Classic survival horror is welcoming in a new member to the genre with Stray Souls, featuring new music from Akira Yamaoka. The iconic composer behind many Silent Hill titles is assembling new material for independent studio Jukai Studio and their debut game. Prepare for a new layer of terror as players navigate a haunting atmosphere. The recent news of Akira Yamaoka joining the team comes with a treat, too. A spooky announcement trailer for Stray Souls includes one of Akira Yamaoka’s latest music endeavors. We’ve got the trailer below for you to check out, so prepare for some unexpected twists to come.
Stray Souls Paying Homage to the Survival Horror World
Meet Daniel, your typical American teenager who inherits his grandmother’s home in Aspen Falls. Being young at 18 and owning a home, Daniel feels ambitious about his next chapter in life. That is, until something starts to feel both off and familiar. Upon meeting someone who knows more than he does about his grandmother and the house, Daniel is about to discover a sinister secret.
This “secret” is hinted at throughout the Akira Yamaoka announcement trailer for Stray Souls. Another individual is speaking to Daniel, prompting some sort of destiny that must be fulfilled after an 18-year waiting period—a prophecy of some kind that lies within the haunted town of Aspen Falls. The footage is accompanied by an original composition from Yamaoka. It’s vicious, eerie, and intense in all the right places.
In addition to the omnipresent terror of Aspen Falls, Daniel will need to solve puzzles throughout his journey in Stray Souls. Finding solutions to these is one thing; avoiding death is another when it comes to scary folks in town. Daniel always has a choice to either fight or flee, depending on what creature he is facing off against. He’ll need to tread carefully, though – not every Stray Souls playthrough will be the same, thanks to the randomized systems.
The new horror title comes from an independent studio, Jukai Studio, a team assembled to develop their first game, Stray Souls. They’ll be assisted by publisher Versus Evil (First Class Trouble, UnMetal) as the teams aim for a 2023 Fall release. PC, PlayStation, and Xbox Series X|S owners can expect Stray Souls to crawl into their systems later this year.
Stray Souls was one of the 20 indie games to appear during the IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase for 2023. It premiered the Akira Yamaoka announcement trailer during the event.
