When gamers think of survival-horror games, they probably have a few series in mind. Resident Evil, the game that arguably popularised the genre, and Silent Hill as a more cerebral, thought-provoking horror. Games like Dead Space and Alien: Isolation brought the terrors into space with the Necro- and Xenomorphs, respectively.
While they all strive for the same emotional impact, they attempt to garner it in different ways. Sometimes, they only need a perspective-shift. Others need an entire overhaul to their game mechanics. But the best way to scare someone is to show them something they haven’t seen before, which leads to our Indie Highlight: Maid of Sker.
Sker-y Situation
Maid of Sker, inspired by R.D. Blackmore’s 19th century novel and a Welsh ballad, is a survival horror game in the first-person perspective like Outlast or Resident Evil 7. The main difference is content– Maid of Sker uses Welsh mythology as its background. Players will explore “a remote hotel with a macabre history [while they] brave the nightmares of The Quiet Men.”
Developer Wales Interactive says it is based on the true story of Elizabeth Williams, with Sker House a “real dwelling that still stands to this day and is said to be one [of] the most haunted in Britain.” Expect a story of forbidden love and a family legacy of “torture, slavery, piracy, and a supernatural mystery.”
The game has a 3D sound-based AI system, so the player must hide, run, creep, distract and even hold their breath in order to survive. Unfortunately, like in reality, the player’s breath can’t be held forever. Decisions also matter, as there are branching story paths and multiple endings.
Maid of Sker is releasing on July 28th, 2020 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. For more reviews and gaming news you can keep up to date at Informed Pixel. Want to speak to the team and interact with other gamers? You can do so over on the Informed Pixel Facebook page or on the Informed Pixel Twitter account.
