Over the years, there have been more and more indie horror games that adopt more retro approaches to bring about terrifying chills and a nostalgia. Scarlet Lake, Nocturnal Interactive’s first in-development game, is one of these. This retro survival horror game sees players facing off against a whole host of creepy creatures as they explore the titular town, looking for clues about their missing partner. Of course, players will need to defend themselves against this threat with a handful of upgradeable weapons.
In a recent interview with Game Rant, Nocturnal Interactive spoke about the creation of Scarlet Lake‘s weapons and the inspiration behind the town’s terrifying creatures.
A Weapon To Suit All Playstyles And Weapon Upgrade Features
Scarlet Lake’s demo shows off three weapons: a knife, a pistol, and a shotgun. While a simple selection, each one helps fulfill the combat needs of a survival horror game and comes with its own unique sounds/animations to fully immerse players. When the full game is released, there will be plenty more weapons for players to obtain and purchase. Overall, these weapons and how they work are inspired by Resident Evil 4, just like many other aspects of the game. As Nocturnal Interactive explained,
“Scarlet Lake is one big love letter to Resident Evil 4 and, therefore, follows the same sort of design patterns when it comes to weapons. You can buy/sell and upgrade every weapon, and there are plenty more in the full game.”
When looking at the details of weapons in-game, it’s possible to see all the important stats, such as damage and fire rate. But thanks to the game’s upgrade system, it’s possible to improve the stats of weapons, making them more efficient in combat. To utilize the upgrade system, players will need to collect scrap alongside other items throughout their journey. Scavenging and inventory management will play a large role in Scarlet Lake. Players will need to make smart decisions about what items they may want to pick up. Since inventory space is limited, weapon selection is going to be important.
The Design And Inspiration Behind The Creatures In Scarlet Lake
The creatures in Scarlet Lake are unnerving. The local townsfolk have been seemingly taken over by strange creatures that grow and transform the formerly human locals into creepy otherworldly monsters. According to Nocturnal Interactive, these monsters were inspired by a very well-known filmmaker:
“The creatures are heavily inspired by John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing.’ I always loved how the people could mutate into anything, and therefore, there is no limitation on design. I enjoy the body horror aspect of these films and wanted to utilize this with the enemy design. I can’t talk too much about it, but the story does play a part in the visual look of the enemies.”
Similar to John Carpenter’s movies, Scarlet Lake doesn’t shy away from gore. Players can blast enemy creatures’ limbs clean off, for example, using weapons like the shotgun. They’ll also encounter situations where they see what happened to a few of the unlucky residents of Scarlet Lake as they’ll be cut up and displayed for all to see. The creatures in Scarlet Lake are designed to be violent and very bloody.
Taking on these creatures will play a big part in uncovering the story behind what happened in the town of Scarlet Lake. However, the game also allows players to take alternative routes when it comes to facing off against enemies. Ammo is limited, so every shot counts. Sometimes, it may be best to lure a creature away or sneak around it without firing a shot.
Scarlet Lake is in development.