The nightmare is out today on PC and Xbox Game Pass.
World of Horror

When you think of "horror" creators, there are probably only a few names that come to mind. Two of the names you probably thought of are Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft.

Junji Ito is the creator of the deeply unsettling The Enigma of Amigara Fault. Chances are you have probably already read The Enigma of Amigara Fault. If you need a reminder, the phrase, "this is my hole! It was made for me," should help to jog your memory. If you haven't read it yet, you should do so (remember to read from the right side to the left side on these). Another of Junji Ito's works, Uzumaki, is actually being turned into an animated TV series for Adult Swim.

H.P. Lovecraft probably needs no introduction. The incredibly racist and xenophobic author created one of the world's most prolific horror creations: Cthulhu. His work on horror and fiction formed the basis for the Cthulhu Mythos. This whole universe spawned countless fan-created creations, writings, and have even served as the basis for several video games. In fact, we have have reviewed a few of them here over the years.

What happens then when you combine the ideas and the worlds created by Junji Ito and Lovecraft? Well, you apparently get World of Horror, a "cosmic horror retro RPG" from developer panstasz and publisher Ysbryd Games. Today is the date in which the game enters into an Early Access release on both Steam and Xbox Game Pass for PC. The full release of the game doesn't have a firm release timeframe outside of "late 2020." However, it is planned to come out on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Game Pass, and Steam for Windows and macOS at that time.

From another dimension, the Old Gods have come. In hospitals, abandoned classrooms, quiet apartments, and dark forests, strange appearances and unexplainable phenomena test the sanity of the town’s residents. Is it retribution, pure chaos, or the unknowable machinations of beings beyond our comprehension?
World of Horror allows you to choose from five characters and tackle 10 different mysteries for this Early Access release. These cases will include random encounters with a variety of nightmarish figures inspired by Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. You will "invoke dark rituals, cast life-prolonging spells, and scavenge for makeshift weapons" throughout the game.

Players will also have to find ways to keep their health and sanity high. They're going to need to be at the top of their game because each enemy they encounter will have a variety of ways in which they can mess with you. They can inflict physical harm on you. They can unleash an assault on your psyche that could lead to "debilitating effects or outright death." Each playthrough will have a chance of unlocking new and different events and encounters. There are also multiple endings for each mystery.

Horror writer Cassandra Khaw helped to bring the ideas from panstasz to literary life. The visuals were created entirely within MS Paint and go for that retro 1-bit look. The music is said to be of the "fuzzy, lo-fi chiptune" variety. When taken together as an entire package, the game is supposed to make players think back to the "unsettling nostalgia of late '80s computing where imagination, the most terrifying force of all, fills in the gaps."

You can find out more on this game from the World of Horror website. Keep in mind that today's release is only an Early Access release with the full game coming later this year. It can be yours for $14.99 (USD).



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