Video Games
Action Platformer ‘Eyes in the Dark’ Sees a Demo for Steam Next Fest [Trailer]
We’re always up for a game involving a haunted house. And developer Under the Stairs has one such title in Eyes in the Dark, a stylized action “roguelight” (you’ll see) game that’s set to be released next month on Steam. Before that, however, Under the Stairs will be debuting the game’s demo during Steam Next Fest.
Eyes in the Dark is an action platformer centering on protagonist Victoria Bloom. Victoria’s family mansion, Bloom Manor, has been consumed by darkness. That darkness has given way to monsters overrunning Bloom Manor, who have taken Victoria’s grandad, Victor. Armed with your flashlight and slingshot, Victoria must enter the mansion, drive back the darkness, and save her grandad.
What really makes Eyes in the Dark stand out is its aesthetic. The game is entirely made up of stylized monochromatic art. Plus, it’s dark. The only way to get through it all is with Victoria’s flashlight, which you’ll use to cut through the darkness and illuminate your path through the mansion. In addition to your flashlight, you’re armed with a slingshot to defeat enemies. You’ll also uncover new items and weapons that will help you on your quest, and change the way you play.
Seeing as this is a “roguelight”, each run through the Eyes in the Dark will be different. And as you’d expect, the farther you progress, the more difficult the game becomes. At the same time, you’ll also be uncovering powerful new perks to help you, but as a double-edged sword, they carry a corresponding weakness.
Steam Next Fest kicks off on June 13th, running in tandem with Summer Games Fest, which starts later today. Eyes in the Dark launches on Steam July 14th.
Video Games
Bloody Body Horror Revealed in ‘Stellar Blade: Blood Rain’, Currently in Development [Trailer]
Shift Up has shifted things dramatically from 2024’s action-adventure game Stellar Blade, offering up a body horror bonanza in the newly announced sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. The sequel is currently early in development, but if the trailer is any indication, players will be in for plenty of body horror.
Continuing the story from the original Stellar Blade, Blood Rain will star a new protagonist named Eve. Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of humanity has fled to a Colony in outer space.
Shift Up had mentioned during a Q&A following its latest earnings presentation last month that development on Blood Rain (which was still unannounced at the time) was progressing smoothly, and was on track to meet their targeted quality standards.
Shift Up stated that with this new title it would be transitioning to a first-party service model, effectively moving away from the restrictions the game experienced with original publisher Sony, which had the game under an exclusivity agreement for the PlayStation 5. “This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the Stellar Blade IP, and we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively.”
Whether this means that Xbox Players will finally be able to play the original game (or its sequel) is still not clear. Meanwhile, Stellar Blade is reportedly being ported to the Nintendo Switch 2, but no official confirmation has been made.