A Priest’s Search For Redemption
Religious themes in games are quite common. There is a whole host of interesting storytelling elements to feast on, like sin, purity, redemption and, of course, demons, both personal and in the flesh.
However, playing as a person of the cloth is much rarer. We had Indika a few years ago, where you played a nun on the run, and it was a weird journey with religious imagery gone mad. What Have You Done, Father? puts you in the shoes of a priest whose days go from bad to worse when he succumbs to temptation. Let us pray.
Sin, Secrets And A Murder Mystery
In What Have You Done, Father?, you play Father Mathias Marton, who lives in a rectory in 1940s Transylvania with several other young priests. At first, nothing seems wrong, but then a woman called Marina arrives at the rectory, and one thing leads to another as Father Marton gives in to temptation. But when he tries to seek forgiveness, he finds her dead in his bed. How this happened, and what part he played in it, is the crux of the story in this first-person horror game.
What I liked about this story is the whole setup of a priest who has committed a sinful act in his own eyes and is seeking redemption from both his religion and his peers. But when murder is involved, it also becomes a detective story in which we follow someone trying to find answers, while at the same time never being quite sure whether our protagonist is actually the villain. It’s a clever narrative and one that got its hooks into me from the beginning.
The rectory itself is also a great piece of environmental storytelling, with its design and hidden secrets. There are nice details to uncover, like pictures of previous priests that reveal more about the building’s history. There are also magazines to find that help capture the feel of 1940s life. Sometimes the cutscenes and dialogue can feel a tad overdramatic, but it’s an intriguing story overall.
Searching For Answers One Task At A Time
Gameplay is in first person, and it gives you tasks to complete, which you simply follow. For example, early in the game you have to prepare some tea for a guest. You first have to walk around the rectory looking for a tea set and then find the right type of fruit tea that the guest wants before boiling the kettle and serving it. This simple series of actions forms the basis of the entire gameplay loop.
You are given a list of objectives, such as collecting evidence or ringing the police, and then it’s up to you to complete them. There are also dialogue options when speaking with other people in the rectory, as you go picking from the choices available. But mostly, it is a case of working through the dialogue options until you’ve exhausted the conversation.
A Strong Story Interrupted By Technical Hiccups
The game has a good structure to it, and although the gameplay is simple, there is some puzzle-solving thrown into the mix. You will spend a lot of your time searching for objects, and occasionally I had moments where the game didn’t progress even though I had found the item I needed. Another time it crashed before I found the required object. I didn’t mind reloading my save, but it did take me out of the narrative somewhat. I also felt there were a few pacing issues in places that distracted me from what is otherwise a very good story.
The visuals are very good. What they do particularly well is create interior spaces with a brilliant atmosphere that feel lived in. The facial animations are good too, although sometimes the characters can look a little dead behind the eyes. The soundtrack is suitably ominous, providing a dramatic score beneath the mystery. The sound effects are excellent, creating a constant sense of foreboding horror lurking just out of sight. The voice cast also does a very decent job during the cutscenes, although the game isn’t fully voiced throughout.
A Haunting Rectory Brought To Life
I like games that try to tell unique stories from a different perspective. Framing What Have You Done, Father? as a religious mystery, with a priest acting as both detective and someone questioning his own vocation and sanity, is a brilliant concept that is executed well. The gameplay is fairly basic, though, amounting to little more than fetch quests and some simple puzzle-solving.
The glitches I encountered were frustrating, but they didn’t stop me from wanting to continue. And that means if you enjoy a good story and fancy stepping into the shoes of a priest in 1940s Romania, then What Have You Done, Father? is well worth saying a small prayer for.
Important Links
What Have You Done, Father? Makes Its Console Debut – https://www.thexboxhub.com/what-have-you-done-father-makes-its-console-debut/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/what-have-you-done-father/9MV9KW1LB7SW/0010
