Welcome to our review of Song of Horror, a new horror game out now for Xbox and we played it on the Series X.
The famed writer Sebastian P. Husher has gone missing, along with his entire family. Worried, his editor sent an assistant to his house in order to look for him – but he never came back… These disappearances spark a set of events that will soon reveal something dreadful: a nameless, dark entity known only as The Presence seems to be responsible.
Song of Horror offers a truly dynamic terror experience: its antagonist, the supernatural entity known only as The Presence, is controlled by an advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) that adapts to your actions and decisions. Experience unbearable fear as this otherworldly being responds to your way of playing and hunts you down in unexpected ways, offering a unique experience to every player and gameplay where tension builds up naturally instead of coming from scripted sequences.
As a player, you will live this story through the eyes of a varied set of characters related to the story in their own way. Every character is different, and brings their unique point of view to the investigation, allowing them to approach clues and items differently. Their actions and decisions will shape the world: some of them will know more or less of certain aspects of the story; some will be more effective against supernatural manifestations, but all of them can die if the Presence gets to them – and death is permanent. If they die, you will have to pick the story up with another one, and continue the investigation so their deaths are not in vain.
A mysterious antique shop, a forgotten abbey, an abandoned mental hospital… Each location in Song of Horror is inspired by the classics of the genre. Explore and investigate these haunted places to gather clues and items that will help you solve challenging puzzles while enduring the agonizing tension of the game’s atmosphere.
Song of Horror does a decent job to keep the atmosphere going, but in parts to its slow pace, does take a hit in the playability part of horror games. While you are mostly searching for what is happening, there is never really a hard search unless you lose track of your position. In which case, you can always draw a physical map as there is no in-game map.
Most of the puzzles encountered are not of the hardest kind and there is also no real combat in this game. Which makes it more of a running away from danger experience rather than manning up. Nothing wrong with running tail though! I just wish the game responded a little more fluently as it is often choppy.
In conclusion, I have played better games but also much worse. While the atmosphere is the best part of the game, I can not help but wonder if the slower movements kind of ruined my great experience?
