If you’re looking for a new horror game that feels like it came out twenty plus years ago, look no further than Dawn of Fear. The brand new fixed-camera indie title on the PS4 tells a gripping supernatural horror story while simultaneously writing a heartfelt love letter to the genius behind Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
In short, Dawn of Fear follows a man named Alex who must solve puzzles, collect clues, and face terrifying zombies inhabiting his aunt’s creepy old mansion. Given the title’s fixed-camera style and clear inspiration, it only makes sense that it would take place in the 1990s, and that’s when it looks like this game was released as well.
Spanish developer, Brok3nsite, is clearly filled with people who romanticize the originators of the survival horror genre. Through Dawn of Fear, it is so plainly evident that the team set out to recreate the same terrifying feeling of playing a straight forward survival horror game from the late 1990s, and it’s a refreshing sight to see. Dawn of Fear somehow manages to give you a strong sense of nostalgic terror despite the fact that it’s a PS4 game in 2020.
To the untrained eye, Dawn of Fear is a Resident Evil rip off with bad graphics. Or at least those might be the words a critic would have used if this game were to have come out years ago. Instead, it’s an impressive homage to a long lost style of making video games, and proof that a big budget isn’t necessarily the only way to make an experience worth having.
What might really draw one’s eye to this title though, is the fact that it’s so clearly a passion project made by a group of people who genuinely care about what they’re doing. Resident Evil and Silent Hill gave them a magnificent feeling all of those years ago, and they’ve set out to recreate that feeling for all those out there that might appreciate it.
Dawn of Fear’s release comes at a perfect time too if you take into consideration the revitalization of the survival horror genre. A few years ago we were living in a world where Silent Hill had all but died out, and Resident Evil had ditched survival horror for action. Now, we’re seeing Resident Evil releasing new games that go back to the genre’s roots, new Silent Hill games being developed, and surprising Indy games like Dawn of Fear get a release on the PS4. For fans of the genre, the future is certainly bright.
READ NEXT: Crafting, Survival, And Horror Come Together In The Pixelated Zhelter
