by theygames“Kim, doesn’t this all feel a little bit culty?” Steam horror game The Chant brings together the mystical intrigue and interpersonal drama of Life is Strange, the ‘mysterious cult gone wrong’ vibes of folk horror film Midsommar, and the tense third-person action-adventure game stylings of games such as Resident Evil, The Evil Within, and The Last of Us. Best of all, you can play it right now.
When Jess and Kim head to a remote spiritual island retreat for a peaceful weekend, you – well, to be honest, you know exactly what’s going to happen. And happen it does; a misadvised group chant opens a portal to The Gloom, a “psychedelic dimension of terror that feeds off negative energy.” You’ll have to fight off terrifying cosmic horrors, parley with the other survivors, and attempt to investigate the history of a 1970s cult as you attempt to reverse the ritual before it consumes everyone on the island.
The Chant features melee-focused third-person combat against a range of weird and worrying monsters of all shapes and sizes, but it also gives you access to a number of “spiritual weapons and abilities” to take on your foes. You’ll have to keep an eye out for resources to help craft yourself tools to enable you a better chance at survival, and strike a balance between your mental, physical, and spiritual states via a character upgrade tree.
A gameplay demo from developer Brass Token shows off some of the game’s various puzzles and crafting systems, the way players can use various melee tools and traps to exploit enemy weaknesses, and how Jess can employ the power of The Gloom against the monsters she faces. You’ll branch out across the island from the camp, which acts as your hub, and will converse with the other inhabitants there as you progress. Brass Token says that the dialogue choices you make and the secrets you uncover will “ultimately determine how your story concludes.”
The Chant is available now on Steam, and offers some additional bonuses for collectors including the game’s original soundtrack composed by Paul Ruskay, an art book, and a 70s themed outfit and visual filter.
If this sounds up your alley, you might be interested in medieval horror game Blight: Survival, which is currently blowing up on social media. Meanwhile, a mysterious Fallout 4 horror mod has recently resurfaced. We’ve also got plenty more of the best survival games on PC for you to check out.