The Midnight Walk is coming to PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets on May 8th, offering up a twisted adventure featuring a massive number of models built out of clay, scanned and rendered in the game’s environment.

MoonHood, the Sweden-based studio founded by developers behind Lost in Random (2021) and Ghost Giant (2019), sat down with GameSpot for a 30-minute preview of The Midnight Walk’s non-VR mode. You can see the hands-on below:

In The Midnight Walk, you step into the shoes of ‘The Burnt One’, who has an unknown past. Coming out a tunnel, and offered a set of eyes to see better, you move into a world that interestingly mimics the sort of stop-motion animation you’d see in clay.

“Sound plays a big role in the game […] the game is binaural, it has binaural sounds to it,” says MoonHood CEO Klaus Lyngeled, as he picks up a pair of ears in-game and places them on his head to hear better.

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The studio says it has over 700 physical models back at its shop, which were built in clay, papier-mâché, as well as physical books, and 3D scanned for both the game’s geometry and the characters within it.

In the hands-on, MoonHood shows off a eye-closing feature in the flatscreen version, which heightens your sense of hearing. This was originally ideated for PSVR 2, the studio reveals, owing to the headset’s onboard eye-tracking. To boot, closing your eyes in the PSVR 2 version will also be a key element in defeating some enemies, the studio says.

Image courtesy MoonHood

We also get a look at some light puzzling, using the game’s consumable matches to light candles and open up pathways, as well as narrative elements presented as found audio notes via the ‘shell-phone’.

As for combat, the studio reveals it’s not about shooting and killing things, but rather distracting and outsmarting enemies using the environment.

While described as a “cozy horror game” there seems to be a few jumpscares waiting for you, although periodic safe areas are meant to let you cool down and take a break.

While we’re still waiting for VR gameplay, you’ll find The Midnight Walk over on the PlayStation Store for PSVR 2 and Steam for PC VR headsets, priced at $40 and releasing on May 8th.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Sven Viking

    They should add the option to cover your eyes with your hand/s for VR headsets without eye tracking.

  • Sven Viking

    Yes, same as covering your mouth in Half-Life: Alyx. It is a point though that, even if tuned to make it unnecessary to move your hands too close, it might cause people to smash their controllers into the headset.

  • Leisure Suit Barry

    Looks like an average game at best

    As per usual, the PSVR sub-reddit will claim it's a 10/10 best game ever!

    • Herbert Werters

      That's because there's simply nothing great for VR. Even these ominous AAA quest games are more like A or AA games in the flat market.

      But I'm really looking forward to the title. When are you going to see something like this in VR? The art style and quality are outstanding. Especially the sound and the atmosphere. Something different from unlit low poly games.

  • Looks pretty cool to me