I’ve been on a PS1 kick as of late with the Graveyard covering two racing games of that era, and it feels like perfect timing that Dread Delusion is set to be out soon using a PS1-influenced art style. It’s rare that we see a PS1 art style in a commercial release, but love for it has grown over the years with things like fan creations like Bloodborne PSX showing off the beauty in the jagged polygon look. In its time, the PS1 had very first-person RPGs in its entire lifespan and befitting a project like Bloodborne PSX, King’s Field was created by FromSoftware and was a first-person RPG unlike anything before or many games since.
FromSoft With Love
Lovely Hellspace clearly had King’s FIeld in mind when making Dread Delusion, but also wanted to craft an adventure that makes better-use of today’s technology than just using the art style would. First-person RPGs since King’s Field have largely been limited to the Elder Scrolls games and while that has expanded the genre’s popularity many times over thanks to hits like Skyrim, it’s also led to folks wanting something less grandiose because those games can be daunting to get into. Dread Delusion aims to give you a world that you want to explore, but not making it too large to get intimidated by. Players can do things at their own pace and go onto quests at their own pace and chat up the locals in the world too.
A Blend of Bright of Foreboding
Combat is key and players have access to both shorter-range gear like swords as well as longer-range spells, guns or even bows and arrows. Puzzle-solving is part of the core equation as well and the in-game world looks impressive with a gloomy red sky and corrupted townspeople turning into monsters while allies forge new friendships and band together to try and take the town back from a corrupt king. Dread Delusion first entered early access in June of 2022 and has had consistent updates since then – including a Clockwork update that opened up a lot of new missions.
Fearsome Foes
Players have the freedom to change up their style with upgrades – going from things like a basic blade into a high-end Clockwork Sword as time goes on and you gain more skills. The game’s 1.0 release adds in a whole new area to explore called the Underlands alongside new quests, dungeons, towns, enemies, dialogue and endgame content too. Early bird buyers of 1.0 will be able to get a 20% discount on it from May 9 through the 16 as well, with the game releasing on May 14.
Check out the trailer for Dread Delusionhere.
Graveyard: Explosive Racing
Explosive Racing follows up on last month’s Burning Road to deliver another stormer of an arcade racer.
