First, there was DUSK. And it was good. Then developer David Szymanski gave us Iron Lung. It too was good. Now Szymanski is back with another first-person horror game. Inspired by Manhunt and Condemned: Criminal Origins, Butcher’s Creek is currently slated for a 2024 release on Steam.
Butcher’s Creek takes place in November of 1993, where you, a troubled loner looking to get your fix for cinematic gore, finds themselves travelling to an abandoned cabin near Butcher’s Creek, Pennsylvania, based on the rumour of authentic snuff films. Unfortunately for you, that rumour is turned on its head, as you end up captured by a gang of sadistic killers. Now your only option is to fight your way out using whatever tools are available.
Those “tools” echo what you’d find in Butcher’s Creek‘s inspirations. Hammers, wrenches, axes, pipes, 2x4s, box cutters, and more are at your disposal to dish out some violence. And going one step further than the more brutal executions in Manhunt determining your score, you must photograph your deeds in Butcher’s Creek in order to regain health. It’s all set to a gritty shot-on-video look of found footage to complete the nastiness.
And you won’t be relegated to that abandoned cabin, either. You’ll also be visiting farmhouses, factories, and even strip clubs in order to exact your revenge. While we’ll probably never get a third entry in the Manhunt series, Butcher’s Creek is definitely looking to fill that void.