Stepping Into A Spanish Nightmare Of Sun And Sea
In the 2000s, it felt like every week brought a new, linear first-person action-adventure game brimming with creativity.
The list was epic, ranging from Halo to BioShock, with a bit of Half-Life on the side.
By the time we got to the 2010s, it felt as though these single-player experiences were on the wane, replaced largely by online live-service and open-world titles.
Now, however, it feels like we are returning to those narrative-driven, single-player games. Blumhouse Games, following last year’s Sleep Awake, are back with a brand new adventure, Crisol: Theater of Idols.
A Tale Of Two Gods
Set in Spain and created by a team of Spanish developers, this is a first-person action-adventure featuring some unique mechanics and a steampunk fantasy narrative. The world is built around a new religion where people worship either the God of the Sun or the God of the Sea. You play as Gabriel, a captain and soldier of the God of the Sun. After being shipwrecked on the island of Tormentosa, he must fight his way inland to destroy the God of the Sea. As he enters the local village, he discovers it is desolate, ruined, and empty. Soon, strange doll-like statues begin to attack him, but he eventually finds shelter in a fairground with a resistance group, using it as a base to complete his mission.
I liked the story and the world-building, even though there were times when I had no idea what was going on. For the purposes of this review, I actually had to look up some of the lore, as I got a bit lost during my eight-hour playthrough. However, that didn’t stop me from feeling invested in the narrative, which remained engaging throughout. In its design and world-building, it reminded me a lot of BioShock, which is certainly not a bad comparison for a new game to draw.
The Lifeblood Of Combat
The standout gameplay mechanic is that blood is key to everything. The weapons you gather, from a pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle, and machine gun, are essentially transformed into blood-powered weaponry. You have a blood gauge on your screen that you need to keep topped up, functioning much like a health bar. But crucially, to reload your weapons, you need to inject a tool into your own skin and draw your blood to use as ammo. It is a bit gruesome, but a genuinely great idea.
You can also absorb blood from dead bodies or animals. You approach highlighted corpses and absorb their blood, which not only refills your health meter but occasionally reveals narrative items needed to progress. The first enemies that appear to shoot at you are awkwardly moving statues; think of them as wooden zombies. As you progress, they get tougher, introducing flying variants, a territory-morphing stained-glass enemy, and, of course, a series of boss fights.
Stealth, Puzzles, And Fairground Gains
The biggest threat hunting you throughout Crisol: Theater of Idols is a huge, religious robot named Dolores. She is frightening and can kill you very quickly; for most of the game, you will be running and hiding from her. Alongside the combat, there are a lot of puzzles to solve, ranging from straightforward to quite complicated. There are also collectables to find, such as vinyl records and crows that you can release from cages. Further, you pick up money and souls to spend in a shop, upgrading your weapons and gaining new skills at various points. You can even play some fairground games to win tickets for special items.
Visually, Crisol: Theater of Idols makes great use of Unreal Engine 5. The enemies are well-designed, with the animated dolls feeling particularly freaky thanks to their jerky movements. I loved the design of Dolores and her intimidating posture. The environments are excellent places to explore too, with distinct Spanish vibes, even if they can be a bit too dark at times. The cutscenes feature a hand-drawn, comic-book style of animation that I really enjoyed.
Alongside all that, the music is excellent throughout, as are the sound effects. The game is fully voiced, and while there are occasional dips in quality, it is a strong showing overall.
A Resident Evil Influence In A Steampunk Spain
I haven’t mentioned the comparisons to Resident Evil yet, but there is a strong case to be made that Crisol is heavily influenced by that franchise, particularly with its shops, combat flow, and the classic mechanic of shooting weak points on bosses. That is no bad thing, and it is great to play another solid entry in this genre.
It isn’t a perfect game, but it is an enjoyable one. I loved the world and the story, even when it lost me slightly. The combat is fun, and the puzzles are excellent. If you have an itch for a single-player action-adventure, Crisol: Theater of Idols will definitely scratch it.
Important Links
Horror Meets Sacrifice In Crisol: Theater Of Idols On Xbox Series X|S – https://www.thexboxhub.com/horror-meets-sacrifice-in-crisol-theater-of-idols-on-xbox-series-xs/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/cristol-theater-of-idols/9N6QTNWJM2NW
