How ILL is Merging 90s Body Horror With Modern Horror Atmosphere

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For nearly 300 years, the genre of horror has consistently captivated readers. Over this extended period, numerous subgenres have emerged within horror, such as psychological, gothic, paranormal, and many more. Team Clout’s creation, ILL, is taking inspiration from these long-established subgenre categories.

Initially unveiled in its preliminary stages last September 2021, the project known as ILL has now progressed to full-scale production, allowing its creators to provide a clearer picture of their vision for the final product. In an exclusive interview with Game Rant, Maxim Verehin, co-founder of Team Clout, discussed the team’s primary influences and explained how ILL seamlessly blends the gruesome body horror of the 1990s with the chilling psychological horror atmosphere prevalent in contemporary video games.

How ILL Embraces Its 1990s Horror Inspirations

Initially, ILL’s early concept trailers didn’t fully capture the final product, but they laid a solid foundation for the game’s brand back then. Over time, though, ILL has evolved and clarified its unique identity, as stated by Maxim Verehin.

ILL is a thrilling survival horror game that draws inspiration from the gruesome horror films of the ’90s.

It appears that Team Clot’s horror content is heavily influenced by gruesome 90s body horror films like “Body Snatchers” and the “Hellraiser” series. However, their inspiration isn’t limited to just these 90s body horror movies; they are also drawing from a variety of reference materials for their work.

As a gaming enthusiast who thrives on the chills and thrills of various horror genres, let me clarify our approach with ILL. We’re not just about body horror; we aim to integrate diverse horrifying elements into this game. However, when it comes to body horror in ILL, we’re pouring a lot of passion and creativity into making it truly terrifying. Our inspirations lie in the classics of horror cinema where the focus was on revealing the true nature of the threats, the gruesome actions of monsters, and the sheer terror they instill in their victims.

ILL’s ‘Visceral Dismemberment’ System Puts Body Horror Front and Center

It’s great to have these creative sparks, but it’s the application that counts most. Fortunately, Team Clout is leveraging its body horror inspirations to establish the foundational concept for their novel “Visceral Dismemberment.” According to Verehin, this system is described as follows:

In our game, ILL, if you attack an enemy, it will lose a limb which will fly off, creating a graphic and detailed scene. We’re focusing on making this dismemberment system as realistic and engaging as possible, reminiscent of the curiosity we felt as kids when playing older games, trying to figure out how enemies could be dismembered by knives or axes. In ILL, we aim to recapture that sense of wonder, as if you’re asking yourself whether the developers put thought and effort into creating this effect.

In contrast to other franchises like Dead Space that have previously featured dismemberment systems, ILL’s Visceral Dismemberment system appears to be the main focus of gameplay in their upcoming game. This system is expected to work alongside the dynamic enemy behavior, where monsters will respond realistically to player actions. For example, shooting off an enemy’s limb may cause it to emit a painful scream, thereby reinforcing the game’s intense realism and amplifying its body horror aspects.

How ILL is Exploring Its More Modern Inspirations

Apart from the horror films of the 1990s, Team Clout has drawn inspiration from several contemporary works within the horror genre.

We really enjoy the Resident Evil saga, particularly Resident Evil 7 due to its eerie vibe and intense fright factor. In terms of truly terrifying gaming experiences, we draw inspiration from the early installments in the Silent Hill franchise and Hideo Kojima’s P.T., needless to say.

In contrast to the excessive gory style of ’90s enemies and gameplay in ILL, its immediate environment will evoke a sense of eeriness similar to P.T., Resident Evil, and Silent Hill. Thus, players can anticipate a progressive increase in suspense during the first hour of ILL, leading to genuinely terrifying moments intended to deeply unsettle their minds.

ILL is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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2025-06-07 13:25