Whether it’s the paranormal, crime, or a particularly busy hospital, the “monster of the week” trope remains one of the most recognizable storytelling formats on television - from The Winchester brothers and Mulder & Scully, to Buffy, the Scooby Gang and the Charmed Ones. While few games have embraced this narrative loop, HellSign, a hardcore supernatural RPG launching on Steam Early Access on November 7, wears its passion for these series’ on its sleeves.
Inspired by years of paranormal hunting in television and games, the team at Ballistic Interactive have translated one of TV’s most enduring tropes - the infamous monster of the week - into a game that puts players through the paces as a hunter of all things abnormal. Rather than being the Chosen One on a linear quest to take down the Big Bad, HellSign revels in the thrill of the hunt, as though you’re just someone who’s doing their job - albeit a particularly dangerous one.
Adopting an open-ended mission structure, players take on procedurally-generated contracts around the city in whatever order they please. Just like your favourite monster of the week episode, they then have to investigate the disturbance, collect as much information as possible, load up on equipment, and take down the threat, all before hitting the streets and identifying the next bounty to bag. With this tight gameplay loop at its core, players are immediately familiar with what needs to be done, but the how is where HellSign’s encounter engine and reverence for its inspirations offers up continuous surprises and tense hunts.
“As a supernatural lover myself, the monster of the week genre is particularly interesting because of it’s ‘unknown’ element,” noted Ballistic Interactive's Pete Skyking. “You never know what to expect, what you will encounter, and what might happen at any given time. Couple this with some heavy inspirations from games such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Silent Hill, Dark Souls and more, and the end result is HellSign!”
HellSign lands on Steam Early Access (PC) on November 7, 2018, bringing forth more creepy crawlies, spectres, and creatures from the unknown than you can shake a flare at.
About HellSign
Game Info
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Inspired by years of paranormal hunting in television and games, the team at Ballistic Interactive have translated one of TV’s most enduring tropes - the infamous monster of the week - into a game that puts players through the paces as a hunter of all things abnormal. Rather than being the Chosen One on a linear quest to take down the Big Bad, HellSign revels in the thrill of the hunt, as though you’re just someone who’s doing their job - albeit a particularly dangerous one.
Adopting an open-ended mission structure, players take on procedurally-generated contracts around the city in whatever order they please. Just like your favourite monster of the week episode, they then have to investigate the disturbance, collect as much information as possible, load up on equipment, and take down the threat, all before hitting the streets and identifying the next bounty to bag. With this tight gameplay loop at its core, players are immediately familiar with what needs to be done, but the how is where HellSign’s encounter engine and reverence for its inspirations offers up continuous surprises and tense hunts.
“As a supernatural lover myself, the monster of the week genre is particularly interesting because of it’s ‘unknown’ element,” noted Ballistic Interactive's Pete Skyking. “You never know what to expect, what you will encounter, and what might happen at any given time. Couple this with some heavy inspirations from games such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Silent Hill, Dark Souls and more, and the end result is HellSign!”
HellSign lands on Steam Early Access (PC) on November 7, 2018, bringing forth more creepy crawlies, spectres, and creatures from the unknown than you can shake a flare at.
About HellSign
- Tricks Of The Trade - Start your journey with a flickering torch, rusty gun and a whole lot of guts. Complete jobs to develop your skills and learn more about the monsters that haunt the night. Develop your character and build your arsenal through a detailed RPG and job system. Become an elite hunter and get your revenge.
- Choose Your Contracts - There are all manner of creatures prowling the streets, from ghosts to hellhounds, monstrous spiders to demons. Which order you take on contracts is up to you, but each monster you slay brings you closer to unearthing the dark truth that’s been stalking you.
- Hunt, Or Be Hunted - How you clear the town is up to you. Go in guns blazing and let your shotgun do the talking, or plan and research your targets to use their weaknesses against them.
- Study Your Prey - As a hunter, knowledge is one of your greatest weapons. Read your environment and uncover the weaknesses of the creatures you're hunting, to make it a little easier to slay them. The Cryptonomicon is your hunter guidebook, tracking the creatures you’ve slain and the signs you’ve collected.
- Use Your Tools - From shotguns and booby traps, to silver nitrate rounds and high tech gadgets - there are many tools in your arsenal to help you fight the darkness. Choosing what to bring with you, and when to use it can be the difference between victory and a grizzly defeat.
Game Info
Name: HellSign
Genre: Supernatural investigative hunting RPG
Developer: Ballistic Interactive
Platforms: PC (Steam)
Early Access Release Date: November 7, 2018
Price: TBA
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gamezplay on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/gameboyuk