Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Supermassive Games have just announced that the second installment in their The Dark Pictures Anthology series of horror games will be coming soon on October 30. Titled The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, the interactive horror game will launch for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope follows five characters: four college students and their professor in the titular town of Little Hope. Unbeknownst to them, the abandoned town contains secrets that hide within its impenetrable fog. Inspired by the real-life events of the 17th century Andover Witch trials, players will be plagued by nightmarish apparitions from the town’s dark and ritualistic past.
Gameplay-wise, The Dark Pictures Anthology and its predecessor Until Dawn revolve mostly around story-telling, with a bit of puzzle-solving and a lot of dialogue choices. Choosing the correct options dictate whether the cast of characters you control will make it through the ordeal or not. Same as The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, Little Hope has a Solo Mode, a co-op mode with another player online, or up to five friends offline in its couch mode. To be honest, there’s nothing to tweak regarding the game’s mechanics and core gameplay as its success is largely dependent on how strong its story, dialogue, and characters are. Extremes of this can be seen in Until Dawn, which was widely praised, and Man of Medan, which was panned.
Aside from its digital release, special editions of Little Hope will also be available. First off, pre-ordering the title will grant players access to the game’s “The Curator Cut,” featuring new scenes in addition to the final release of the game. This also includes different playable characters along with all-new choices and their corresponding outcomes. For Europe, a Limited and Collector’s Edition will also be made available at participating retailers. The Limited Edition will include a copy of both Little Hope and Man of Medan. Other goodies include a The Dark Picture Anthology cloth map, two map pins and a steel case with four slots, which may foreshadow as to how many games are left in the anthology. The Collector’s Edition, which is exclusive to the Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe Online Store, will include everything contained in the Limited Edition plus a replica of Mary’s 1692 poppet.
