Anthology of Fear: Trailer, Gameplay, Release Date and Everything We Know

Anthology of Fear is the latest first-person psychological horror game from developer RG Crew and published by Ultimate Games. Previously responsible for making the short “Silent Hill” inspired video game Purgatory Hill, Anthology of Fear is the first major foray for RG Crew in the gaming industry and they sure aim to leave an impression. The studio released the trailer for the last year in August, followed by the trailer which confirmed its release on Nintendo Switch.

The game will feature three stories with different characters and according to the studio, each story will incorporate a unique gameplay element. The three stories will be unrelated to the plot but it is reasonable to assume that there will be some common thread to connect them all. Players will have to solve puzzles to uncover the mysteries that surround the world.

As the press release for the game states, “The story will force you to explore each of the worlds of the game. Get to know all the stories and the laws that govern them.” The game aims to provide a unique experience with stories that are weird, unpredictable and unreal.

Anthology of Fear Story and Gameplay

The studio has not released any story details yet. The only information we have is to be found from the game’s steam page and the press release along with the interview. The game will have three separate stories each in different locations and in a different timeline.

First Timeline

The first story will take place in the 20th century in a remote area in Siberia. The player character will have to survive the wilder lands from what we are able to suppose from the trailer.

The gameplay will reportedly feature elements of hunting and survival. From the looks of the trailer, it seems that the character will also be able to arm itself to attack and defend against the various dangers, not excluding supernatural danger.

Second Timeline

The second story will take place in more contemporary times. From the trailer, it seems you will be taking control of a woman trapped in a house while you have visions of a monster. The game will most definitely not be limited to just simple horror but will employ psychological tactics as well. The game itself specifies that the strangest events “have logical and very mundane explanations.” We will have to see how the studio develops on these promises and whether they will succeed in it.

Third Timeline

The third story will be showing “unreal events between shreds of reality”. Honestly, it’s hard to describe the third one since we don’t have enough information and also it is to be expected since this story will probably take place on an imaginary plane.

From what we have seen in the trailer this story might work in the dream format, where nothing will make logical sense. The part about learning the laws of the world might apply here. The trailer showed a variety of scenes such as walking on the ceiling, time passing away quickly. Honestly, all we can do is wait and see.

The director and the chief designer of Anthology of Fear went on to say – “Each of the three stories is different – of course, there are also different characters, time periods, and so on. The player thus receives three smaller games in one. Each of them will provide different experiences. Our game will be diverse and ambiguous. It won’t be any problem for fans of the series Silent Hill and Outlast to find themselves in Anthology of Fear.

The same goes for titles in the style of Layers of Fear, Alan Wake or even Hunt: Showdown” but players can surely expect more unique experience compared to the aforementioned games, I mean at least the studio will try its best. Also considering the game is being made by such a small studio, it looks pretty great if the trailers are to be believed. It surely is not the most realistic looking game but I really liked the art style which the studio is going with. But for me, the real star of the show was the soundtrack.

The audio design for the game sounds phenomenal and each story will have its own sound work unique to it. for me it seemed a breath of fresh air, it was high time since we moved away from screeching violins and haunting pianos. The game might feature some of the typical sound design but I hope they are able to make it unique.

This is the information provided by the studio on the game’s Steam page:

“The world that surrounds us is not always obvious. Sometimes the weirdest, unpredictable and unreal events have logical and very mundane explanations.
Anthology of Fear is three unique stories of such events taking place in different epochs and realities.

Take on the role of three heroes, control their actions and experience the horror of the early 20th century in the remote areas of Russia, contemporary drama taking place in an ordinary house, and unreal events between shreds of reality.

Each episode is unique gameplay with a set of different features. From the mere expulsion of the world, through hunting, to the struggle for one’s own existence.

Three unique stories – each of them is different locations and different from each previous style of the game.

Gameplay deriving solutions from the classics of the genre – do not expect simple and boring jumpscare. The mood of the game is built here by the atmosphere.

Psychologic horror – nothing that surrounds you must be obvious. Get deeper into the symbolism of the threads of history and get to know what really happened.

Exploration motivated by a story – the story will force you to explore each of the worlds of the game. Get to know all the stories and the laws that govern them.”

We don’t have an exact release date for the game, but it is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2020, on both PC and Nintendo Switch. Its success is actually very much dependant on when it releases the game considering it will have to compete with such games as Resident Evil 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, games which will totally overshadow its release. Its system requirements are also quite heavy considering its scale.