During the Xbox E3 2019 briefing, we got our first look at the upcoming Blair Witch Project tie-in game from Bloober Team. Having proved themselves with the eerily atmospheric, Layers of Fear, the team is ready to bring fans back to the forest.
No Rest For The Wicked
The Blair Witch Project is widely credited with popularizing the found-footage horror genre. It followed a group of college students who get lost in the Black Hills Forest near Burkittsville, Maryland, never to be seen again. While it seems odd to return to the story again after all this time (and less than stellar sequels), the curse of the Blair Witch still has plenty of lore to uncover. One thing all of the movies managed to do was leave questions unanswered. 
Bloober’s game takes place a few years after the events of the first film. Players take on the role of a former police officer, Ellis, and his trusty dog, Bullet, (yes, you can pet the dog). The duo has ventured into the purportedly haunted forest to search for a missing child.
In true Blair Witch fashion, Ellis has a camcorder on-hand. This lets players document any findings and piece together the clues they encounter. The trailer hints at an additional purpose for the camcorder beyond giving players a first-person view of the unfolding horror. The story seems to loop back to the beginning of Ellis’ investigation several times, teasing a possible time-rewinding mechanic.
Fans should expect some good old-fashioned psychological horror wrapped up in the creepy atmosphere of the Black Hills Forest. Ellis’ sanity begins to unravel amidst the cursed woods. All the while, the game tracks players responses to the increasing fear and stress. Presumably, this feature will also play a part in the overall story-driven experience.
Blair Witch is coming to Xbox One and PC on August 30, 2019.
