The reveal trailer for the upcoming survival-horror title Post Trauma, from developer Red Soul Games and publisher Raw Fury, looks incredible. You might have missed it, though, since it was buried in the Game Awards pre-show, so allow me to give it its fair due.
In what is being touted as a reimaging of the classic fixed-camera survival-horror genre, Post Trauma puts players in the shoes of protagonist Roman who, according to the blurb on Post Trauma‘s Steam page, is a middle-aged train conductor trying to get the heck out of this nightmarish hellscape he finds himself in — no doubt another victim of trying to find a decent restroom in a train station.
I like that Roman just looks like an everyman — a schlub, if you will. He actually kind of reminds me a little of Deadman from Death Stranding, although I think more specifically he reminds me of Guillermo Del Toro himself. It’s nice to see the slightly portly middle-aged demographic getting a little digital love.
There aren’t any indications of what combat might be like (or if there even is any) in Post Trauma, as most of what’s shown in the short trailer is atmospheric — things like spooky blood-filled corridors or macabre depictions of what can only best be described as porcelain statue orgies. And there seems to be a strong emphasis on puzzle-solving and just moreover a sense of foreboding and dread.
Now, I should point out that there’s a gameplay demo video from about a year ago, which mostly shows the protagonist wandering around and solving puzzles, but he does pick up an axe and use it to attack some sort of creature at one point. It also appears there is a stamina bar of some sort, so it does seem like there will be at least some type of combat in the game.
Of course, the footage might not represent the gameplay of the final product, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see how much this one changes over time. This rudimentary combat could always be one of those features that ends up on the ol’ chopping block, or it could end up getting fleshed out and enhanced into something much richer and more complex.
Needless to say I am keeping my eye on this one. There is no hint of a release date, and the gameplay in the trailer feels kind of early in development still, so I imagine this one is still a ways off. That being said, Post Trauma landed on my Steam wishlist the moment the reveal trailer ended, as this one looks incredibly promising.
