Luto: Everything We Know

The Future Games Show certainly did the survival horror scene proud earlier this month, what with the likes of Layers of Fear and Reveil both making an appearance. And not just those, but Luto, too, an all-new psychological thriller that’ll supposedly take players on a wild ride through the motions as an involuntary hermit bound to his own home. Sounds intriguing, no?

Let it be said that there’s still a fair amount we don’t actually know about the upcoming IP. For what it’s worth, though, here’s everything we’ve been able to collect based on the data supplied by developer Broken Bird Games to date. Luto: what is it, and how will it compare to award-winning titles such as Visage and Layers of Fear? 

What Is Luto?

In short, Luto is an upcoming story-driven psychological horror game by Broken Bird Games. Running in a similar vein as Kojima’s canceled Silent Hills, Luto will center its premise around a deserted but paranormally populated home—a world in which players must explore and interact with its various keepsakes and anomalies to progress the narrative.

Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room here: Luto looks a great deal like Visage. So much, that even the home and its network of jet-black hallways and hidden rooms are reminiscent of SadSquare Studios’ established horror. And not just Visage, but other home-based games including MADiSON, Infliction, and Don’t Be Afraid, also. Safe to say that there’ll be an equal amount of psychological torment to sift through in Broken Bird Games’ contribution to the theme. All that’s needed now is an shadowed figure-like cloak standing ominously in a corridor. Oh wait — there is.

Story

Unfortunately, this is where things go a little awry. Narrative-wise, there isn’t a great deal to go on, nor are there any obvious factors that assist in fleshing out its premise. From what we’ve gathered, though, it appears Luto will center its world around a lone individual—a person who’s bound to their home and unable to willingly walk out their front door due to an overseeing anomaly or demonic presence.

Whatever the case with the plot is, we do know that it’ll “test your senses”, which is something we’ve seen recycled in a multitude of survival horror games, i.e Visage, Amnesia, and SOMA. To this end, you can certainly expect to spend the majority of your time tiptoeing between rooms in search of clues, all the while a sinister spirit traces your steps and impedes your progress. Your ultimate goal: escape your own home, apparently.

Gameplay

Call it what you will, but we can’t help but shake that feeling of Luto being an atmospheric walking simulator with a chilling soundtrack to boot. It’s evident in the trailer, especially, that the bulk of the gameplay will revolve around exploring seemingly abandoned rooms, and essentially trying to avoid confrontation with a slew of evil spirits that occupy them.

What we do know is that Luto will lean heavily on the senses, and more importantly, the everyday phobias that people often face in day-to-day life. What’s more, it’ll create scenarios that’ll supposedly trick the player into wondering what’s real, and what’s not. Between fact and fiction will idle a series of tests—paranormal encounters that you, the unfortunate soul, will have the pleasure of facing over a night of spine-chilling horrors. Or at least, that’s what we’ve pulled from the information and footage on display, anyway.

Development

It’s been a fairly long ride for Broken Bird Games, what with Luto first being teased back in 2021. Nevertheless, the recently aired Future Games Fest was able to bring fans back up to speed with the situation, with an announcement that not only stapled a loose late-2023 release window to it, but the option for downloading a playable demo, too.

As it currently stands, Luto will be gearing up for a Q3 or Q4 2023 launch on next-gen consoles and PC. This is, of course, providing its developer doesn’t run into any unwanted issues with the final phases of its development. Whatever the case, you can expect to see plenty more of the project as it approaches its curtain call later this year.

Trailer

In spite of Broken Bird Games’ lack of details surrounding its upcoming IP, there is a trailer that just so happens to outline a lot of its features. And while it doesn’t quite touch base on the story side of things, it does develop a clearer image of the gameplay mechanics and all-round aesthetic. Need we say more? You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Luto will be heading to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam at some stage in 2023. As for when in 2023 is still anybody’s guess. But if we had to hazard a guess, then we’d wager an October launch, if only to set the stage for a Halloween debut. Don’t take our word for it, though, as this is merely based on speculation and a whole lot of hope.

There is also the question of whether or not there’ll be any special editions of the upcoming game. Fact is, we don’t actually know if there’ll even be anything of the sort come launch. But again, if we had to take a stab in the dark, then we’d wager that it probably won’t have anything outside of its standard digital copy on consoles and PC. Who knows? Broken Bird Games could very well surprise us with that one.

If the world of Luto has caught your eye, then be sure to check in with the team’s official social feed for all the latest updates here. In the meantime, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for that release date, with which we will relay back to you right here on gaming.net the moment it drops.

So, what’s your take? Will you be getting your hands on a copy of Luto when it releases later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.