At first glance, The Peterson Case looks like another generic horror title.
The game’s first gameplay trailer shows satanic symbolism, weird ghost ladies, stealth and chase sequences – all stuff we’ve seen in plenty of first-person horror games in recent years.
However, there is somewhat of a twist here.
The year is 1947, and you play as detective Franklin Reinhardt who investigates the disappearance of a family near Roswell, New Mexico. Some of you may already see where this is going.
As you explore the family house, you encounter an “unearthly presence.” So far, so generic. We’ve seen countless of unearthly presences in countless of homes, mansions, and dungeons. It is the bread and butter of the modern horror game.
But here comes the twist – The Peterson Case is an ALIEN horror game, not a GHOST horror game. It’s a small distinction, but one that opens up a lot of interesting doors.
As you can see in the trailer, the alien presence can teleport Franklin through space and time. So we’re not going to be stuck in the same creepy house throughout the entire game.
We see a creepy hotel as well, and an area that looks like a ditch in WWI – complete with specter German soldiers. It’s not quite clear how these tie into the story, but it feels fresh.
These locations and moments in time will be available for Franklin to explore throughout the story. Once in one of these moments, you’ll need to solve a puzzle or two to uncover a clue about the fate of the Peterson family.
These clues will be randomized every time a new game starts, so the game should be somewhat different in every playthrough.
According to developer Quarter Circle Games, The Peterson Case is inspired by games like P.T. and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, movies like Signs and The McPherson Tape, and stories of alien abductions in real life.
So far I have to admit the game doesn’t appeal to me all that much. It still feels rather generic, despite the alien abduction twist and time-hopping. Hopefully, future videos will help to dispell this feeling and present a unique horror experience, as the official website claims.
The Peterson Case is set to release on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at an unknown date. The game will also support VR if that is something you look for in your horror games.
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