There are so many games today that claim to take inspiration from the PS1 era that it's often hard for them to stand out and grab people's attention.
Retro visuals typically aren't enough anymore to win people over on their own, with audiences also expecting a killer premise to make them drop what they are doing and get invested. And in the case of Cold & Afraid, we think the developers Sunamii Games have absolutely crushed it, with the studio pitching its latest game to players as essentially what "If Squaresoft Made A Law & Order Game in 1999".
If you're anything like us, this description along with the accompanying video of a young woman exploring gritty PS1-style environments has probably stopped you in your tracks and you're already throwing money at the screen. But it seems we might have a wait on our hands still before we actually get a chance to play it.
You see, the website for the game lists it as coming to PC (via Steam), but sadly, also mentions that it has no release date set in place just yet with the title expected to launch on Kickstarter first to raise some additional funds.
As a result, we'll just have to entertain ourselves with some of the crumbs of information that we've come across so far, such as its list of incredible influences (which includes Mizzurna Falls, Parasite Eve, Clock Tower, and Persona), some screenshots, and an outline of its story.
According to the website, the game will see players take control of a state police detective called Ericka Westfield who is dispatched to a city precinct to unravel the mystery of a brutal murder of a young girl and a mysterious codex that has been sent to the local newspaper, The Gazette. Teaming up with an experienced yet weary detective named Jasper Graham and a priest turned amateur sleuth called Father Noah Brown, it falls to this unusual grouping to unmask the identity of the killer and put a stop to their reign of terror before they can claim another victim.
You can visit the website here to sign up for the game's mailing list. The studio has a Discord and a Twitter page too, where development updates will also be posted.
Are you just as excited about this project as us? Let us know in the comments!