A survival horror game is described as a title where the player has to deal with a terrifying scenario - where they have to defend themselves against something that wants them dead at all costs, and they typically have little means to do so. But some would argue that true survival horror has disappeared in recent years, that it's less about surviving and more about just how many monsters one can shoot in a certain period of time. In other words, survival horror has lost a lot of the "horror" aspect.

Interestingly enough, Shinji Mikami - most recognized as the man behind the creation of the Resident Evil franchise - agrees with this sentiment, and has now decided to make a new game that is a return to "true" survival horror.

Mikami has said very little about the project except, according to the The Escapist, the game is currently called "Zwei," and he's working with none other than Bethesda on it:

"A true survival horror game is one in which the player confronts and overcomes fear. I've found my focus and once again I'm striving for pure survival horror. I am being very hands-on in the development of this game to ensure that the quality is there. Rest assured."

Beyond this, all that has been released regarding Zwei is one image that is really nothing more than a collage of various spooky backgrounds. It can be assumed that they are locations that will show up in the game, but there doesn't really seem to be any concrete theme to them - though, judging by the lower left portion of the image, it could be argued that the game might occur on an island.

The idea of returning to what is considered "true" survival horror is certainly a promising one. Many have said that the genre has declined since the days of the early Silent Hill and Resident Evil titles, so it's nice to know that there's still interest in making a good game that can still scare the player.

The question is, can Mikami do the job right? Yes, he created Resident Evil, but some would say that the more recent games would fall under the above "shoot monsters in a certain period of time" category. He also contributed to the Devil May Cry series and few gamers would call those games scary. Still, if Bethesda is willing to give him a chance, he must have something up his sleeve.

What do you think Zwei will be like? Is Mikami the right man to bring horror back to the survival horror genre?

Zwei is currently in development with no set release date. We'll keep you up to date as more info is unveiled.

Source: The Escapist