Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Developer Spiral Bound Interactive is celebrating the spooky season with a demo for its upcoming game, You Will Die Here Tonight. Moving away from the traditional format, this demo is told in six chapters, with a new one released each day from October 25-30. I had the chance to play through the six-part demo, getting a taste of the creepy story that Spiral Bound is telling.
You Will Die Here Tonight tells the story of ARIES, a strike team that vanished during a mission to apprehend a man that murdered his wife and children. Upon entering his massive estate, the group is inexplicably separated from one another. Waking up in various locations of the mansion, members of ARIES quickly find themselves in grave danger.
Each slice of the demo focuses on a different member of the strike team, with the player being dropped into their shoes as they navigate the home of a murderer. Although it takes an anthology approach, the demos form a connected story. For example, the events of the first demo, which revolve around a medic named Ashley, directly tie into subsequent demos. They all come together to form a complete picture at the end.
The retro look of You Will Die Here Tonight invokes classic horror titles like Resident Evil, which clearly inspired the game’s setting and design. As you make your way through the mansion, you’ll find various items that will aid you. This includes weapons, keys, first-aid kits, and other miscellaneous items.
While most doors are locked and require a key, there is a mechanic that lets you peer through the keyhole, getting a glimpse at what (and who) is on the other side. With zombies running amok, this made for some genuinely unsettling sequences as I raced to complete an objective.
Puzzles are also an essential aspect of gameplay in You Will Die Here Tonight. There are secret codes to discover, riddles to decipher, and necessary items that can only be found through interacting with the environment.
The retro inspiration is also present in You Will Die Here Tonight’s combat. When you go into a battle, players are pulled into an instance where they can use the weapons in their inventory to defend themselves. This includes aiming and shooting a gun, swiping a knife, or simply using your arms to fend off the oncoming undead. It reminded me a lot of arcade shooters of the past.
The demo for You Will Die Here Tonight was an inventive way to bring viewers into this world and story, providing a taste of what to expect from the full release without giving too much away. The final product is currently aiming for a release sometime in 2023.
These impressions are based on a free Steam demo. You Will Die Here Tonight will be released in 2023.