Dead Static Drive mixes GTA’s mayhem with Lovecraftian horror

Indie developer Fanclub has released a new teaser trailer for Dead Static Drive. The self-proclaimed Grand Theft Cthulhu boasts a striking visual style together with a rather uncommon mix of gameplay elements and themes. At the moment, it’s only marked for a release on Xbox One and PC via Steam sometime this year. Check out the teaser trailer below!

Lovecraftian horror has long been a mainstay in gaming, thanks to its perfect fit and wide representation in all kinds of entertainment. From movies to books, games have a deep reservoir of reference to create unsettling and outright weird horror experiences in the vein of Bloodborne or Amnesia.

Dead Static Drive is a horror survival adventure. You’re on the road. The world begins to fall apart in front of you. Your friendships will make every bit of difference as order collapses and the people you meet fight for their own survival. Sneak, scavenge, fight, befriend, barricade and bunker-in or steal a car and drive off into the sunset. There’s no escape; there’s only what you choose to do with the little time that’s left.

Likewise, open-world action games with a contemporary setting are still among the most popular genres since GTA3 revolutionized gaming two decades ago. So, how come no one tried to mix these two? Maybe because it sounds completely mental. But that didn’t hold off Fanclub from trying. Dead Static Drive can nonchalantly cite Grand Theft Auto in its official game description because it still does so many unique things.

As a small indie developer, Dead Static Drive focuses on a striking visual style rather than ridiculous – and quite frankly superfluous – attention to minute detail. Played from a birds-eye view, players are put right into the apocalyptic end times where nightmarish monsters are out for you. Grabbing weapons and vehicles along the way is the only way to survive.