Infestation 88 trailer launched as Steamboat Willie makes an appearance in the public domain.
What do you need to know?
- Classic character Steamboat Willie enters the public domain, prompting the quick development of a horror game, Infestation 88, by Nightmare Forge Games.
- This newly induced game is a co-op horror game where players become exterminators.
- The trailer, released in collaboration with IGN, sparks curiosity about the game’s quality. With a 2024 release date, it remains uncertain if Infestation 88 will be a standout title or one of many indie attempts leveraging Mickey Mouse’s popularity.
As of January 1, 2024, the first version of Mickey Mouse is now in the public domain. As many people expected, a game developer has revealed a scary take on the character. Infestation 88 got a new video that was posted to YouTube less than 24 hours after it was made public. In this game, you and a few other players have to get rid of pests that were caused by scary, well-known characters, like Steamboat Willie. He’s even the main center of the game’s trailer and most of its advertising.
Nightmare Forge Games, the company that made Infestation 88, has announced it as a new survival horror co-op game for 1-4 players. It combines nostalgia with horror in the style of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey by turning the now-in-public-domain Steamboat Willie into something much scary. It’s being made for PC.
“In the year 1988, what was thought to be an outbreak of rodents in different places turned into something far more sinister,” the creators say. You’ll have to fight, run, and hide in a locker at different times. To try to stay one step ahead of the infestation, you can set traps and use CCTV cameras. Also, the layouts of items are changed randomly to keep fights interesting. See the trailer for the reveal above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.
Steamboat Willie & The Mickey Mouse Legacy
The version of Mickey Mouse that became public domain today, January 1, is the character’s first showing. It comes from the 1928 movie Steamboat Willie. More recent forms of the character are still owned by Disney. Legal experts say that Disney will continue to protect its brand and Mickey Mouse in particular. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming days, weeks, and months as more and more projects linked to Mickey appear since Steamboat Willie is now in the public domain.
Many “unique locations” can be found in Infestation 88. Players will go to these places to figure out the secrets (and horrors) of how each infestation started. “Find the source at all costs,” says one line in the game’s summary. Every town or city has its own “classic character” or urban tale that people have to deal with. One of these is Mickey Mouse. In the trailer and picture gallery for this movie, you can see some of the others.
Because Infestation 88 has both public and private lobbies, as well as normal and proximity-based voice chat, teams can work together to kill the horror creatures. Nightmare Forge says that the randomness of the items should make the game more fun to play again and again. Infestation 88 players will get more experience, skins, perks, and other things as the game goes on. The game also supports Nvidia DLSS, which Nightmare Forge says should let you enjoy “stunning visuals without sacrificing frame rate.”
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Infestation 88
In this co-op horror game, you play as an exterminator who has to get rid of scary infestations that are caused by twisted versions of famous characters and urban tales. What started as an infestation of rodents in several places turned into something much worse. You and your friends are hired as exterminators to get rid of these strange infections in Infestation 88, a survival horror game with episodes that can be played with one to four people.
Highlighted GamePlay
Find The Source: Explore different places and find out how each outbreak got started. Find a way to get into and open new areas. Keep an eye on things with cameras. Keep the power on so that different devices can work. No matter what, find the source.
Treat The Infestation: Use a range of pest control tools to stop the spread. Get rid of all the nests and monsters that are hiding inside them. If you can, run away, hide, and help your friends. Just don’t get caught in the spread of the infection.
Survive: Get ready to face and kill a terrifying creature. Each episode has a different famous character or urban legend that is responsible for the infestation.
Infestation 88 Early Access release date
The game will have episodes, with a new “distinct classic character or urban legend” being added in each episode, according to Infestation 88’s Steam page. The game will also have a nearby voice chat to make it feel more real and scary. Think of Lethal Company with Mickey Mouse instead of a Jack-In-The-Box on legs following you around.
Early Access for Infestation 88 will start sometime in 2024, but the trailer didn’t give us an exact date. According to the makers, the game will stay in Early Access for about 6 to 12 months. However, that time frame could get longer if each episode gets bigger and better.
Players’ reviews and expectations
People are confused and shocked about Infestation 88, just like they were when Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was announced. This is mostly because of how quickly the news was made after Steamboat Willie became public domain.
Others are rolling their eyes quite a bit, not shocked that a horror monster has been made out of yet another well-known individual that has entered the public spotlight. These people seem to be big fans of the independent game Mouse instead. Mouse is a first-person shooter that uses the art style of the time to make a unique experience that isn’t available anywhere else right now. As far as we know, it doesn’t have Steamboat Willie in it, but it looks a lot better.
When Mouse comes out in 2025, though, it will be probably the first game you should play if you are a Micky fan. The developers are currently asking players for feedback to make the game the best it can be before it goes live. If you’re interested, you can add it to your wishlist right now.
The Bottom Line
When Steamboat Willie became public, it quickly inspired people to make new things, which is how this horror game came up. Infestation 88 promises an immersive co-op horror experience, with players navigating haunting environments and confronting sinister versions of beloved characters. Even though the trailer makes people excited, there are still concerns about the game’s general quality and whether it will be able to make the most of Mickey Mouse’s fame when it comes out in 2024.
Meanwhile, 2023 has been a big year for gamers and expectation levels are now much higher for this year. Scroll thru 15 major upcoming games, revealed here, that might set new bars!
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