Hello Neighbor comes a-knocking in this intense trailer
Don't go asking for a cup of sugar
I consider myself lucky to have the normal, not-terrifying sort of neighbours. I've never had to entertain thoughts of what that almost-but-not-quite screaming noise was at night, or wonder what they needed an industrial pressure-washer for. And I'm sure the local rumors are exaggerated. They have to be, right?
Fortunately for me, then, that I can vicariously enjoy those unsettling thoughts through videogames. Upcoming stealth-horror game Hello Neighbor is ready for one more round in the limelight thanks to a spooky new trailer after the jump, and a few announcements from creators Dynamic Pixels.
Hello Neighbor is Alien: Isolation meets Tom Waits' What's He Building In There? Adam told you about it before. All the footage in the trailer above is captured from the Release Candidate version of the game, say Publisher tinyBuild, so it's getting close to completion. The final version now has a release date too - December 8th, with only tweaks, tuning and QA work needed before a final push to launch.
I was not expecting some of the stuff shown in the trailer, although I must admit I've not been keeping up with beta updates. Your nemesis - the gadgeteering Neighbor - has always seemed mechanically inclined in his solutions to problems, but the degree to which his house grows over the course of the game - rollercoaster tracks and all - is a bit much.
Plus, the whole animated mannequin-thing. Would probably be a lot less scary if you put a nice cozy sweater on it.
It's impressive how much tension they've wrung out of the game, given its bloodless, brightly coloured aesthetic. Proof that you don't need hockey-masks and chainsaws to be menacing. The Neighbor and his AI are still the stars of the show, with him deploying traps and security systems to cover gaps you've discovered on previous attempts to explore his house and discover the secrets within.
Hello Neighbor is set for release on December 8th. You can preorder via Steam or Humble for £23/$30 to get beta access immediately, though I'm holding off until launch. Scares are only at their best the first time round, after all.