Survival horror game Amy set for PSN release this summer

By Adam Rosenberg June 21, 2011

amy-psn-game — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Now that the PlayStation Network has been resurrected, we can start looking forward to downloading games there again. One of the more promising prospects coming up is Amy, a survival horror title that Sony has confirmed for a summer release.

Amy is the work of Paul Cuisset, the creator of the classic 1990s PC titie Flashback. Part side-scrolling platformer, part action/adventure, the game tends to earn very high marks with those who are old enough to remember it. Amy sounds like a completely different beast, however. It seems to be cut from a more traditional survival horror cloth, with running and hiding often the smart approach for dealing with enemies.

The story opens in the year 2034 on the small town of Silver City. Lana, the protagonist, awakens after a comet touches down nearby to discover that chaos has broken out all around her. A virus has turned the town’s residents into the otherworldly beasts that pursue you throughout the game, with the explanation apparently being that Hell has come to Earth.

Lana is afflicted as well, but the sickness is staved off when she encounters a young, mute girl named Amy. It’s not really clear why Amy keeps the virus at bay, but proximity seems to be the key; Lana is able to venture away from her young charge, at which the virus takes hold again. There’s an advantage to this, however– enemies aren’t as keen on attacking their own kind.

It sounds like some portion of the game will balance between bringing Amy along and scouting ahead on your own using the virus to veil your presence. In a cool twist, Amy also features a button command for holding the young girl’s hand. She may not be able to speak, but grabbing her hand allows you to feel a heartbeat through your PS3 controller. This gives you a sense of how anxious she’s feeling, which ought to raise your own tension levels whenever her heart starts racing with no obvious threats in the vicinity.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

All cross-platform games (PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Two squads of heroes clash in an Overwatch 2 trailer.

Cross-platform support is becoming more important in the world of video games. Multiplayer hits like Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite have pushed crossplay into the limelight, and now most AAA multiplayer games release with at least partial cross-platform support. Finding every cross-platform game is no easy feat, though, so we did the hard work to bring you a comprehensive list of games that support crossplay.

Unfortunately, there aren't any rules when it comes to crossplay, so each game handles the feature a little differently. To make matters more confusing, certain backward-compatible games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X still support crossplay on the most recent hardware, even if there isn't an official release for that hardware.

Gaming

I was a PlayStation Portal hater. Now it’s one of my go-to gaming devices

A PlayStation Portal plays Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

In November, I reviewed the PlayStation Portal. I was mixed on Sony’s streaming handheld at the time, frustrated with a corner-cutting execution of a good idea. It seemed like a poor value compared to simply slapping a cheaper Backbone controller on a phone. As is often the case with tech reviews, though, I only had a short window to test it out where I was more focused on the more objective side of what the Portal does and doesn’t do. Would my feelings change when I was using it naturally?

I’ve gotten the answer to that question over the past few months. While I barely touched my Portal after reviewing it in 2023, it’s quickly become a go-to device in my home as of January. I’m now breaking it out at least once a week, finding some practical use cases for it. Though my overall assessment of it hasn’t changed, I have a more tangible understanding of where it can be a useful -- if superfluous -- PS5 companion. It’s a needless luxury, but one that I’m finding that I'm happy to indulge in.
Second screen
The PlayStation Portal’s launch just so happened to come right before a major life change that would shift my perspective. After living alone for three years, my girlfriend moved into my apartment last December. It’s been a natural change that’s working great so far. That shift does come with some lifestyle changes, though. We’re both crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, which means we’re sharing a tight space. We remotely do our jobs feet apart in the same room, and most evenings are spent lounging on the couch.

Gaming

Best gaming console deals: cheapest prices on PS5, Xbox S and X and Switch

father and son playing video games

The latest generation of consoles has been one of the hottest yet when it comes to performance, games, price, and even looks, with some getting the side-eye when they first came out. Even so, there are a lot of folks who might want to upgrade, and there are some great Xbox Series S and X deals, PlayStation 5 deals, and Nintendo Switch deals you can take advantage of below. We've done our best to go out and find the best deals we can, although you should be aware that there's currently a bit of a Nintendo drought going on, and most deals on the Switch and its versions that are worth grabbing are refurbished.
Xbox Series S deals -- starting at $275

The Xbox Series S is the less powerful but cheaper option out of the newest generation Xbox line. When comparing the Xbox Series S versus the Xbox Series X, the Series S takes a hit in all the component categories. That means it's not quite as fast. But if you're not hung up on getting the optimal performance out of your system, you'll actually notice very few differences. The two biggest ones are the Series S's inability to play in 8K, and its lack of a disc drive. Most people don't even have 8K TVs, so that shouldn't be an issue. If you're alright with downloading all of your games straight to the console's memory (and you have a separate DVD or Blu-Ray player), the Series S will work fine. It's quite a bit smaller anyway, and easier to fit on a shelf.