Indie publisher Ratalaika Games joined forces with developer Steelkrill Studio to announce a dark and disturbing horror survival game – Trenches, set in WW1. Planned for release on the 20th January 2023 coming on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch, priced at $9.99 €9.41, its atmospheric setting is a stark reminder of a period that will send chills down your spine!
Death Walk Besides You
The word Trenches alone conjures up many negative views and the experience that is presented is one the development team has delved into in as much detail as possible to create the barren, isolating world of war and your one focus is on surviving!
Inspiration has come from reading about historic incidents, watching many documentaries, and a fascination for WW1, however, the development team pointed towards the awesome movie 1917 as a big determining factor. There is no getting away from the fact that “WW1 is often forgotten as to how brutal it was”, was a stand out comment.
The Game!
Trenches begins when the soldier you play wakes up from a blast and sees everything in ruins. He reaches into his pocket and finds the picture of his family. He knows that he must try to survive if he ever wants to see them again. From there, your objective will be to escape the claustrophobic environment and experience the war from the eyes of a soldier caught behind enemy lines, in this surreal nightmare, as you fight for your life (and sanity) to get back home to your family.
Surviving
The only way to escape is by finding clues and objectives scattered around the Trench map which will be like a maze. These objectives will be randomised on each play-through so all will be different. The player needs to be focused as a monster will be following him and will be roaming around the Trenches. The player can use a “trench whistle” which, when used, players can hear a crying sound and they need to follow the crying sound to find the next clue. However, the catch is the monster can also hear the trench whistle and comes running at you.
Enemies will also be able to hear if you walk on wood as it will make creaking noises or if you break any bottles. Alongside that, there will be other things that can aid you in the game such as Wire Cutters, Gun, Map, etc. which can help.. if you find them.
Does Another Dawn Beckon?
The atmospheric ambience of the game is heightened by attention to detail of light and textures, as the developer explained, “We wanted to make players feel like they really were stuck in the Trenches and to feel helpless and lost at all times. The gritty atmosphere helped, but also sounds and environment plays a big part too. We focused a lot on creating the right environment and since the game takes place only in the trenches, we could focus on those little extra details when it comes to the graphics.”
Features and Gameplay Elements Include:
- Randomised actions and scares
- Every changing setting, puzzles and challenges.
- Freedom to explore
- Lots of objectives to find
- Two game modes
- Surprises galore…………
