Classic Horror director Alfred Hitchcock will make his video game debut over 40 years after his passing in 1980. Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo is a new adventure game coming to PC in late 2021 and consoles in 2022 and is based on the Hitchcock psychological thriller of the same name.
Developed by Pendulo studios, Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo aims to capture the same themes of the original masterpiece, but with an entirely new story and characters. Per its Steam description, it follows writer Ed Miller as he undergoes therapy for an unprecedented bout with vertigo after a car crash into a canyon with his wife and daughter.
Everything's not as it seems though. The new trailer for the game teases whether his family, specifically his daughter, truly exists as their bodies were never found in the crash. It's a classic thriller mystery setup as you delve deep into the life of Miller through the eyes of multiple characters in order to discern exactly what happened on that fateful day
The game was originally revealed by Microids in June as part of the Guerrilla Collective showcase. In a dev diary discussing the game, narrative designer Josue Monchan detailed how the game drew inspiration from the entirety of Hitchcock's work, from the types of camera shots he used to his storytelling techniques, all in the effort of building suspense. To drive up the tension, the trailer teases a one-hour timer as Miller gives the therapist a time limit to dig through his life and solve his case. Monchan further detailed the team's inspirations in a press release:
Of course, Alfred Hitchcock’s movie was a major inspiration source, whether it’s about the game’s themes, its narration, or even the visual techniques we used that clearly mirror Hitchcock’s recurrent cinematographic techniques. Vertigo is not our only frame of reference. For instance, the fact that therapy is at the core of the narrative echoes Spellbound, and some characters resemble protagonists from Rebecca, Psycho, and many more.
It may seem an odd choice for a game, but it looks to be an ode to everything Hitchcock made for gamers everywhere. Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo will be released on Steam on December 16, 2021, while the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and the Nintendo Switch versions will come next year. Check out the trailer below for a look at the mystery to come.