According to VG247, horror games are experiencing a resurgence, considering the announcement of several very disturbing and quite frankly creepy titles, like Here They Lie, LIttle Nightmares and Resident Evil 7, I say there's truth behind this claim. Hello Neighbor may be the most "colorful" entry in the genre- but it's no less creepy - so they say.
May I Borrow Some Salt
Hello Neighbor may seem like a pretty straightforward game, it's a game where you have to break into your neighbor's house to investigate the mysterious secrets he keeps in the basement. As the protagonist who recently move into a peaceful suburb, getting to know your neighbors is pretty much a social requirement, and the game challenges you to break into their house to bend social norms at a greatly exaggerated level. You suspect he may be hiding secrets in his basement, so like the very concerned citizen of the community that you are, you decided to do a stakeout and break into his house instead of calling the police. Which is pretty understandable, since much like the trend in the horror trope, the police are pretty useless. (Jeepers Creepers Flashbacks)
According to VG247, the concept seemed ideal for a short sandbox game already where you generate strategies to avoid your neighbor. But the developer Tiny Build is actually aiming for more or less 10 hours of gameplay, switching from the house to other story segments.
The AI Is A Nightmare
However, the game is not as straightforward as it seems. Aside from having a story all throughout the game, the game will also feature a learning AI. Seen in the trailer, the neighbor will actively learn from the player's behavior. He will not just start to guess where the player's going, but will also set up traps and barricade the hallways to prevent the player from escaping. Governed by artificial intelligence programming, the neighbor observes and learns the player's behavior, so he can anticipate what the player's decisions will be based on what he's done in the past.
Hello Neighbor is set to be released in 2017 for PC.
