It’s surprising that overtly Catholic imagery hasn’t been prevalent in horror games in the same way it has been in film. That said, Crisol: Theater of Idols is changing that and coming in with a gameplay that makes you manage your blood, the fear that the saints really are watching you, and does so by keeping its Spanish culture at its center.
Published by Blumhouse Games and developed by Vermila Studios, a studio based in Madrid Spain, Crisol: Theater of Idols is unsettling to say the least. A proper descent into terror, this first-person horror action-adventure game transports players to Hispania, a nightmarish reimagining of Spain. A little bit of Lies of P aesthetically and a lot of Bioshock and Resident Evil mechanically, Crisol can stand out as something unique in the genre thanks to its visual language for communicating horror and its primary mechanic.
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In Crisol: Theater of Idols, you play as Gabriel, a soldier with a unique and deadly ability to wield his own blood as a weapon. Your journey is driven by a divine mission from the Sun God, pushing you deeper into this twisted world’s horrors. During our Summer Game Fest Play Days demo, we got the chance to venture into Hispania, and it was terrifying.
Vermila Studios and Blumhouse Games have another genre-breaking standout with Crisol: Theater of Idols.
While the demo lasted only 30 minutes, and I think we only saw about seven enemies in total, the sound design, environments, and creature design did everything they could to make you tense. At some points, Crisol: Theater of Idols doesn’t feel scary. Then, it all shifts as you hear and then see a giant creature that the developer called Dolores begin to chase you.
The demo itself was extremely simple. Enter the world, learn how to manage your ammo, which is tied to your blood, taking chunks of health from you as you reload, and follow the environmental clues to find the mermaids. Whether they’re real mermaids or not, you don’t entirely know; honestly, I didn’t really care. I just wanted to get away from Dolores.
The character model for the giant quadraped named Dolores, whose veil and crown resemble the Virgin Mary’s, only with half her face missing (see below) is harrowing. The reason that Dolores was terrifying was twofold. The first was that she stalked you and was able to kill you in around two hits. This forced you to plan your paths and exits, hoping she would stay distracted or at least be far enough away to give you space.
Spanish Catholicism makes for decadent and terrifying creature designs.
Watching her from a glass blackened with patina is hard, and all that uncertainty lends to the tension. The stalking is one thing, but the sound and visual design that comes with it unnerved me. I couldn’t put my finger on it until I realized it’s because she, for the most part, is a perversion of Catholic iconography. And, apparently, despite my atheism that I’ve been comfortable in for over a decade, it just felt wrong. But even in that unsettling appearance, she was gorgeous.
All of Crisol’s world is gorgeous. The area we had access to in the demo was layered with life. There were registers you could take money from, doors you could open, and corpses you could steal blood from. The living element of the town, or the formerly living element, calls attention to how you need to manage your supplies differently. That supply is ultimately your health.
There are healing syringes, but when your ammo is tied to taking blood from your body and turning them into bullets to purify saint-inspired puppets, it never feels like enough, especially without aim assist or when you panic. This unique mechanic suggests a strategic layer to the horror, forcing players to carefully consider their attacks and abilities.
Crisol: Theater of Idols forces you to sacrifice yourself to stay alive.
The horror in Crisol is deeply rooted in Spanish Catholic imagery and the unsettling nature of puppetry. While some players may not immediately recognize the wooden dolls shuffling toward you as saint iconography, those of us who have nailed milagros into wood-carved saints can. That specificity of pulling together the holy and the profane is expertly executed. While threats will stalk you, the game emphasizes the importance of managing your blood as a resource for combat and survival.
One of the key aspects of Crisol: Theater of Idols that I want to know more about is its setting. Per the Steam page, Gabriel finds himself on the Cursed Island of Tormentosa. This island is described as both beautiful and malevolent, with players set to uncover its chilling history and the twisted folklore inhabiting it. While I didn’t get to see or traverse eerie landscapes or crumbling grand ruins, I did have to navigate labyrinthine streets.
Crisol: Theater of Idols offers a distinct blend of action and psychological horror. The game’s unique combat system and culturally inspired frights make it an immediate title to wishlist. Crisol boldly wears its inspirations on its sleeves, and the player is better for it.
Crisol: Theater of Idols currently has no release date but will be available on Steam.
