Japanese horror has always been deeply terrifying, yet it seems developers have shied away from touching the genre as of late. Hifumi Kouno thinks it’s time we revisit it.
Kouno, creator of Clock Tower: The First Fear and its sequel, announced at TGS his latest project. During the Inide Stream event, he revealed Project Scissors which was said to return to the authentic Japanese horror experience. Developed by indie studio, Nude Maker, Inc. Kouno gave us some tidbits about the game and the creative team that is behind it.
Project Scissors is a return to the run-and-hide survival horror game genre seen in Clock Tower. It takes place on a cruise ship after it has set sail, now stranded in the middle of the ocean. The ship is plagued with mysterious deaths and most the crew is calculated among the death toll. Your only chance for survival is to make yourself scarce on the ship until you can figure out a means to escape.
The team behind this project is stepped in horror lore.
Of course you have Hifumi Kouno at the helm, and he started it all in his games, but the others may have you wetting your pants by the opening logo. Masahiro Ito, the creative background and creature designer for the Silent Hill games (1-3) and Takashi Shimizu, the director of the Ju-on films (The Grudge over here in the west), will also be working very closely on the game.
Further details about the indie horror game are scarce, but we were given this quote in the official press release from Kouno:
“When conceiving the idea for a new horror game, I focused on staying true to the essence of what I created in Clock Tower, which was the edge-of-the-seat suspense and fear of an unknown. I have been preparing for this game for over 5 years– and now the development is finally about to begin.
Over the last few years, I was joined by a wonderful group of creators with impressive resume, driven by the common passion to create something original outside the big commercial game franchises.
This is my first foray into the indie scene, but the nature of the horror genre in its purest form is about overcoming obstacles such as limited budget and time with passion and talent. I’m willing to push myself to the limit, and I’m excited and ready for this challenge.”
Prepare yourself for true horror to be revisited (and bring an extra pair of underwear) when Project Scissors gets released . Just make sure to warn the people next to you on the bus if you’re a screamer, as fear goes mobile on the PS Vita and Smartphones.
