The Black Death Isn’t a Thing of the Past Anymore

23 Jun, 2011

Get your head out of the history books, because we’re not talking about the Bubonic Plague of the 14th century. No, we’re talking about something a little scarier and a little closer to home. Paris-based indie game studio Darkworks today announced their new title, Black Death, which they promise will take the survival-horror genre one step further.

Set in an unnamed American city on the northeastern coast, the city is besieged by fog. This fog begins to infect people with a disease, and nobody knows what it is or how it spreads. Your role will be a survivor, charged with relieving this city of the mysterious affliction and either saving or killing its inhabitants as you go along in the game. “This new disease is spreading all over the city, making it a place full of sick people sunk into a comatose state,” said Darkworks. “Black Death is the personification of the fear generated by the recent pandemics and the mistrust which has been associated to their supposed origins (natural apocalypse, scientific, industrial, or military ones).

“Our goal with Black Death is to go one step further by focusing the game on three esential elements: speed, fluidity, and freedom of action.”

The creation of our own unique weaponry will be a part of the game, and chemical weapons is going to be a part of that arsenal. Other gameplay mechanics will include the decision to either cure or kill the infected people you meet, and how you choose your fighting strategy. If you think most games that force you to make decisions are typically bland and shallow, think again: this title promises that it’s difficult to kill, and you must make the decision to save or destroy in seconds. Otherwise you might be the one dying. Who knows, those you save might end up helping you during the course of the game.

Tantalized? Have a look at these screens. Don’t get too close…