Hey, so there’s this game called HOTEL BARCELONA, right? It’s like this wild fever dream brought to life by SWERY and SUDA51. No joke, it’s dropping on PlayStation 5 this September, thanks to CULT Games and White Owls. And yeah, you gotta see it to believe it.
Okay, picture this: a swanky hotel sitting smack dab between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Looks all glamorous from the outside, but uh, spoiler alert—it’s actually a magnet for America’s most notorious serial killers. Imagine being Justine, a rookie federal marshal. Oh, and guess what? She’s got a mind that’s kinda, sort-of-shared with someone named Dr. Carnival. Yeah, a psychopathic murderer. They gotta team up to survive and, oh yeah, take down some really evil folks.
The gameplay? Totally chaotic and not your average side-scroller. It’s packed full of intense fights where you gotta move just right and time everything down to the wire. Seriously, the 80s horror vibe is off the charts. And get this—every time you kick the bucket, a ghost of yourself called a “Slasher Phantom” shows up. They mimic your past moves and help in battle, turning your deaths into, like, a weird advantage. Who knew dying could be handy, right?
Things get messy (literally), ‘cause as you fight, you get covered in blood. But it’s not just for shock value. This blood pumps up your power. Fill this thing called the Skull Gauge and you can unleash something they call Carnival Awakening. No idea why that name, but it sounds kind of intense.
The hotel itself is split into seven distinct zones, all spotlighting different horror tropes. Haunted mansions and twisted labs, you name it. Each area ends with a boss fight that’s as crazy as it is strategic. You’ll need all the wits and reflexes you can muster.
Oh, and did I mention this is a collaboration of two legendary game creators? SUDA51, known for stuff like No More Heroes, and SWERY, the guy behind Deadly Premonition. Their combined style is both surreal and filled with gore—I mean, it’s one heck of an experience that’s hard to forget.
Thought I should throw in a couple images, ‘cause they show just how out-there and visually gripping this game is. Anyway, if you’re into this kind of chaotic virtual nightmare, September’s your month. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!