Acclaimed psychological horror Visage leaves Early Access this week

When Visage first launched into Early Access in 2018, it was meant to be finished within four months. Fast forward two years, and the cryptic psychological horror game—which initially attracted interest due to its similarities to P.T—is set to launch properly on October 30.

Visage appears to lean in a more cerebral direction compared to, say, Resident Evil, but the premise is familiar: you'll spend a lot of time exploring a detailed household where lots of terrible things have happened. "Families were brutally murdered by their own family members," so reads the Steam description, "people went insane, many committed suicide, and other grisly events occurred."

Like Outlast and Amnesia, you won't be fighting back against any of the horrors you find in Visage: there are no weapons, but there are plenty of places to hide. Developers SadSquare Studio writes that the game is difficult in "unconventional ways," which roughly means it doesn't handhold, and it might not always be obvious what you need to do to "progress" the story. In other words, the P.T. DNA seems to be intact.

Judging by the screenshots and video footage, Visage will be a gorgeous albeit melancholy game. In a standout year for horror (see Amnesia: Rebirth, Phasmophobia), it looks like it could hold its own.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.