In space, no one can hear you scream. But in a mech suit, you'll definitely hear undead creatures crunch and squish beneath your armored boot. So it goes in the new trailer for Negative Atmosphere, a sci-fi horror game that takes more than a few inspirations from Dead Space.
Negative Atmosphere was shown off way back in 2019, and though it looked pretty derivative, it was nice seeing a semi-modern take on the Dead Space formula well before we ever knew an actual Dead Space remake was coming. You play as the chief medical officer Samuel Edwards when things inevitably go wrong and all your crewmates are turned into elongated monstrosities. Since the initial reveal, developer Sunscorched Studios has expanded its team to 14 developers, and the increase in workforce definitely shows.
The new trailer shows off a familiar behind-the-shoulder camera view, with lots of narrow hallways, ominous lighting, and a totally-not-necromorph thing to punch. Our intrepid spaceman seems a little more capable than old Isaac Clark, easily bodyslamming and punching the undead monster. In a proper twist to the formula, he then finds a bulky power suit that audibly squishes an enemy corpse that he walks over.
Sunscorched Studios seems to be aiming pretty high compared to most indie horror games. According to Negative Atmosphere's Steam page, players can use Samuel's medical background to "save the injured, influence enemies or alter himself." Sounds like an upgrade system to me. There will also be a morality system that's more dependent on you playing towards Edwards' pre-established personality than creating your own character. Corrupted robots will even team up with the zombie aliens in their efforts to skewer you.
That's a pretty tall order, but seeing how far Negative Atmosphere has come in a couple of years, I have high hopes. If you want to support the game's development directly, Sunscorched has its own Patreon.
