8-bit survival horror and live-action cutscenes combine with chilling effect in Tenebris Somnia
At first glance, Tenebris Somnia appears to be a homage to the classic point-and-click style 8-bit adventures of their day, but following the behind the scenes look with game director Andrés Borghi during the Future Games Show Spring Showcase we see there is much more to it than that.
The main character you play as is haunted by recurring nightmares about her ex-boyfriend Ivan being killed by horrible creatures, and after she's unable to make contact with him to allay her fears she decides to use the key she still has to their old apartment to investigate matters herself.
Taking cues from other survival horror games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, you get a growing sense of dread as you try to make sense of what you find in the apartment. You may feel somewhat protected and safe behind the low-resolution pixel art style, but at key moments that gets flipped upside down and suddenly you're transported to a film quality live-action cutscene where you have to face the latest horror head-on.
Back in the 8-bit world, you must use your survival horror skills to fight off the terrifying monsters that are now chasing you, battling them with weapons or whatever else you can get you hands on. This switching back and forth between the two very distinct presentation styles leaves you with an unnerving sense of dissonance, and you're never quite sure when the next unpleasant reveal or scare will appear during your quest to discover Ivan's fate.
If you want to sample the fear of Tenebris Somnia for yourself, then you can play the demo right now on Steam ahead of a planned release sometime in 2025.
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
