You know that feeling when a place just doesn’t want you there? The Occultist builds its entire experience around that idea. From the moment you arrive on the isolated island of Godstone, there’s a quiet sense that you’re stepping into something you probably shouldn’t be poking at.
Now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, this latest from DALOAR and Daedalic Entertainment delivers a story-driven horror experience that favours tension, mystery and atmosphere over outright chaos.
At A Glance
- Game: The Occultist
- Developer: DALOAR
- Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC
- Price: £25.00 (Standard) / £33.00 (Deluxe Edition)
- Game Type: First-Person Survival Horror
A Personal Investigation On A Cursed Island
In The Occultist, you step into the shoes of Alan Rebels, a paranormal investigator drawn to the remote island of Godstone following the disappearance of his father.
It’s not just another case. The island has a history, one steeped in cult activity, disturbing rituals and a past that refuses to stay buried. Abandoned since 1950, Godstone feels frozen in time, its streets and buildings left to decay while something far less tangible lingers beneath the surface.
As Alan begins to piece together what happened, it quickly becomes clear that this investigation is going to test more than just his skills.
A Tool Unlike Any Other
Central to everything is Alan’s mystic pendulum.
This isn’t just a narrative device, it’s your primary way of interacting with the world. The pendulum allows you to manipulate the environment in unique ways, uncover hidden elements and solve puzzles tied to the occult.
It’s a clever twist that helps The Occultist stand apart, giving players something more involved than simply searching rooms or reading notes. Every use of the pendulum feels deliberate, tying gameplay directly into the supernatural themes at the heart of the story.
Tension Over Action
Combat isn’t the focus here. In fact, it’s largely avoided. Instead, The Occultist leans heavily into stealth and survival, asking players to observe, hide and move carefully through its environments. The threats you encounter aren’t there to be defeated, but to be understood or escaped.
That approach keeps the tension high. You’re never the most powerful presence in the room, and that vulnerability plays a big part in how the horror lands.
Atmosphere That Does The Heavy Lifting
From its fog-drenched streets to its unsettling interiors, The Occultist is built around atmosphere.
Next-gen visuals help bring Godstone to life, while the original soundtrack from Pepe Herrero adds another layer of unease. It’s the kind of game where sound matters just as much as sight, where every creak or distant echo makes you second guess what’s coming next.
The result is a slower, more deliberate horror experience that rewards patience.
One We’ve Been Keeping An Eye On
The Occultist isn’t arriving quietly either. It already featured in our Best New Xbox and Game Pass Games for April 2026 roundup, standing out as one of the more intriguing horror releases of the month.
Now that it’s here, it looks ready to deliver on that early promise, especially for players who prefer their scares to build gradually rather than hit all at once. Our review is on the way and should hopefully be able to confirm those thoughts.
A Different Kind Of Fear
The Occultist doesn’t rely on constant action or shock moments to make its point. Instead, it focuses on mood, story and the slow unraveling of something deeply wrong. If you’re in the mood for a horror experience that takes its time and gets under your skin, this is one investigation worth stepping into.
Just don’t expect to leave Godstone unchanged.
You’ll find The Occultist on the usual storefronts for Xbox, PlayStation and PC, either in Standard edition form, or that of a Deluxe edition with added extras in the form of a soundtrack and artbook.
Don’t expect to play this one through Game Pass at launch though. It’s not initially making use of the subscription scheme.
