With a Resident Evil 4 remake on the way, the new-on-the-scene indie developer Spiral Bound Interactive presents a more retro option with the announcement of their very first game, a 90s-stylized survival horror game that seems to be heavily based on the original Resident Evil games, particularly the first iteration from 1996. Similar to Resident Evil, players are trapped in a horror-filled mansion, this time with a total of six members of the so-called Aries Division, arriving on the scene to find and detain a killer. In a trailer released today, Spiral Bound showcases the ever-shifting narrative present in the game.
This trailer places a large emphasis on the presence of death in the game, as dying is not the end of a playthrough or level, but an actual game mechanic that can shift the tides of the narrative. Similar to a fully-narrative game like Supermassive’s Until Dawn (now owned by Nordisk Games), death is a permanent consequence that must be factored into a player’s choices. There are no resurrections (as far as we’re aware), so the player must carry on from where they left off with one of the game’s other living characters. Assumedly, when all six are dead, that will present a true game-over.
Another difference in gameplay from the original Resident Evil relates to the perspective shifts also present in the trailer. Aside from changing protagonists as a character dies, players must also adapt between a thoroughly 90s third-person combat system and an immediately first-person shooter sytem, bringing the mansion’s threats front and center to the player’s view. Looking to be filled with secrets and surprise dangers, players must wind their way through the estate’s retro puzzles and treacherous hallways in order to unravel the mystery before them. To do so, players must use each of the six characters and their variety of unique abilities and personalities to counter the many menaces of the mansion. As the trailer’s description reads:
Can you embrace the death of your team to uncover the truth, or will all of your sacrifices have been in vain?
There is no release date as of right now, but You Will Die Here Tonight is already available to wishlist on Steam.