Developer: Croxel Studios
Genres: Indie game, Action game, Adventure
Platform: Microsoft Windows
Publisher: Billete Cohete
It’s the season for eerie games, and gamers all over the world want to be spooked in a variety of ways. This time of year, horror enthusiasts can enjoy a wide range of titles, from high-profile games like Silent Hill 2 and Phasmophobia to indie nightmares just waiting to be discovered. Tormenture is one such horror experience that combines classic Atari bleeps and bloops with the actual world in a completely unique way.
The game begins with you launching the titular game Tormenture on your pre-NES home system. To complete the game, you must steer your square dot character past terrifying foes while collecting four rare relics. It’s as retro a gaming experience as you can get without pulling out a dusty old system from the attic, with only a control stick and a single button to navigate the game.
The action button serves only one purpose: to drop items that can be picked up by rubbing against them. To progress early in the game, you must pick up a sword and scrape it against an enemy, but you will also uncover a plethora of keys along the way, as well as even more interesting items such as magnets that may be used to pull things towards you. Despite its simplicity, Tormenture’s gameplay is quite varied, and that’s before you get into the real world.
Tormenture begins to bug out after conquering the game’s first boss, and you transition to the first person perspective of a youngster sitting in their bedroom playing this spooky game. After removing the cart and giving it a few blows, you can return it to the vintage console and continue your adventure. There’s more to look at in your bedroom, and some of it is necessary if you want to go forward.
Tormenture allows you to explore the bedroom by turning in any direction with the right stick and interacting with the many drawers and toys scattered around. Initially, it appears that the goods are a toy phone and a fake “Guess Who?”” The game will not aid you much with your objective, but appearances might be deceiving. The game’s instruction manual is immediately beneficial, as it contains not only useful information on the game’s goods, but also remarks from previous players that will assist you in solving a few riddles.
If this were the only contact between the actual and video game worlds in Tormenture, it would be a fascinating but not terribly disturbing experience. That is not the case, and let me tell you, as I looked away from the TV screen and saw the bedroom door close abruptly, I almost needed new underwear. I won’t disclose any more horrifying moments like this in which the actual world feels invaded by the game, but they’re all quite fantastic.
As the game proceeds, the two worlds become increasingly intertwined, and you will begin to solve riddles in the real world as a result. The combination of first-person escape room gameplay with nostalgic old-school horror is incredibly intriguing and kept me interested from beginning to end.
Although I enjoyed my time with Tormenture, it has one major flaw that prevents it from being a Halloween season mainstay. Tormenture is really simple to become stuck in, whether you don’t know how to unlock a door or even where to go next, and with no hint system or support available in-game, you’ll either have to smash your head against the wall while you’re struggling. Some form of thematic and slightly scary aid system (and I refuse to count the hazy and rudimentary few of tips provided by a spelling toy) would make the game far more enjoyable, but as it stands, you’ll most likely become frustrated pretty frequently unless you keep a manual ready.
Tormenture is an exceptionally cool and completely unique horror game that combines two worlds to create some truly terrifying moments. If you have nostalgia for the good old days and don’t mind being stuck a few times, you’ll like this frightening throwback; but, if you play it alone in the middle of the night and become scared, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 86%
Controls: 82%
Aesthetics: 91%
Content: 84%
Accessibility: 79%
Value: 85%
Overall: 85%
GREAT!
Summary:
Tormenture is a thrilling trip through a dark fantasy realm, combining difficult combat systems with a haunting ambiance that draws players in. The game’s graphic design is impressive, with creepy locations and complex characters that complement the immersive tale. The gameplay is demanding and occasionally cruel, but it rewards persistence, making it intriguing to lovers of darker, high-difficulty RPGs. While a few tweaks to control and accessibility could improve the experience, Tormenture is a fascinating adventure with rich lore and rewarding battles, making it a valuable addition to any hardcore gamer’s collection.