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Supermassive Games has released a lengthy gameplay trailer for The Dark Pictures: Little Hope, and it’s intriguing.
The game has been recently postponed from its expected release in summer to autumn instead. “Our priority, throughout, has been the safety of our team,” said executive producer Pete Samuels, and the studio has grappled with the challenges of coordinating a large team remotely. However, the delay will let employees stay safe while the pandemic continues, and will improve the game with more time and resources. This gameplay trailer is a sneak peek of what fans have to look forward to in late 2020.
My thoughts? It’s very, very dark. Until Dawn had a bluey-grey, washed out tone to it, whereas Man of Medan alternated between sunny skies and the dingy interiors of an abandoned ship. Little Hope is veiled in fog, so it’s got a dreary effect to it, which I’m sure will be contrasted with bright, wintery shades in scenes set in the seventeenth century.
In addition, we see that Andrew and Angela have cuts and dirt on their faces and clothes. I imagine that the cast of characters were in an accident which traps them in the town Little Hope, at the mercy of its odd residents and odder phenomena. Unlike Until Dawn and Man of Medan, this game flaunts freedom of camera movement, and it’s a lot roomier when it’s further back from the character. This shows off the quality of the environments here in Little Hope, but part of the effectiveness of the fixed camera was the opportunity to scare the player. Now, on the other hand, you get a transition between perspectives, and ergo, a signal that something might spook you.
Once again, it’s all looking especially pretty, with reflections off the road and light effects cutting through the mist. The shimmers tell players where there’s something to investigate, and the three conversation options of “be dismissive, be supportive, or say nothing” show up too. In this section, Angela is skeptical of the things they’re seeing, whereas Andrew is more open. I won’t spoil the whole thing, because you should form your own opinion on the next game.
The Dark Pictures: Little Hope will be released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC in late 2020. Watch the gameplay trailer below.
