Developer Santa Ragione and publisher Quantum Astrophysicists Guild recently revealed via a new trailer that the survival horror game Saturnalia will be released some time in 2021. Along with this announcement, it has also been confirmed that the upcoming title will be exclusively released on the Epic Games Store.
Saturnalia was initially announced in October of last year with a short yet intriguing teaser. Not a lot of information has been revealed by the developer since then, that is until the recent release of the new announcement trailer. Interested players now have new intriguing footage to chew on at least until the game’s release next year.
From what we know so far, Saturnalia is a survival horror adventure that takes place on December 21, 1989 — the day of Saturnalia, which is “the most popular holiday on the ancient Roman calendar.”
You won’t be controlling just one character in this game, though. According to Santa Ragione, you will get to “play as a cast of characters exploring an isolated village of ancient ritual.” In other words, you will be given the opportunity to play each different character until every single one of them dies.
Each character represents one life, and once all the characters get killed off, you will be able to restart the game and play again. There’s an interesting catch, though: the structure of the village will be completely different every time you begin a new game, which means that you will be provided with a brand-new experience.
The description of the recently-released gameplay trailer introduces the village of Gravoi, which seems to be the first time that the village’s name was mentioned. Among other things, the trailer also showcases the perspective and actions of the different characters you get to play as in the game, as each one tries to go through the streets and alleyways of the village with simply a flashlight or the light of a match.
The trailer description states that Saturnalia is about investigating “the lives of ordinary citizens determined to embrace the old ways – or defy them.” As such, you are tasked to explore the village in an effort to look for answers and “discover haunting secrets.”
Asides from Saturnalia’s unique visuals, the most disturbing part about the new trailer is arguably its narration. You can hear a feminine voice speaking in the background talking about the village of Gravoi and the holiday of Saturnalia as if reading through the notes of a tour guide.
As the trailer continues, the background music also increases in tempo as the narrator’s questions match the confusion conveyed by the characters running through the village’s streets and narrow corridors.
If you’re the type of gamer who enjoys the thrilling rush that survival horror games provide, then Saturnalia may just be a game you’ll enjoy. You can keep tabs on the game by checking its official website.
Saturnalia is set to release on PC in 2021 via the Epic Games Store. Santa Ragione and Quantum Astrophysicists Guild have yet to announce when the game will be released on other platforms.
