Bloober Team, the studio behind last year's well-received Silent Hill 2 remake, has just announced its next project: Saw: Genesis, an asymmetrical horror game based on the long-running torture porn franchise. Because apparently making one iconic horror IP look good wasn't enough of a flex.
As reported by Eurogamer, Saw: Genesis throws its hat into the asymmetrical horror ring - a genre that, let's be honest, has more failed contenders than a Dark Souls speedrun gone wrong. Dead by Daylight remains the undisputed final boss of this space, having watched countless challengers like Friday the 13th: The Game and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre struggle to maintain their player counts past launch week.
Can Bloober Team beat the odds?
The premise practically writes itself: one player takes the role of the Jigsaw Killer setting up elaborate death traps, while other players scramble around trying not to get their ribcage turned into abstract art. It's the kind of setup that sounds incredible on paper - which is exactly what every single one of Dead by Daylight's competitors has said right before quietly switching their servers off.
Bloober Team does bring some serious horror credentials to the table though. Their Silent Hill 2 remake was widely praised for capturing the psychological dread of the original, which suggests they at least understand the assignment when it comes to atmosphere. Whether that translates into a sustainable live-service game with a healthy playerbase is a completely different boss fight altogether.
The graveyard is full, but the door is open
The asymmetrical horror genre is essentially a roguelite at this point - studios keep running the same dungeon hoping for a different outcome. To be fair, the Saw IP has something most of the competition lacked: an instantly recognizable villain, a built-in fanbase, and enough iconic trap designs to keep gameplay varied for at least a few seasons of content.
Saw: Genesis is a fascinating gamble from Bloober Team, and we genuinely hope it has the tools to escape the trap that's claimed so many games before it. No release date has been announced yet, but keep your eyes peeled - and maybe your fingers too, depending on how the traps work.
