PLATFORM: PC, PS5, XBOX SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Glory Island, a coastal area of the Pacific Northwest, has seen some things… Formerly used as the base for a cult-like commune in the 1970s, it’s now a spiritual retreat run by the soft-spoken Guru Tyler. With little more than a hefty amount of emotional baggage, Jess heads to the retreat to deal with some past trauma and make amends with her friend Kim, who happens to be a fully-converted member of Tyler’s flock. On her very first night, a group chant goes awry and unleashes the Gloom, an interdimensional force that brings with it all manner of otherworldly creatures that feed on negative energy. As Jess, you’ll explore the island, unravel the questionable motives of Guru Tyler and his “volunteers”, and take a trip into the unknown as the psychedelic Gloom makes its presence felt in increasingly violent ways.
The Chant takes a lot of cues from several popular titles, but adds enough of its own twists to build an identity all of its own. Its setting, story and cosmic horror vibe (with a little bit of 70s folky horror thrown in) are incredibly well done, and some inventive gameplay mechanics add to the unique atmosphere. Jess’ mind, body and spirit all need to be looked after, with each growing stronger based on your actions and dialogue/upgrade choices. If her mind empties, Jess will have a panic attack, leaving her vulnerable in combat until she can get out of danger. If her body empties, she dies, while her spirit governs her use of special abilities.
Plants can be scavenged from all around the island to restore these stats, and they can also be used to craft weapons, around half a dozen of which are available. Combat is limited to a couple of melee attacks, a handful of throwable items (which can also be placed on the ground to trap enemies) and the aforementioned special abilities which are learned as Jess makes her way through the game’s six chapters. Each weapon and ability proves to be useful in different situations, like summoning spikes from the ground to deal with a mob of deranged undead cultists or using a specific weapon while wading around in the Gloom where other weapons are less effective.
While there is a fair bit of fighting to be done, combat isn’t a focus – most of your time with The Chant will be spent exploring the six distinct areas of the island, which are all connected to the retreat in the centre. There are some light Resident Evil-style puzzles to take care of (one of the first things you come across is an electrical box which, surprise surprise, needs a new fuse, while Chapter 4 is mainly based around one of those “align the beams” puzzles), and plenty of lore to uncover, along with a bestiary to fill that gives you some well thought-out background information about the excellently-designed enemies.
It isn’t the longest adventure – the end credits rolled after around six hours – but there’s a lot going on for a budget title (the asking price is £35), and it’s to the developers’ credit that they pull everything off pretty well, particularly when considering that this is their first full game as a team. An intriguing story, gruesome enemies, trippy visuals and mind-bending supernatural secrets combine to make The Chant a highly enjoyable palate-cleanser between tackling the more time-consuming titles in your backlog.
