Okay, imagine this: HOTEL BARCELONA — yeah, weird name, right? — this bonkers video game brainchild from SWERY and SUDA51 hits the PlayStation 5 lineup this September. And it’s dropping courtesy of CULT Games and White Owls. Mad hype, I tell ya.
Picture a hotel — not just any ol’ inn, but one that pops up right on the sketchy line between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Luxurious to the unsuspecting, but actually a killer’s playground. Why is it always the unexpected places?
And you, well, you’re Justine. Not just Justine, though. You’re a newbie federal marshal, but — plot twist — you’re sharing brainspace with Dr. Carnival, this whack dude with more than a few screws loose. Together, you’re on a mission to survive this insane hotel by taking down murderers before they get you. Doesn’t this sound like a fever dream concocted on too much caffeine?
Heading deeper, what do we have here? A game not just stitching together side-scrolling action gimmicks but a 2.5D whirlwind that demands your every ounce of attention. Each move’s about smart planning, spot-on timing, and, well, using your noggin’ to navigate these haunted zones soaked in ’80s horror flick vibes.
Now the kicker: dying is a tactical play. Yep, that’s right. Each time you bite the dust, shadows of your past self, called Slasher Phantoms, spring to life. Use these echoes as a kinda shield or a diversion. Or just mess with your enemies. Chaos, my friend, breeds strength… or so they say.
And blood — yes, blood, this visceral goo — powers you up. Getting splattered with it isn’t just for show. Fill up your Skull Gauge, and unleash the Carnival Awakening, if that doesn’t sound like a Halloween party trick gone wrong.
Imagine this: Seven areas in the game, each a nod to different horror themes — no two zones the same. From ghost-infested mansions to freaky labs, each boss fight ramps up the insanity. You gotta indeed be quick on your feet for these.
This twisted ride? Courtesy of two legends, SUDA51 and SWERY, fusing their individual chaos into something unforgettable. Maybe they were just spitballing, or perhaps it was a lightbulb moment over late-night ramen. Who can even say anymore?
Anyway — was there something else? No, wait, that’s all. HOTEL BARCELONA, man, what a trip.