The latest iteration of Steam Next Fest has kicked off, so a torrent of demo downloads has begun. But I think I may have found one of my newest most anticipated games already.
It’s calledPhase Zero, and it’s reminiscent of games likeResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3: Nemesisin the best possible ways. And it all starts before you even get to the main menu, with this ominous warning screen that PS1-era survival horror games were known for.
Oh yeah. As a kid, this kind of screen really gave me the heebie jeebies. Now, it elicits a different kind of emotion in nostalgic excitement.Phase Zerostarts off with the player character waking up in a hospital and being subjected to a waking nightmare.
Zombies? Check. Clunky tank controls? Check. Inventory screen with a map, files, and equippable weapons? Check. Puzzle-like elements with hints found in notes all over the place? Check check. This is classicResident Evil,as classic as it gets, and the little sliver of playable content has me fiending for more.
This past weekend was a big one forResident Evil,which confirmedRE9asResident Evil: Requiemcoming in February, but the series’ influence ahead of its 30th anniversary was seen throughout the showcases. Another that comes to mind is an upcoming title similarly calledGround Zero, funnily enough, which also got some love during the Future Games Show Summer Showcase.
The game’s developer, SPINA Studio, describesPhase Zeroas “a modern reimagining of the survival horror golden era classics” where “the story is told in a series like manner – each chapter stars one of the two heroes.”
Like classicRE,it has “prerendered backgrounds, fixed cameras and the DNA of the PSX masterpieces” and “it blends nostalgic design with modern quality-of-life improvements, while honoring its iconic roots.” Yup, I can confirm.
ThePhase Zerodemo is absolutely worth checking out, and if you’re like me, slamming it into your Steam wishlist is the next course of action.
