't be getting a previous generation release, according to the trailer.
Hogwarts Legacy
Yet another title plagued by successive delays is the open-world action RPG Hogwarts Legacy. Originally slated for this summer, the release date has been pushed back multiple times, and is now expected early next year. Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 19th century of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and will follow a fifth-year student as they unravel the plot of a group of dark wizards. While delays have been disappointing for some fans, the game still commands a lot of hype, promising to bring the most immersive and involved experience of the Wizarding World to date.
Hogwarts Legacy might not sound like it has a place in the horror genre, but the trailer showcased during Opening Night Live showed off an often-ignored spooky side of its rich source material. The trailer showed more of the protagonists as they explored the story of Salazar Slytherin. It did an impressive job of depicting the more macabre sides of the Wizarding World, like dark arts torture curses, oversized arachnids, and a mob of corpses - known as inferius - reanimated with dark magic. Hogwarts Legacy also offers some cool features in a pre-order digital deluxe edition, which point to features such as mount and character customization.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game
One of the newly announced titles making an appearance at the show was Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game. Based on the 1980s cult classic sci-fi comedy horror movie of the same name, the game is said to be a 3v7 asymmetric multiplayer game. The short trailer featured the three clowns that presumably make up one team, and one of the human victims that might be on the other.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game will add to a growing list of retro horror movie-inspired titles in its genre. It will join the likes of Evil Dead: The Game, Friday the 13th: The Game, and Dead by Daylight - the last of which features an ensemble cast of horror icons. Development is being headed by Terravision Games, which includes part of the team behind Friday the 13th: The Game.
The Outlast Trials
The third installment in the iconic Outlast series, The Outlast Trials is a prequel to the two prior games. It was known to be in the works since 2017, but only got a teaser in 2019, followed by a trailer the next year. Its release was expected for last year before it was hit with delays. Thankfully, developer Red Barrels had a new trailer to show at Opening Night Live, featuring some elements of the new co-op mode and the hair-raising, prison-like lab setting. But the real news here is how soon fans can get to experience it in all its terrifying glory. As a Halloween treat, The Outlast Trials is getting a closed beta, running from October 28 to November 1 later this year.
Dead Island 2
Seemingly returning from the dead itself was Dead Island 2. Developed by Techland, the original Dead Island as well its expansions and spin-offs were known for their irreverent approach to the survival horror genre, unlike the studio's later open-world zombie franchise, Dying Light. However, Dead Island 2 won't be coming from Techland, after over a decade of stalled development under multiple studios. Instead, it's being headed by Dambuster Studios, who have been working on it for several years.
Adding to the reveal from eight years ago, new cinematic and gameplay trailers at Gamescom Opening Night Live showed how Dead Island 2 maintains the series' lighthearted and humorous approach. The showcase featured a better look at the sunny LA setting and the brutal melee combat that fans may remember from past installments. Lead narrative designer, Ayesha Khan, took to the stage to add some more context to the trailers. Khan said the character featured, Jacob, is one of six playable personalities who will add to the pulpy B-movie horror flick feel of the game. The comically violent DIY melee weapons of past titles make a comeback too, with guns also returning. If there are no more delays to come, then Dead Island 2 should be arriving on February 3, 2023.