Editorials
16 Horror Games to Look Forward to in 2018
Well, 2017 is a memory, and there were many great reasons for horror fans to pick up a controller or keyboard. But now 2018 is upon us, and the question is: What’s in store for horror gamers this year? Fret not, we’ve got a whole list of games to keep an eye out for this year. And yes, some of these are technically from 2017 (due to Early Access on Steam and such), but they’re also technically having their final version released this year, so there you go.
Agony – March 30, 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
We’ve been in, well, agony waiting for this game to come out. Originally announced in a Kickstarter back in 2016, the game has gone through setbacks (for good reasons, though), but at least March isn’t too far off. And judging from the game’s Facebook page, things are getting quite interesting.
Hunt: Showdown – Closed Beta January 31st, 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
Hunt: Showdown has had its fair share of turbulence, seeing as the game was announced way back in 2014. After getting a massive overhaul (including a name change), the game looks to be back on track. It still isn’t fully complete, but a Closed Alpha is progress.
System Shock – Q2 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
How sweet would it be to have an overlooked classic like System Shock get a modern update that finally sets things right? Nightdive seems to know what they’re doing, even if they had to take a step back during the switch from Unity to Unreal Engine. Still, the chance to roam Citadel Station once again is worth the wait.
Scorn – October 2018 for PC
As our own John Squires said, Scorn is probably what hell would look like if Giger himself designed it. Scorn is still a ways off, and like Hunt: Showdown, this puppy’s been in development since 2014. Developers Ebb Software can’t be blamed for being complacent, as they’ve stated that they want to “create a broad gameplay experience”. Whether it’ll be ready by October is another story.
Days Gone – 2018 for PlayStation 4
Yet another game that’s been in the works for some time, Days Gone is, according to Sony, on its way this year. A mix of Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead, the video from last year’s E3 got a ton of people excited. Hopefully that excitement leads to something other than another delay.
Overkill’s The Walking Dead – Fall 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
Speaking of The Walking Dead, Overkill have been at work on this one for (surprise!) a while now. But with a cool teaser last month, the delays might all be forgiven if the game delivers.
We Happy Few – Summer 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
Yes, this dystopian indie game has already been “released” via Early Access, but it doesn’t receive its official final release until this summer. You can still spring for the rather pricey Collector’s Edition before then. Then there’s also that proposed film in development…
Moons of Madness – Q2/3 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
Rock Pocket Games and their Cthulhu-inspired sci-fi adventurer are going for a character-driven fare mashed up with The Martain, and I can’t say that I couldn’t be more intrigued with the delightful psychological horror the story could hold. It’s a shame that we’ll have to wait a while yet for the game.
State of Decay 2 – 2018 for PC and XBox One
Undead Labs’ State of Decay had flack thrown its way for its lack of co-op multiplayer. That and more looks to have been fixed with the sequel, which will allow players to join up to three friends in their zombie mashing exploits.
Visage – 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
After the demise of P.T., two projects sprung up in an attempt to take its place: Allison Road and Visage. Both projects have been slow to update, with Allison Road being canceled, and then being brought back. Visage, on the other hand, has been steadily progressing (according to its Kickstarter page, at least), and seems set for a release soon.
The Inpatient – January 23, 2018 for PlayStation VR
Yep, it’s about time that this one came out after its two-month delay. Another psychological horror title, it’ll be great to revisit the Until Dawn universe (set sixty years prior to the original game), this time in VR!
Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game – 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
The other Cthulhu game scheduled this year, even though the official website lists its release date as “to be announced”. Based on pen-and-paper RPGs, the game will blend psychological and Lovecraftian horror elements with its gameplay, tasking players with solving the mystery behind the death of an entire family, which eventually is revealed to be linked to the revival of Cthulhu.
DayZ – 2018 PC, XBox One and (potentially) PlayStation 4
Bohemia Interactive are pushing their game to be released this year, though when 1.0 is going to be out isn’t clear (despite heading out of Early Access). Then there are those XBox One and PlayStation 4 ports (even though the PS4 wasn’t mentioned in the dev’s post on Steam) and the missed beta. But good on the team for acknowledging the latter.
The Forest – 2018 for PC and PlayStation 4
Set to come out of Early Access this year, there was that PlayStation 4 trailer last month that gave some reprieve to fans who have been waiting since 2015 to get their hands on this one. Plus, who doesn’t want to kill cannibals?
Vampyr – Q1/Q2 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
Dontnod Entertainment seem to know their way around storytelling thanks to titles like Remember Me and Life is Strange. So if being a vampire in London during the midst of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic didn’t sound cool enough from the start, then adding in some well-crafted story can’t be a bad thing.
Remothered: Tormented Fathers – 2018 for PC, XBox One and PlayStation 4
Darril Arts’ psychological horror creepfest Remothered will be coming out of Early Access on January 30th, which is a plus for PC gamers. Unfortunately, XBox One and PlayStation 4 owners will have to wait for a bit before the port. If you’re the impatient type, you can grab the game on Steam for a discount before the release date.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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