An announcement trailer has been released at PAX West for upcoming psychological horror title Once Upon a Time in Roswell. The mysterious footage offers little in the way of specifics, but the alien implications of Roswell, as well as a scattering of announced details, allow for an exciting picture to be painted.
This is in fact not the first appearance of this project, though it is the first with this name and the attachment of publisher tinyBuild. Developer Quarter Circle Games previously promoted the game as The Peterson Case, releasing a virtually identical trailer in early 2018 - clearly they have since been fortunate enough to find a publisher and have reworked the game somewhat, if only in finding a more evocative title.
According to the game’s Steam page, Once Upon a Time in Roswell will task players with uncovering the mystery of the missing Peterson Family. Exploration, survival and solving the family’s disappearance will form the pillars of the game, with little details as yet about mechanics and content. There is a stealth focus, as players make their way through the streets of Paris and the mines of Roswell, experiencing flashbacks to war and encountering beings not of this earth.
The tense and mysterious trailer depicts a range of locations and threats, from trenches manned by soldiers wearing gas masks, perhaps connecting to the mentioned flashbacks of past war, to dimly lit halls overtaken by symbols and spreading darkness, haunted by an ominous, shuddering woman. Disturbing imagery is evoked - an inverted cross, a weeping victim being silenced by gunshots, an investigating detective being rushed by a creature in the darkness.
Publisher tinyBuild have previously published horror in 2017’s Hello Neighbour. Another stealth-horror game, Hello Neighbour attracted a mixed reception from critics and audiences - described as a fast-paced and suspenseful clockwork mansion caper let down by bug-ridden, dysfunctional execution. A common complaint of the title was that it simply wasn’t scary enough, a stylized art style and frustrating mechanics severely dampening whatever scares it could muster. The dark and tense atmosphere of this trailer is promising in terms of horror, though little can be gleaned so far in terms of gameplay.
Once Upon a Time in Roswell is projected for a late 2020 release date, and will be coming to Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Are you anticipating this title’s release? What do you make of the mysterious trailer? Let us know in the comments below!
