I confess, I have a love-hate relationship with horror. Whilst I adore the unsettlingly beautiful imagery horror can, in some cases, produce, I don’t like jump scares causing too many unnecessary fluctuations in my heart rate. You might then brand me as a scaredy cat but I wouldn’t say that’s particularly fair either. There are so many nuances and strands within the horror genre and the kind that I am drawn to centres on atmosphere and suggestion.
As may already be obvious based on that description,The Occultistdeals predominantly with occult and body horror. I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the game’s developers at this year’s Gamescom, witnessing around 30-minutes of gameplay and what is abundantly clear to me aboutThe Occultistis that while it may make you jump from time to time, it’s far more concerned with prompting the sensation that somethingmighthappen, making your journey through Godstone Island one that’s simultaneously riveting and unnerving.
Advert
Advert
Take a look atThe Occultistin action below.
Everybody has a key aspect that they gravitate towards in a game. For some, it’s combat. For others, it’s exploration but for me, it’s narrative. I adore diving into a good story, and it quickly became clear to me thatThe Occultistfeatures a killer tale. The opening of the game, for the most part, didn’t include anything of major note. You learn how to jump, duck, sprint - the typical fare you’d expect.
Advert
Advert
Essentially, the document gifted the player with some very early clues about what exactly went down on the island - although I’ll omit specifics for spoilers sake. Naturally, a mystery of this magnitude will take the whole breadth of the game to unravel yet quite quickly, I found myself incredibly eager to learn more. All of the information will be gathered in Alan’s journal which I felt offered an intriguing opportunity for the curious amongst us. Yes,The Occultistfollows a fixed linear narrative but I like the idea that you can revisit your notes at any point, with the potential to attempt to put the pieces of this mystery together yourself.
Credit / Daedalic Entertainment
I also want to add that for the most part,The Occultistis far more concerned with puzzles than it is with enemy encounters - although I did see glimpses of one boss fight, involving a pretty big guy with the various stages of his body set across several floors of a house. How you defeat him, I’m not too sure as that remains a secret. What I can tell you though is that solving puzzles is also something you’ll predominantly do with your pendulum. The ability to control animals, for example, might let you nab something from a high-up location if you’re able to assert control over a bird.
Advert
Advert
There’s still much I don’t know aboutThe Occultistbut I suppose that’s the point. This game is centred around intrigue and mystery, set against a backdrop of atmospheric occult and body horror. You’re supposed to be left mildly confused yet itching for more. With the talented Roger Clark bringing Alan to life, I have no doubt that this will be an emotionally compelling tale. While I’d like to have caught a better glimpse at how enemy encounters will work, the multiple uses of the pendulum intrigue me, and with a solid puzzle system present throughout the game,The Occultist’s future feels bright.
The Occultist is set to launch in 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Topics:PlayStation,Xbox,PC,Preview
