Indie developer Noisy Valley announced a new Resident Evil-inspired game, Summerford. The first Resident Evil game, released in 1996, started the survival horror genre, which focuses less on combat and more on puzzles, ammunition management and stealth, and has since served as the inspiration for several other titles and developers.
On January 25, 2019, game developer Capcom released a remake of Resident Evil 2, and it proved more classic takes on the genre could still be popular among fans when done right. Additionally, a Resident Evil 3 remake is set for release on April 3, 2020. It will include an innovative AI version of the original game’s iconic villain, Nemesis. This will make the terrifying monster’s attacks even more unpredictable. As a result of the surge in interest in Resident Evil, it’s easy to see why indie developers are interested in resurrecting old-school survival horror as well.
A couple days ago, developer Noisy Valley Studios announced its upcoming title, Summerford, on Reddit. According to the developer, Summerford was inspired by classics such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark. However, Noisy Valley revamped some “archaic” elements from these games, such as the controls, to deliver the best possible experience for modern gamers. The game takes place in the ’80s in an English village, and the protagonist is a young woman, Sam, who gets separated from her friends. As Noisy Valley stated, the location was created to look as realistic as possible. “It has less world heritage sites and more fish and chip shops [in comparison with English villages you see in the media],” said the game developer.
Noisy Valley is a family-run video game studio. Its team is made up of three people: Daniel, his wife Sarah and his uncle Rob. Summerford already has a Steam page, which says that the game is set for release later in 2020. Last week, Noisy Valley released the game’s official trailer on YouTube, showcasing the game’s gloomy atmosphere.
Since Resident Evil 4, the survival horror genre has changed dramatically. Newer titles feature more combat and rely less on the bread-and-butter of the original Resident Evil games, like the need to ration scarce ammunition or the vulnerability of the player. If Noisy Valley manages to stay true to the roots of the genre, Summerford will surely attract the attention of thousands of nostalgic players. Hopefully, the story will be entirely new rather than a remix of elements from the games that inspired it. In any case, with its promising graphics and creepy atmosphere, Summerford is certainly one of the most interesting indie games set for launch in 2020.
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Summerford is scheduled for release later in 2020.
Source: Reddit
