Creating a game that can scare the pants off players is almost an art form, and luckily, there are plenty of studios out there capable of doling out the terror.Horror games practically dominated this year’s Summer Game Fest, with titles such asAliens Dark Descentbeing announced and a trailer forThe Callisto Protocolbeing shown off. It seems the genre is enjoying something of a golden age, with indie and AAA titles a-plenty. One such example is LKA’sMartha is Dead, which has recently won an award.
At the Italian Game Awards held a few days ago, the psychological horror was awarded for “Best Innovation” for 2022. Other categories included “Best Italian Debut,” which went to Cordens Interactive’sVesper, and “Outstanding Italian Company,” which was awarded to Nacon Studio Milan, a company that is working on an upcomingTerminatorsurvival title. The award for “Best Italian Game” overall went toHot Wheels Unleashedwhich captured the essence of the classic toys.
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It’s good to see horror games getting the recognition they deserve. Often in visual media, particularly film, the genre is overlooked by awards bodies and the Academy, so many will be pleased that LKA’s title has been given accolades.Martha is Deadwasone of the most anticipated horror games of 2021, up there with the likes ofResident Evil 8,Returnal, and the upcoming Giger / Beksiński-inspiredScorn. Despite the award,Martha is Deadreceived mixed reviews and currently has a Metacritic score of 72 for the PC version, but only 58 on Xbox One.
On top of that, the game was the subject of controversy before its release on PlayStation when, most likely due to one particularly graphic scene,Martha Is Deadhad to be censored. LKA was disappointed by Sony insisting that certain things be cut before the game could launch on the PS4 and PS5. However, it could be argued that the move may have worked in its favor. Before the controversy, it’s possible the game could have slipped many but the most ardent of horror fans by. A lot of players are aware that controversial games tend to pique people’s interest, which can often lead to an increase in sales.
Whether Sony’s contention with some of the content was what caught the attention of the Italian Game Awards cannot be certain. In any case, with horror titles such as theChernobyl-based survival game Chernobylitewinning last month’s “Best Polish Game Of 2021” audience award, perhaps more people are starting to pay attention to the genre.
Martha Is Deadis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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