Perception to become reality later this year

Written by Jack Allin — January 22, 2017 at 13:23

Lots of us may be a little afraid of things that go bump in the night. But what if you're blind, and "night" is all you know... and the things going bump may just be trying to kill you? If that sounds scary enough, then the table is set for The Deep End Games' Perception, coming to PC and PS4 later this year.

Perception is a "first-person narrative horror adventure" starring a young blind woman named Cassie whose dreams are haunted by a mysterious abandoned estate. Through extensive research she finally manages to track down the mansion in Gloucester, Massachusetts, but upon arrival she discovers that "Echo Bluff is worse than her nightmares. A ghostly Presence has tormented its inhabitants over generations, and it now hunts Cassie. She must solve the estate's mysteries or become one of its victims."

So how does one "see" their way through the game as a blind person? By using a visualized form of echolocation, in which vibrations create a murky but functional image of the immediate surroundings. With no means to defend herself, Cassie will need her keen sense of hearing at its sharpest, relying on ambient noises and the tapping of her own cane to navigate her way while attempting to avoid detection. But players must beware creating too much noise, as "there is a cost…sound will attract your enemies and reveal your location."

While The Deep End Games may not be a familiar name, the developers have an impressive pedigree, with series credits including the likes of BioShock, Rock Band, and Dead Space, among others. Partnering with new Polish publisher Feardemic, the Boston-based studio received successful Kickstarter funding for the PC version of the game, but has now added the PlayStation 4 as a platform. There is no current timetable for release, but both versions are expected out sometime in 2017.