The first fewResident Evilgames are beloved for a reason. Though their gameplay and visuals might feel and look a little dated now – almost 30 years after their initial release – that doesn’t take away from the monumental impact the classicResident Evilentries had on the gaming landscape, with them essentially popularizing the survival horror genre as fans know it today.
ThoughtheResident Evilremakeshave done a great job of modernizing the classic franchise formula, they’re obviously quite a departure from the original thing. For an experience more closely aligned withResident Eviland other classic 90s horror games, fans need only look to the indie scene, where games likePhase Zeroare offering a more traditional survival horror adventure.
Resident Evil Fans Need to Keep Phase Zero On Their Radar
How Phase Zero Captures The Spirit of Classic Resident Evil
Being developed by Warsaw-located SPINA Studio,Phase Zerois an indie horror game that’s currently in the works for PC.Phase Zero’s Steam page describes the upcoming game as a “modern reimagining of the survival horror golden era classics,” and its reveal trailer and confirmed features paint that picture clearly.
The most overt feature that immediately tiesPhase Zeroto classicResident Evilgames is its overall presentation. With its 32-bit character models, 3D pre-rendered environmental backdrops, and its darker lighting,Phase Zerocaptures the aesthetic ofPS1-era horror gamesperfectly. These visuals should go hand-in-hand withPhase Zero’s static, “curated” camera angles, and its retro audio effects and soundtrack.
Phase Zero’s setting and premise also take clear inspiration fromResident Evil, as well as the originalSilent Hill.Phase Zerowill see players take control of Guy and Mary, dual protagonists who need to survive a chaotic night in Flint Peak, a post-industrial harbor town that’s been suddenly struck by a mysterious illness that’s creating “grotesque” mutant monsters and zombies.
Though a full gameplay deep-dive hasn’t been given just yet,Phase Zero’s reveal trailer did showcase some familiar mechanics, and the game’s Steam page says it features the “DNA of the PSX masterpieces.” Players can expect staple survival horror mechanics like weapon and ammo scavenging and puzzle-solving to be present.
Phase Zero Will Be The Latest in a Long Line of Throwback Indie Games
While it looks to be offering a wholly unique experience,Phase Zerois the latest in a long line of recent indie games that have been loving homages to PS1-era horror. The last year has seen excellentindies likeCrow Country,Fear the Spotlight, andMouthwashingrelease, all of which were designed to hearken back to the survival horror genre’s 90s roots. SPINA isn’t even the only indie Polish studio with a throwback horror game in development, with Sonka’sHolstinalso on the way.
There’s clearly a strong market for theseclassic survival horror experiences, andPhase Zerois already seeing the fruits of its hard work, achieving over 10,000 wish lists in the week following its announcement. There’s no confirmed release date forPhase Zeroyet, but a playable demo is said to be “coming real soon,” according to the developers.
