The Blair Witch Project is one of the most iconic horror movies out there, and many credit it with raise in popularity the “Found Footage” subgenre in the early 2000s. It spawned two movie sequels and three video games, none of which is particularly good. Well, Blair Witch Volume I: Rustin Parr was pretty decent.
But the franchise’s less-than-stellar history with video game does not deter Bloober Team, the creators of Layers of Fear, who just announced a brand new first-person psychological horror title simply called Blair Witch.
In Blair Witch, you play as Ellis, a former police officer with a troubled past. You and your best body Bullet (who is a dog and good boy), venture into the Black Hills Forest near Burkittsville, Maryland, to search for a missing boy. What starts as an ordinary investigation soon turns into an endless nightmare as you confront weird creatures in the woods and the witch herself as a mysterious force that haunts you.
The game tells an original story inspired by the lore of The Blair Witch Project. At one point in the trailer, you can even see a man standing in the corner of a room, with his back towards the camera. That is, of course, a reference to the original movie’s ending (and the story of Rustin Parr).
Anyone who played Layers of Fear and Observer is familiar with Bloober Team’s signature gameplay, and there’s nothing to indicate this game will be any different. We’re guessing it will have a lot of walking, twisted visuals, and jump scares.
We’re intrigued to find out how the flashlight, a tool that seems to damage the wood monsters, camera, and Bullet will factor into the gameplay. The dog better make it out OK, you hear me Bloober Team?
“We are so thrilled, and honestly a little scared, to bring all players, especially fans of Blair Witch, back into the haunted woods. It is genuinely an honor to be working on such a hair-raising, paradigmatic experience, which defined so many of our lives!” said Piotr Babieno, CEO at Bloober Team.
Blair Witch is coming to Xbox One and PC on August 30, and will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch. For more info on the game, you can rewatch the trailer, and visit the official website.
