After its announcement during Microsoft’s press conference at E3 2019, many wondered if psychological horror game Blair Witch would release for PS4. It released back on August 30, 2019 for Xbox One, and we now we have confirmation that it will, in fact, be headed to PS4 on December 3, 2019. Blair Witch PS4 will be available digitally for $29.90 with a physical edition set to release at a later date. Blair Witch was developed by Bloober Team, best known for creating Layers of Fear and Observer, while Lionsgate Games will be handling the publishing as the owner of the Blair Witch property.
The PS4 version will come with the “Good Boy Pack,” which will allow you to customize Bullet, your dog companion, with various skins and animations. The pack also includes “new in-game cellphone games, wallpapers, and content.” The “Good Boy Pack” will also be available on Xbox and PC.
Based on The Blair Witch Project, this original Blair Witch story takes place two years after the events of the 1999 film. Blair Witch is played from a first-person perspective, set in the Black Hills Forest near Burkittsville, Maryland. When a young boy goes missing, Ellis, a former police officer, joins the search. The expansive woods hide untold nightmares, and in that darkness, Ellis will come face to face with a troubled past that haunts him and whatever entity haunts the forest. Blair Witch analyzes players’ reactions as they encounter the dangers in the forest and adapts to deliver different psychological scares and playthroughs unique to each player.
Blair Witch released on Xbox One and PC to mixed reviews. Many critics praised it for its sense of atmosphere and sound design but criticized the lack of depth in its story and gameplay mechanics. Although, most enjoyed the inclusion of the dog companion. The PS4 release will not have any major game-changing differences from the version available on other platforms. However, it will include “gameplay and technical enhancements” including PS4 Pro support.
Bloober Team cited games like Alan Wake, Outlast, and Firewatch as inspiration. One of Blair Witch’s writers, Barbara Kciuk, expressed their admiration for its setting saying “for us, open spaces are not only a challenge but also an opportunity…a forest setting gives you completely new tools to play with. Players can never be sure what lurks in the darkness.”
