Outbreak: Shades of Horror - Next-Gen Retro Survival Horror
Created by Dead Drop Studios
Survive the opening hours of an undead outbreak alongside a wide cast of survivors in this online co-op retro survival horror nightmare
Latest Updates from Our Project:
HUGE Shades of Horror Community Update - October 2024
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Oct 22, 2024 at 08:37:55 AM
Hello Survivors!
We've been hard at work putting the finishing touches on Outbreak: Shades of Horror Chromatic Split, which launches for Xbox Series X|S and Steam on Friday October 25th at an MSRP of $24.99 USD. Pre-orders are now live for the Xbox Series X|S version of the game. The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro enhanced versions will release in Autumn 2024.
We apologize for the quiet lately; we're putting our all into making sure Chromatic Split is worth the wait, and it's spread us rather thin. This update is to inform you all of what's been going on! Thank you so much for your patience and your understanding.
To catch everyone up--
As previously announced, Outbreak: Shades of Horror is now releasing in an episodic format. There are a total of five episodes, each including a main campaign scenario, a Tales of Hank side-campaign scenario, and other additional content. As a result, the game will release in early access before the originally promised date of November 2025.
We decided to produce and release a BONUS, standalone episode that serves as a narrative link between our visual novel, Outbreak The FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows, and the main Outbreak: Shades of Horror game. You can think of this as an 'episode 0'! This project is now known as Outbreak: Shades of Horror Chromatic Split, and it is indeed releasing October 25th (this coming Friday!).
Now for the new stuff!
As a result of this bonus episode's production, the release timing for Shades of Horror's episodes has been altered. We will provide a new schedule for these releases in the future.
Anyone who backed Outbreak: Shades of Horror at a tier where they are receiving the full game digitally or above will be receiving a digital copy of Chromatic Split on the platform they specified in their backer surveys. This means if you pledged at the Early Bird Digital Standard Edition ($27) tier or above, you will be receiving this standalone game at no additional charge!
If your chosen platform is PC via Steam or Xbox Series X|S, you will receive this code between October 25th and 27th. If your chosen platform is PlayStation 5, you will receive your code this autumn when that version launches. We will have more specific information about launch timing and PS5 Pro enhancements as we approach that edition's release date. These game codes will be delivered to the email you share with us in the above survey.
Outbreak: Shade of Horror Chromatic Split includes:
A three act single player campaign
Several unlockable bonus modes
A New Game Plus once the campaign is cleared
Six difficulty options for players of all skill levels
Numerous achievements and cheat codes to discover
We hope that by playing this game, you'll see a glimpse of what we have to offer in the full Outbreak: Shades of Horror experience! Chromatic Split includes the combat and dismemberment mechanics, environmental puzzles, improved controls, and gorgeous visuals that you will experience in Shades of Horror when its first episode releases. While Chromatic Split is strictly a single player affair, the main Shades of Horror game will be playable entirely in either single player or online co-op.
Once we have moved past the launch period of Chromatic Split, we will also be releasing free post-launch content for the game in the form of a Trials of Hank side-campaign, additional bonus modes, and more. More information about these free content updates will be made available in the future.
As many of you know, we are an extremely small outfit, and releasing a game of this magnitude, especially given the current state of the video game industry, has been nothing short of a herculean task. We're extremely proud of what we've created with Chromatic Split, and we can't wait for you to experience it. More information about Outbreak: Shades of Horror's core five episodes will be revealed in the future.
Lastly, we invite you to join us on Friday October 25th at9:15PM ET on our Twitch channel for a special launch stream celebrating the release of Chromatic Split! We traditionally stream every Wednesday at 7:15PM ET with fun horror game play-throughs and development updates, but this week's stream is a special occasion where we will be playing through the first act of Chromatic Split's campaign. This broadcast, of course, will contain spoilers. Follow us now so you can get alerts when we go live!
Quick note! Silent Hill 2 Remake stream tonight, bigger update coming soon!
over 1 year ago
– Sun, Oct 06, 2024 at 03:59:27 PM
Hello Survivors!
Just a quick note for tonight-- we're going to be streaming the Silent Hill 2 Remake on our Twitch in just a few moments! Come hang out with us for an extra long stream!
We've been hard at work getting Outbreak Shades of Horror: Chromatic Split ready for launch and into your hands! We recently announced that it'll be available starting October 25th! That's soon!
We'll be posting a larger update regarding Chromatic Split, Shades of Horror at large, and more very soon, so please hang tight just a little bit longer! Thank you!
Until next time!
Save BIG During the Steam Summer Sale!!
almost 2 years ago
– Fri, Jun 28, 2024 at 01:50:20 PM
Hello Survivors!
This is just a quick reminder that our entire games catalog is available at a significant discount for the Steam Summer Sale through July 11th! Let's take a quick look at some of the highlights!
You can get the ENTIRE Outbreak series for up to 80% off NOW with the Outbreak Complete Collection! This is our full 10 game series, including DINOBREAK, Railbreak, and even What Lydia Knows! It also includes our suite of DLC for our legacy titles! This is an absolutely incredible deal for anyone who has yet to dive into our games, and if you have a few of these titles already, you can purchase the rest of the bundle at a massive discount!
Step into the shoes of Lydia Daniels when Cypress Ridge is overrun by an army of dinosaurs in DINOBREAK. Featuring classic survival horror gameplay, this spiritual successor to Dino Crisis is sure to leave your heart racing! Blow away dinos, avoid touching eggs, and solve puzzles before Cypress Ridge becomes one big dino snack! You can save 66% if you dive into this thrilling adventure today!
Save 50% on our on-rails arcade shooter Railbreaktoday! Featuring a fully voiced Story, five additional modes, nine playable characters, optional two player co-op, and so much more, fans of House of the Dead and Time Crisis will feel right at home! Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more as hordes of zombies disgustingly rendered in Unreal Engine 5 overtake the streets of Cypress Ridge. Remember: the only good zombie is a truly dead one.
Our latest title, Outbreak The FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows is available for a 50% discount! This two-game pack is one part visual novel, one part turn-based RPG! Step into the shoes of Detective Lydia Daniels as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of her partner in this prequel story to Outbreak: Shades of Horror! Additional bonus features including the Scene Studio, a concept art gallery, and a music player featuring music from the entire Outbreak series await you as you explore the game's branching path's and 24 unique endings. Hop into Outbreak RPG for a change of pace in a randomized adventure that changes every time you play!
These are only a few of the deals available for those of you who haven't fully explored our huge library of games! Don't forget -- the Steam Summer Sale runs until July 11th, so act now and explore the history of Dead Drop Studios ahead of the initial release Outbreak: Shades of Horror this summer!
Until next time, take care out there!
Shades of Horror Progress Update - June 2024
almost 2 years ago
– Thu, Jun 27, 2024 at 11:45:46 AM
Hello Survivors!
We've been working hard on Outbreak: Shades of Horror ahead of its initial summer 2024 release! Today we wanted post a recap of what we've been up to lately!
New Weapons
Survivors have some new tools to arm themselves with during the apocalypse! The flamethrower overwhelms foes with a massive fireball that deals damage over time. We also have the ever-popular grenade launcher for a good heaping of explosive mayhem. For something a little wackier, slice, dice, AND ignite zombies with the beam katana!
Upgraded Physics Systems
Speaking of explosions, they've never been more deadly! Zombie chunks and gore fly through the sky when caught in a blast.
Tons of objects in environments are now more interactive and destructible than ever. For example, crates and other containers now realistically break apart into dozens of fragments when attacked.
Upgraded Graphics
With our recent upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.4, Shades of Horror has never looked sharper! Incredible new water effects and improved lighting bring Cypress Ridge to life. Our playable Survivors look more fashionable than ever with vastly improved hair and more.
New Civilian AI
With larger maps and larger conflicts in Shades of Horror, the citizens of Cypress Ridge will join the fight! While some NPC's will stand around or try to run away, others will fight alongside you with their own weapons. They'll try their best against the horde, but it's likely they'll struggle compared to our heroes...
Interactive Hub Area
After you boot up Shades of Horror and proceed through a small initial menu, you'll find yourself in the Cypress Ridge Theater! From here, you can select your Survivor, enter any of the game's scenarios, acclimate to the controls with an outdoor shooting range, enjoy mini-games, and much more! This hub area is fully playable in both single-player and co-op play over the network! Stay tuned for more surprises as you immerse yourself in the world of Shades of Horror!
Additional Prologue Episode
As we approach the initial release of Shades of Horror, we've adjusted our roadmap a little bit. We've added an additional Prologue episode entitled Outbreak Shades of Horror: Chromatic Split to the game, and this episode will now be our first release in summer 2024. This special episode features story paths for Lydia and for Hank, and backers will of course receive this extra content at no additional cost. This prologue serves as a bridge between the events of What Lydia Knows and Shades of Horror. As previously announced, the main five episodes of Shades of Horror will all be released by November 2025.
Update on Backer Characters/Storylines
For those of you who have approved their characters already, we will be reaching out to you with a final image for your final approval. If you're in this category, you'll start receiving these as soon as today! Please keep in mind that once you give us your final approval, no additional changes will be able to be made to your character. If you have a more complicated build, we will be reaching out starting next week with individual updates on your characters.
Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. We will share more information as soon as we can, and we look forward to integrating your characters and stories into Shades of Horror! If you haven't yet backed at a level where you can add your own playable Survivor or NPC to Shades of Horror, you can still do so at our BackerKit!
That's about everything we have to recap for today! As a reminder, we typically stream on Twitch on Wednesday nights at 7:15pm ET, and we often show off new builds of our games, including Shades of Horror!
If you haven't joined us yet on Twitch, or if you miss a stream, we also upload our stream VODs to our YouTube channel! We've attached one of our recent streams below timestamped to our Outbreak: Shades of Horror segment as an example. If you'd like to see more as they happen, please consider following us on Twitch!
Stay tuned for more updates soon, Survivors!
Prequel to Shades of Horror -- Outbreak The FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows Is Available NOW!
almost 2 years ago
– Fri, May 03, 2024 at 09:31:48 PM
Hello Survivors! Just a quick note today!
Outbreak The FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows is NOW AVAILABLE on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Epic Games Store! The Xbox Series X|S version of the game will launch on May 17th, with pre-orders opening on May 10th.
This two-game pack serves as a prequel to Outbreak: Shades of Horror and includes the following:
FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows
In our first file of “The FEDORA Files” three part limited series: What Lydia Knows, play as intrepid detective Lydia Daniels as she tries to discover the mystery behind her partner's disappearance. Search for clues, probe allies and enemies, and solve the mystery of the Jackson Street Sewers in this installment that acts a prequel to Outbreak: Shades of Horror.
Features:
Narrative rich visual novel with a deep and engrossing storyline.
Multiple paths and endings to unlock where your choices matter.
Meet, befriend, or alienate a wide cast of characters where your relationships matter.
Solve devious puzzles and navigate crazy minigames as you hunt for the truth.
Outbreak RPG
In the aftermath of the Outbreak, play a group of survivors out to rescue their compatriots in Outbreak RPG! A Semi procedurally generated rogue-like RPG, every boot up is a new adventure. Rescued survivors will bring new skills and challenges with them. Can you survive the Outbreak?!
Features:
Semi procedurally generated rogue-like RPG
Lead your party of four survivors through the apocalypse in turn-based combat
Search for supplies to keep yourself armed and healthy
Rescue a wide group of survivors, each of which joins your team with unique upgrades and abilities
Challenging escalating enemy encounters as the city becomes further overrun with the undead
Hilarious and ridiculous dialogue in this non-canon adventure
Enjoy bonus content including:
Scene Studio: Create your own scenarios using simple tools and share them with friends!
Concept Art: Discover endings in What Lydia Knows to unlock an array of concept art!
Music Player: Play the game to unlock music from the whole Outbreak series!
Ep 2 Preview: Once you complete What Lydia Knows, see what the future holds for our heroine!
That's all for now! We're excited that Outbreak The FEDORA Files: What Lydia Knows is finally available! We hope you enjoy the first part of this prequel to Outbreak: Shades of Horror!
