Surreal horror game Year of the Ladybug takes inspiration from Silent Hill

Artist Mint Methis and his team are working on strikingly illustrated horror game Year of the Ladybug, a third-person survival experience with clear ties to Silent Hill and The Evil Within.

Year of the Ladybug’s story, which sees protagonist James holed up in a haunted hospital following a gang shoot-out, is far less interesting than its art, at least at first glance. Methis promises “a story that actually makes sense,” but describes the game’s visual style as “disturbingly beautiful and surreal” on its official site, which is a far sweeter hook to bite.

Despite the game's Canadian setting, there is clear Japanese influence in the antler-headed, porcelain-faced and oddly sexy nightmares and nurses, and everything is tied together by a lurching anatomical wrongness rendered in creamy pastels. Surreal, indeed.

Year of the Ladybug also features surprisingly robust combat and crafting systems. There is even an experienced-based leveling system. Melee weapons can be upgraded to unlock new combos, while elusive firearms are a godsend in their own right but scarcely have ammo.

Rather than “facing enemies in the darkness” and hiding in cupboards, Ladybug wants players to feel helpless during combat. So less Silent Hill 2, more The Evil Within and Dead Space.

Year of the Ladybug is being worked on but is still technically a pitch, so its launch window and target platforms have not yet been revealed. At the very least, it is clear the PS4 is involved judging from early screenshots of control schemes.

Thanks, Siliconera.