Delta Force Devs Reveal Project: Spectrum—A Supernatural FPS Horror Wild Card

Why Project: Spectrum Has My Attention (And Caution)

When Team Jade-the crew behind the legendary Delta Force series-unveiled Project: Spectrum at Gamescom’s Opening Night Live, I didn’t expect one of the freshest FPS horror teases in ages. Delta Force is all tactical nostalgia, but this game? It’s all kinetic horror chaos, clearly trying to channel that white-knuckle, supernatural gunplay FEAR and Trepang2 delivered. But hype is cheap. Here’s why this announcement actually matters (and what has me wary).

• Action and horror blend: Spectrum’s merging frantic FPS combat with psychological horror, not just cheap jump scares.
• Supernatural powers: Shapeshifting and monstrous transformations mix up the standard shooter formula.
• Delta Force devs breaking out: Team Jade isn’t just leaning on military shooter cred-they’re taking real risks here.
• Big genre shoes to fill: FEAR and Trepang2 set the bar high for supernatural shooters. Spectrum needs more than creepy mannequins and cool trailers to stand out.

Delta Force to Body Horror? That’s a Leap

Let’s be honest, nobody expected the folks who built Delta Force—a series all about sandboxes and military realism—to toss their camo aside for supernatural body horror. But after a decade where the best horror shooters (like FEAR, Resident Evil 7, or Trepang2) dared to get weird, it makes sense for any studio stuck in the “mid-2000s shooter” rut to shake things up. If you’re tired of lifeless military campaigns, this move actually feels gutsy.

That said, genre leaps rarely go smooth. Remember when Tango Gameworks fumbled Ghostwire: Tokyo, trying to pivot from horror roots to open-world action? The mood, tone, and pacing all changed. Team Jade will have to balance the punchy feel of classic shooters with the tension and unease horror fans crave. It’s not an easy formula. But if they pull it off, there’s a real void for stylish, disturbing shooters right now.

FEAR and Trepang2 Vibes—But Can Project: Spectrum Deliver?

If you’ve played Monolith’s FEAR or last year’s indie darling Trepang2, you know what supernatural FPS gunplay looks and feels like: bullet-time, wild psychic powers, enemies that are as unpredictable as they are deadly. The Project: Spectrum trailer leans hard into these influences. You’ve got claustrophobic corridors, enemies blending the line between human and monstrous (I spotted mannequin nightmares and body-horror abominations), and the wildest moment—a protagonist turning into a black-tentacled beast herself.

But trailers are just marketing fluff unless the gameplay delivers. I want to see if Project: Spectrum nails the FEAR formula—tight gunfeel, AI that actually scares you, and powers that change how you approach combat. It’s a lot harder than just making things go splat in an Unreal Engine demo. What’ll really separate Spectrum from the sea of horror shooters is whether it can force those sweaty-palmed, “do I shoot or survive another way?” choices that FEAR and classic horror games do best.

Why This Isn’t Just Another “Scary Shooter” (If They Get It Right)

The problem with most horror FPS today is they can’t commit—they turn into either limp-wristed shooters with spooky wallpaper, or horror games where the gunplay is an afterthought. Project: Spectrum, at least in theory, seems like it wants to do both. Action horror works best when you never feel fully in control, when ammo counts and monster powers give you agency and dread in equal measure. If Spectrum can blend supernatural powers (like that wall-crawling, body-horror transformation) with high-pressure gunfights, it could scratch the itch a lot of us have after burning through Resident Evil and Alan Wake II.

But, and this matters: without smart AI, level design that encourages terror and improvisation, and a story that justifies all this weirdness, “FPS horror” risks being shallow. Still, seeing Team Jade, a dev with shooter chops but zero horror track record, go this far out of their comfort zone? That’s more interesting than most Gamescom reveals.

TL;DR—Watch This Space (But Don’t Preorder)

Project: Spectrum drops with a clear pitch: action horror, supernatural gunplay, and monstrous powers from the team behind Delta Force. It could be a shot of adrenaline for horror shooter fans burnt out on safe sequels. But until Team Jade shows us more than a flashy trailer—actual scares and mechanics, not just cool ideas—keep your expectations in check. It’s one of the more promising horror reveals this year, but I want to see them stick the landing before I buy in.