Upcoming horror hide n' seek video game The Flock sees a sort of finality that has never been attempted in the medium of interactive games before. Once the flock fades, the game will end forever.
Touting content that contains "only unscripted scares," meaning it won't have any of those cheeky jump scares, The Flock is an asymmetrical multiplayer game that pits a flock of hunters versus the "Carrier."
The Carrier attempts to illuminate objectives scattered throughout the game world. Meanwhile, the throngs of hunters that make up the flock are thirsty and are dying to replace the Carrier. The Carrier fends off the folks with light, which causes them to fre... uh, stand still.
(Photo : Vogelsap) "Ah, what's this stream of photons!? I must stand still and stare!"
Developer Vogelsap says the matches will be fast-paced and to-the-point, but maintains that the flock is finite.
"After the ending, the game will go offline permanently and no longer be playable," said Vogelsap.
The goal was to make an immersive and unconventional experience that facilitates tension and frights in the gameplay, creative director Jeroen van Hasselt told the good folk at Eurogamer.
"These things don't last unfortunately," said van Hasselt. "So from all perspectives there's a big theme to it, as the Flock are a tragic race that's doomed to extinction."
Van Hasselt admitted that it's a huge risk to make what is possibly the first game of its kind. Yes, games die and the Gamespy shutdown was a massacre, with so many great games lost. But The Flock is programmed to die.
Taking "risks is part of our corporate culture as we're near-reckless ambitious students," van Hasselt said. "We want to create an authentic experience, not have the best business deal for ourselves."
The staff at Vogelsap likes to go on adventures, engaging in experiences with unknown outcomes. The Flock reflects that spirit, he said.
"A multiplayer game can take players to incredible heights, but at some point gamers will start to play less, get disinterested and stop playing altogether," said Van Hasselt. "In opposition to other multiplayer games, we want The Flock's experience to inspire a sense of awe, to keep players eagerly anticipating what is coming next and to end with a memorable climax."
Find out more about what The Flock will be like when it's released later this year for PC on Steam:
