Looking for solace in all the wrong places. Charismatic cult leaders taking advantage of gullible individuals as a gaming theme has been covered extensively in recent years. "The Church in the Darkness" and "Far Cry 5" come to mind. Yet this title I'm writing about today has taken it a step further by fusing elements of the supernatural, still ambiguous enough to allow room for interpretation.

The path towards that form of enlightment is not straightforward. I am glad that it managed to subvert my expectations in a positive manner. Was it a fever dream, a hallucination after all? Only one way to find out. The Chant is the Steam debut for developer Brass Token, while being published by industry veterans Prime Matter.

A successful combination which proved there's still some novelty left in the aforementioned topics. Take nothing at face value here. Given the player choices which can steer the outcome in three different ways, being unpredictable is an inherent trait for the majority of characters.

Jonestown without a massacre of that scale, The Chant's fictional island is still exhibiting lush forests prowling with dangers, ethereal or not. You'll find lovecraftian elements in almost any horror story, if you look close enough. True, we do have a lighthouse which plays a central role for the narrative, as well as the even more obvious cult mingled with bouts of insanity.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2884972050

I won't discount The Chant's tale as anything short of original. It's more than just "a colourful Evil Within" as some players have called it. You need to appreciate a cult-centric story that eschews clichees and tropes akin to those topics. No nudity or gratuitous violence in The Chant. You can even avoid most fights by being nimble enough and fleeing the subsequent pursuit.

Most foes cannot follow you for very long, thanks to the island's barriers and protective wards. Meditation and non-violence pay-off in the form of specific Steam Achievements. However, the exploration may suffer, as several lore-rich documents and film reels are well guarded by enemy entities you will have to vanquish.

All the more reason to make early choices and stick with them. Replay value is obvious and planning ahead with save you a lot of time. Without spoiling anything, the center stage is taken by traumatised female protagonist which must overcome her own fears as she faces otherworldly challenges that will change her perception and initial skepticism.

Unreal Engine 4 is being pushed to its limits in The Chant. Showing its age, but it gave me no cause for complaint. It's a stable experience which can still be maxed out in 1080p on my 2016 system. What I really appreciated about The Chant's visuals, are the many colors & shades it adopts depending on circumstance.

Tied very well to the in-game crystal mechanics that in turn control what powers and areas of the map you can access. You won't get bored if you just stop and admire your surroundings, that's for certain. Hidden crafting components are just around the corner.

Minimal HUD design by default, the User Interface can be entirely disabled from the Options menu, so I wasn't hindered at any point during my never ending hunt for proper screenshots. Took 33 for the spoiler-free cut here on Steam and thrice as many for my personal archive.

Finding and reading as much auxiliary material across Glory Island as you can, will also reward with stat-boosting experience. No time constraints, so be thorough in your search. Plenty to read or watch while you're dodging physical and mental attacks.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2885461853

Not the most enthusiastic voice acting from what I could deduce, but it's passable. At least it's not involuntarily humorous. The Chant's serious tone leaves room for the occasional element of comic relief, but for the most part you'll find the Gloom foes to be quite...gloomy. Nothing wrong with that and the soundtrack was on point during both combat and moments of respite.

While there's even a Steam Achievement for speedrunning The Chant is less than four hours, I strongly recommend you take in the sights during your first playthrough. Explore every nook and cranny, interact with NPCs and carefully examine those maps and bestiary drawings. There's a lot of foreshadowing hidden in plain sight.

All you have to do is flip those documents more often. I managed to complete the story on the default difficulty in ten hours and I enjoyed every last bit. The save system has so many checkpoints, that you don't have to worry about losing any progress if you pause or exit a lot. You might wanna do that, just for the loading screen artwork.

Mind, Body and Spirit are your main resource pools and they can be enhanced by simply consuming the adequate items you shall craft. Dialogue choices further shape those stats as well as the interactions with fellow survivors. I'm still torn between the lables of survival or psychological horror. It's probably a mix of both, depending on how you approach it.

Hippie commune turned into something truly sinister which feeds on raw emotions and false hopes. The key element is knowing when to stay on the move and when to cut yourself some slack in order to access all those documents. No matter how thorough I was, there were still two pieces of intel I somehow missed from the total of 61.

There's always a next time and I will take the fight to those cultists instead of showing mercy. Changing tactics will offer sufficient incentive for a second playthrough at a later date. Signs hinting at a potential sequel are also present. You can't expect clear cut results when your perception is being altered to that extent. An eye-opening ride even if you're not really into occult themes.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2885461923

Far from being an expert in cults or meditation, I was still intrigued by what The Chant has achieved with a story that could have easily been just an afterthought for the gameplay. As it stands now, they complement each other while ensuring that players have something new to examine alongside adding new challenges as the game progresses towards its open-ended conclusions.

I do not consider it overpriced or overrated. Unfair comparisons with other series or singular titles should also be shown restraint. The Chant deserves your attention. Especially if you're looking for cult stories that transcend caricatures. Open your mind, unleash your spirit and wholeheartedly embrace change!

+ Steam Achievements.
+ Beautiful graphics and soundtrack.
+ Replay value through story & gameplay choices.

- No Steam Trading Cards.
- Bland voice acting.

This article was submitted for Imperial Reviews. Following my Curator Page, will help me keep publishing new reviews as soon as I can. Thank you for your support!