Announced back in July 2021, MADiSON is a first-person psychological horror game that drops in just a week, releasing on July 8, 2022. Though the developer, Bloodious Games, has tried to keep the curtain pulled over most of the game’s stories and mechanics, a few gameplay trailers have been released, each one creepier than the last. Locked in a dark room, the player must solve puzzles to progress and must hold off the ancient demons that are attempting to possess them, all the while only armed with an instant camera.
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MADiSON Has Serious PT Vibes
Taking one look at the gameplay trailer, it’s easy to compare MADiSON to the infamous PT demo. Eventually unveiled to be the teaser for a new, now-canceled, Silent Hills, PT was groundbreaking upon its 2014 release. Since then, just about every other Indie horror game has attempted to borrow PT’s unique visual style and pacing, but while most fail to live up to the hype, it seems as though MADiSON might actually manage it.
Based on the footage for MADiSON released so far, it seems as though the game will primarily take place inside a large house. This house appears very visually similar to the house in PT, with stark white walls, and sharp, bright lighting guiding the way down its long corridors. However, this house isn’t quite as clean as it looks. By using their camera, the main gimmick of the game, players will be able to get a glimpse of an otherworldly realm, where dark mold patches stretch across the walls, and monsters bend their bones in horrifying stop-motion-like animation. The entire tone and visual style of MADiSON seems very similar to PT’s, with the player seemingly being encouraged to be as cautious as possible, while also feeling as though they’re in constant danger.
The main gimmick of MADiSON, the player’s camera, is what sets the game apart from other PT clones out there. To progress through the game, and uncover the truth behind the game’s central plot, players will need to take photos of their surroundings and objects. As the player-character shakes the picture produced, hidden details about the environment will be revealed, such as clues to unlock a door, or hidden objects that will help the player fend off demons.
The player’s reliance on their camera seems like it’ll lend itself well to a plethora of jump-scares, as every time the player takes a photo, there’s the potential that a demon will appear out of thin air or the environment will change suddenly. If MADiSON can deliver on its unique premise and central game mechanic, then it could easily end up being one of the scariest games of the entire year.
MADiSON will release on July 8 for Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.
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