It is not often that we receive game announcements about horror games that are “taking inspiration from R.D. Blackmore’s 19th century novel, The Maid of Sker, and the original Welsh ballad, Y Ferch o’r Sger”, but here we are. Some games are classier than other games. They can’t all be about shooting zombies.
Maid of Sker, announced today by developer Wales Interactive and publisher Perp Games, promises to draw players into the late 19th century through the lens of a first-person stealth survival horror game. The game takes place in and around Sker House, a real world structure that is said to be one of the most haunted houses in Britain.
Maid of Sker is based upon the true story of Elizabeth Williams, who in real life was courted by a young musician but was eventually imprisoned by her father and forced to marry some other chump. After her wedding, she was known to sneak out on her husband to go listen to her musician friend, who had written a song about her in his attempts to win her hand. After ten years of marriage, Elizabeth died. Happy story.
While these were real people (read about it here), the game ramps up the story’s drama, depicting a “story of forbidden love within a family empire driven by torture, slavery, piracy and a supernatural mystery that suffocates the grounds of Sker House.”
Judging by the trailer, Maid of Sker will be visually stunning. Still a year out, the animation on display is extremely lifelike and detailed (keep an eye on that wolf), and the architecture of the house is foreboding and convincing. Gameplay will be of the run and hide variety, with players taking on the role of Thomas Evans, the young musician seeking the hand of Elizabeth Williams.
Thomas must creep through Sker House, which is inhabited by enemies with super hearing. Staying silent, distracting enemies, and even holding your breath will be gameplay options to help Thomas avoid being captured and suffering a terrible fate.
It is almost certain the more details will be forthcoming before the Maid of Sker’s Q3 2019 release, and PlayStation Universe will post them as we get them.