Noisy Valley Studios is working to deliver their self-published rural England survival horror title, Summerford, by late 2020.
With today’s announcement comes a teaser trailer that gives shows the visual and rustic aesthetic of the abandoned 1980s rural English village. Accompanying the dark visuals of the abandoned village of Summerford is a simple piano melody that increasingly goes out of tune to emphasize that horror that awaits at the end of the trailer.
The game takes inspiration from classics of the genre through its usage of fixed perspective cameras that create a dark, cinematic and atmospheric world to explore. Similar styling can be seen in games such as the original Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Alone in the Dark.
I’ve been playing survival horror games all my life. The shift to first person, even amongst indie titles, has been dramatic, and while there are obviously many benefits that perspective can bring to horror, I feel like we’ve lost a very specific kind of atmosphere and environment that you can create using a mix of dynamic and fixed perspective cameras.
Rob Clarke, Summerford Co-Designer
To set itself apart from its inspiration, Summerford’s aim is to find a balance between modern and classic gameplay. From modernized controls and UI to more accessible puzzle mechanics. An emphasis on exploration-focused gameplay, players are tasked with managing their limited resources when faced with moments of action or forced into solving varied challenging puzzles. All of these elements help to bring the player into the game making them feel like they are a part of the environment.
In the game, players take on the role of urban explorer Sam Linden. He is the head of a group of urban explorers that made it past the exclusion zone and into the English village of Summerford that was abandoned after a nuclear disaster in the 1980s. The dark and isolating journey full of exploration will hopefully uncover the truth about the accident and why no one has ever been allowed back.
Summerford is scheduled to be released in Q4 of 2020. Interested players can wishlist the game on Steam. The latest information about Summerford can be found on the game’s website at visitsummerford.com or follow @SummerfordGame on Twitter.
Noisy Valley Studios is a family run indie studio based in Kent, England. Founded in 2019 by Robert Clarke (Producer and Designer), his brother Daniel Nethersole (Developer and Designer) and Daniel’s wife, Sarah Nethersole (Lead Artist). They work out of a spare room in a house located in the English countryside where they are currently creating Summerford.
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