Psychedelic old-school Elder Scrolls homage gets even bigger and better with a free update challenging players to slay a mad king

Dread Delusion is an early-access horror game channeling games of old like The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and King's Field, and its largest update ever has just launched.

Dread Delusion's big update is out now; its biggest since it first launched in early access via Steam last year in June. The unnervingly psychedelic horror game's trailer can be seen below, challenging players to venture into the 'Clockwork Kingdom' and face off against the "mad Clockwork King."

IT'S TIME 🕙 🕙 🕙 Enter The Clockwork Kingdom and experience the largest update yet for Dread Delusion!Will you serve the mad clockwork king? Try to redeem him? Or, perhaps, orchestrate his downfall?Watch the new trailer, and check out Dread Delusion below! pic.twitter.com/X4sU3AchAKJanuary 25, 2024

The horror game smacks of Morrowind and King's Field, the old-school, slightly pixelated horror adventures with oddities and monstrosities around every corner. Some of these creatures look straight out of FromSoftware's precursor to the Dark Souls series.

Article continues below

The style of the Clockwork Kingdom itself brings back fond memories of scrambling around Morrowind's murky open world. The way the outside world looks like it's been stuck together with many flat surfaces to form point hills and mountains gives it a brilliantly eerie vibe.

Even the cities and towns give off a creepy, almost FromSoftware-like vibe. You can stumble across citizens that might help or hinder you in your journey to best the Clockwork King, and from the trailer above, I wouldn't trust this lot as far as I could throw them.

The combat itself looks really intimidating and in-your-face. You have to face down monsters in the first-person perspective, parrying and batting away outstretched claws and other horrific limbs when they're just split seconds from your face. A fair few players will be out there holding their breath in combat.

Dread Delusion's Clockwork Kingdom update is out now, launching just yesterday, January 25. There's no date yet for the horror game having its big full 1.0 launch, but with a 'Very Positive' overall ratings from players on Steam, it looks like it's already got a certified fanbase.

Check out our upcoming indie games guide if you're looking for other smaller games to keep an eye on in the future.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.