More news for Resident Evil‘s upcoming title, Requiem, might have survival horror fans antsy for the next entry in the series. Thankfully, another upcoming game that may release sooner provides similar third-person horror action that players might be craving going into 2026. While only announced recently, this Steam and Epic Game Store title seems to mix the best parts of Resident Evil and Dead Space together for an interesting premise.
A DSO Gaming article has revealed a new game from developer Harebrained, the same studio that brought players the acclaimed Shadowrun trilogy, as well as the positively reviewed BATTLETECH. Their latest endeavor is a game called GRAFT, which has no planned release date as of this time of writing. That being said, the initial takeaways of GRAFT are impressive, marking perhaps another successful title in Harebrained’s catalog.
GRAFT Is A Promising New Survival Horror
Story-Driven Adventure That Combines Terror With Existential Transformation
GRAFT may appear simply as a survival horror game on the surface, but this title adopts dense RPG mechanics in a story-rich narrative that makes it feel unique compared to something like Resident Evil or Dead Space. Throughout this adventure, you’ll be exploring a massive space station called the Arc, which once held a civilization of biomechanically enhanced people who replaced their bodies in a perpetual cycle of manufactured immortality.
However, with no idea how you got on the Arc to begin with, its decay is evident as you explore its hidden depths. The dying world is filled with dark characters and themes, particularly in how its RPG systems are presented. As you “graft” new enhancements onto your own body for survival, you begin to question more and more of what parts of your original self remain as your journey continues.
The “Ship of Theseus” fable is used as a central theme for GRAFT, establishing a strong backbone for the dark RPG story. The fable refers to the ship of the Greek hero Theseus, whose parts were continuously replaced and repaired until many wondered if it could still be called the original ship.
The transformations and metamorphosis your character goes through while on the Arc not only serve to give you new gameplay abilities, but also to drive the story forward. Every “graft” you equip changes your character’s skills, allowing for some deep customization opportunities. With deadly experiments, feral creatures, and an evil AI’s agents hunting you, new modifications will be needed for strategies to overcome dangers.
Classic Resident Evil Fans Should Take Note
Over The Shoulder Action Is Prevalent In GRAFT’s Previews
Despite the intense RPG elements, the main gameplay loop of GRAFT is in third-person action against enemies. From a top-down, slightly over-the-shoulder perspective, your character shoots guns and uses other weapons to defend themselves against the abominations they encounter.
Much like the newly revealed Leon segments in Resident Evil Requiem, this third-person view is nostalgic for any RE fan. Yet, GRAFT has a different approach to this classic survival-horror combat, as your character has much greater mobility than any RE protagonist. Fixed camera angles in GRAFT emulate the first Resident Evil games, but with far fewer restrictions for navigating around areas.
While it is unclear what kind of weapons and combat will fully flesh out the combat of GRAFT, its action looks fast-paced and tense, much like the original survival horror games that inspired a genre. With Resident Evil still preparing for its next game’s release, hopefully news on GRAFT showcases another great title that players can look forward to soon.
