REVIEW : Song of Horror (XBOX Series X)
The new horror game that will keep you awake is the work of a Spanish studio. Protocol Games presents Song of Horror, a heartfelt and demanding tribute to the roots of survival horror.
For horror game lovers there is a key decade: the 90s. At that stage, key franchises such as Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil or Silent Hill were born, games that have marked a generation of players. But so much time has passed that some of those players have become, in turn, creators of games, who want to pay tribute to what marked them so much. Such is the case of Protocol Games, a Madrid studio that has been shaping this Song of Horror for 6 years, a horror adventure that has been premiered in episodes since the end of 2019 and that, finally, premieres its fifth and final chapter. Thus, it is possible to get a ” complete edition”Which brings together the 5 episodes at once, although there have been several fans who have been collecting the story with each new instalment.
In essence, Song of Horror’s gameplay is classic survival horror: we play in the third person and control our character through all kinds of grim settings, from a mansion to an abandoned convent, while we search for clues to help unravel the story. plot. In total, we can control up to 13 characters. Normally, each chapter allows us to choose between 4 and if one dies (we will come back to that later), we can choose the next. Each has its characteristics in terms of strength or stealth, for example, but they all possess the same abilities: walking, running, opening or closing doors, and using objects. Normally, we cannot attack the paranormal entities that appear before us.
Before explaining how we can do to get rid of them, we must explain the great and intelligent contribution of Song of Horror to the world of horror games: the Presence. That is the great enemy and, at the same time, it is nothing. It is an artificial intelligence that measures all kinds of variables of our game and, based on that, decides when to unleash all sorts of paranormal phenomena: ghostly figures appearing in the background, doors that slam shut, light bulbs that explode …
If our fear increases too much, the Darkness can come after us in different ways: the atmosphere can become thin and we have to stay still so as not to show tension; Or perhaps the opposite: the temperature drops suddenly and we must move to warm up. But, on other occasions, the phenomenon of Presence can be directly attacking, in one of the different minigames that can jump at any time, without prior notice.
These minigames can consist of pressing the triggers rhythmically to imitate the heartbeat of the character, moving a mirror to find an entity that is approaching us, expanding and contracting a circle so that it does not go off its edge … The dynamics of all of them It is very simple to understand, but its execution must be very precise. If we fail the minigame … Our character will die. But not to load checkpoint or use another life, no. It will die forever. Permadeath. We will not be able to use it again.
Another important aspect is listening to the doors. Yes, before opening one to access a new room, we have the option of taping the ear to notice if something strange is heard behind. If we notice something suspicious, it is better not to open, because surely the Darkness will be behind and will kill our character. Therefore, we must get used to doing that whenever we explore, that the game is dangerous …
There are a couple of sections that are truly stressful and may put your patience to the test. So much so, that, just before the release of the fifth chapter, the studio has decided to listen to the fans and add a new level of difficulty in which there is no permanent death, only a charge from the last checkpoint.
The worst is the very limited and robotic facial animations, something that is especially noticeable during the close-ups of the most terrifying moments. Logically, a small studio could not afford more luxuries either. Even so, the scenarios themselves and the use of fixed shots help to build a convincing “mood”.
The sound section is starred by distorted, grim and squeaky melodies, which perfectly help to put fear in the body. These are mixed with the sounds of the threats that are approaching and, of course, with the voices of the main characters, who comment on what is happening to them. It’s cool to hear how they get scared when something strange happens next to them, but it is indeed rare to see them walk so carefree right after or talk so naturally while rummaging for objects right after they have faced a life or death situation.
It is also shocking to see how, after one character dies, the next one arrives and doesn’t wonder what to do, just pick up the path where the other had died. Logically, it is a necessary license for the game to advance, but it is rare in the first bars.
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