With Outbreak: Shades of Horror launching on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and on PC via Steam beginning this year, players will have a whole city’s worth of content to explore! Choose between 25+ diverse characters, each with different load-outs, classes, and abilities, as you drop into Cypress Reel before starting your adventure! Playable either solo or in co-op play with up to three friends over the network, this high-octane survival horror thrill ride makes for a sinfully replayable experience.
In the midst of the terrifying zombie apocalypse, Cypress Reel serves as your gateway to all of the fun Outbreak: Shades of Horror offers. This handy hub area allows you to group up with your friends, select your character, get a feel for the game’s controls, and access the game's four main modes: Story, Invasion, Raid, and Mini-games. This fortified neutral-zone also allows you to get in practice with your weapons and abilities in a controlled area with spawnable enemies, test your movement skills with an obstacle course, rock out to Outbreak tunes both past and present, and so much more before you start your journey proper. Cypress Reel will continue to expand as the game’s episodes, extra content, and special events are released, so there’s even more to look forward to in the future!
The Story mode is the infected heart of Outbreak: Shades of Horror. You’ll need to carefully manage your inventory and health in this classic survival horror hellscape as you fight with your two companions to escape Cypress Ridge with your lives. Each chapter of this episodic campaign will put your skills to the limit with a bevy of powerful enemies and bosses. You’ll need to keep your wits about you as you solve puzzles, find notes, and explore colossal maps with multiple routes and stunning verticality.
Not much for story? Dive into Invasion mode and defend innocent city-goers from non-stop hordes of the undead. When the game begins, you have a small grace period to configure special traps, turrets, and other buildable reinforcements before the zombies come to play! As wave after wave of enemies approach your position, destroy every last creature you can without running out of lives or losing your civilians to secure victory. Teamwork and taking full advantage of your characters’ perks will be required to endure the chaos of battle.
Barrel through sprawling maps, rescue innocents, and make a break for it before time expires in Raid mode. Enjoy a smorgasbord of tight locales teeming with menacing monsters and only limited supplies. As with the other modes featured in Outbreak: Shades of Horror, additional Raid content will be added over time to keep the action fresh. Fans of the Outbreak series may even find a few surprises and nods to previous Dead Drop Studios games!
Rounding out Outbreak: Shades of Horror’s content is a selection of bonus modes and mini-games in the arcade. If you’re craving a short burst of horror bliss, these extra scenarios inspired by classic survival horror masterpieces are the way to go. From Collapse, where players must break out of a flooding subway tunnel, to Boss Rush, which pits survivors against a gauntlet of powerful adversaries, these varied game types are exciting to return to again and again.
Don’t be caught unprepared when Outbreak: Shades of Horror is unleashed on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and on PC via Steam in 2025. Additional information, such as specific release timing and pricing, will come in the future.
From the Developer:
“At long last, the highly anticipated Outbreak: Shades of Horror arrives this year,” says Julia Wolbach, co-founder of Dead Drop Studios. “The full game can be freely accessed in both single and multi-player, ensuring players can enjoy Shades of Horror their way. From the deep and challenging Story mode to the tumultuous and strategic Invasion mode, players can expect rip-roaring warfare and an ever-evolving carnival of gore that never grows stale.”
Platforms and Pricing:
Outbreak: Shades of Horror will be available episodically on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on PC via Steam beginning in 2025. Pricing information and specific launch timing will be shared in the future.
About Dead Drop Studios:
Dead Drop Studios is an indie game developer and publisher created and run by a husband and wife duo which focuses on creating retro-style survival horror games for the modern gamer. Their next announced title, Outbreak: Shades of Horror, is built in Unreal Engine 5 and brings a thrilling next-generation survival horror experience to console and PC platforms.
Important Links and Assets:
YouTube ‘Coming Soon’ Trailer: https://youtu.be/vtxiPu7Cr8Q
Steam Store Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3107090/Outbreak_Shades_of_Horror/ (Wishlist now!)
PlayStation 5 Store Page: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10005465
Xbox Series X|S Store Page: Coming soon!