Players can now preorder Outbreak: Shades of Horror Chromatic Split on Xbox Series X|S ahead of its October 25th launch. Running on the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5, Chromatic Split delivers spine-tingling survival horror gameplay and high-stakes exploration just ahead of Halloween for both experienced and novice games with a wide array of difficulty settings. The game also launches on PC via Steam on October 25th, with PS5 and PS5 Pro enhanced versions releasing in autumn 2024.
When Detective Lydia Daniels heads to the Cypress Ridge sewers to meet a contact, she gets much more than she bargains for on the eve of a deadly zombie apocalypse. Chromatic Split is a standalone story bridging together the events of Outbreak The FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows and the upcoming Outbreak: Shades of Horror. Lydia will need to shoot, jump, climb, craft, and sneak through an expansive three act campaign if the city of Cypress Ridge is to have a chance at survival. She’ll begin her ordeal in the city’s labyrinthine sewer system completely unarmed and at the mercy of her environment before getting access to new items that allow her to progress and fight back. Will she discover the many secrets of the Cypress Ridge underground?
Early on in her exploit, Lydia will discover a lead pipe that not only allows her to combat zombies but also access new areas. Zombies are extremely dangerous and must be approached carefully; Lydia will need to employ stealth and careful movement to avoid attracting a deadly horde. Landing strategic blows with her melee weapon will stun and even stagger zombies, but getting into large fights is not recommended. Eventually, Lydia will discover weapons like the handgun and shotgun, allowing her to dismember zombie limbs, incapacitating her foes and buying her a chance to escape and continue her journey. With the ability to swap between third person and first person views at the press of a button, players can enjoy the game however they want!
In traditional survival horror fashion, Lydia’s resources are highly limited. She will need to forage through her environment to find precious crafting components, allowing her to create ammo, healing remedies, and more. The choices are tough; does she combine gunpowder and bullet casings to build more ammunition? Or does she use it to concoct an ink jar, allowing for a one-time save? With many materials and item types to create, managing her limited inventory is challenging; what items does Lydia keep with her, and which should be stored away into linked item boxes for future use?
The power of Unreal Engine 5 enables dazzling effects, massive enemy counts, and intense set-pieces. Moody and intimidating lighting mixes with terrifying sound design to fully immerse layers into the world of Chromatic Split. Lydia doesn’t have much time to take in the bloody, creepy sights as she defeats enemies and solves puzzles, but players can enjoy the slime and grime of the sewers, the decay and rotting flesh of the undead, and the sparking and flickering of subterranean machinery gone awry.
Beyond the main quest, Chromatic Split is rich with bonus modes and content. Obliterate massive numbers of zombies on unique maps in the Onslaught and Besieged Modes, and escape old Cypress Ridge in the ultra-hard Looming Dread Mode. Revisit the main story, and carry over your weapons in New Game Plus. Secret cheat codes, hidden costumes, and a multitude of achievements can be discovered and unlocked, and all modes can be enjoyed on one of six difficulties, including Assisted for players new to the game and genre. Post-launch, expect to unleash carnage in the extra Trials of Hank side-campaign, explore optional Developer Commentary for a behind-the-scenes look at the game’s development, and more!
The time is nigh for Cypress Ridge, and only Detective Lydia Daniels can prevent a full zombie outbreak from extinguishing the city. Will she be able to contain the chaos in Outbreak: Shades of Horror Chromatic Split before all hope is lost?
From the Developer:
“The first taste of Outbreak: Shades of Horror has arrived via Chromatic Split,” says Julia Wolbach, co-founder of Dead Drop Studios. “This standalone prologue is a tight and moody adventure built on the latest version of Unreal Engine 5, enabling a captivating world and the polished, modern gameplay that survival horror fans have come to expect. Exploring the underbelly of Cypress Ridge and discovering a wealth of secrets along the way is both deeply satisfying and unnerving, and players will need to contend with nasty creatures and sinister puzzles to emerge victorious. Add to that a flock of bonus modes, multiple difficulties, and a new game plus, and you have a comprehensive package bound to excite even the most hardened horror veterans.”
Platforms and Pricing:
Outbreak: Shades of Horror Chromatic Split debuts on Xbox Series X|S and on PC via Steam on October 25th at an MSRP of $24.99 USD. International pricing may vary. Pre-orders for the Xbox Series X|S edition of the game are now available. Dead Drop Studios will also release both PS5 and PS5 Pro enhanced versions this autumn. More specific information on launch timing and on which enhancements the game includes when played on PS5 Pro will be revealed in the future.
About Dead Drop Studios:
Dead Drop Studios is an indie game developer and publisher created and run by a husband and wife duo which focuses on creating retro-style survival horror games for the modern gamer. Their next announced title, Outbreak: Shades of Horror, is built in Unreal Engine 5 and brings a thrilling next-generation survival horror experience to console and PC platforms.
