The Church in the Darkness is unfortunately a game that is less than the sum of it’s parts. It comes packing many things that I really dig in video games; stealth, procedural generation, multiple endings and a graphical style that is catching to the eye. Unfortunately it’s a mixed bag.
Basic would be the best one word answer you could use to describe the gameplay found in The Church in the Darkness. Going in guns blazing is an option, but not one that tends to be very successful. Instead, your best bet is to take a more stealthy approach. You can use both lethal and non lethal takedowns, or avoid altercations entirely.
You see manipulating enemies in the game isn’t too difficult once you get the hang of things. On all but the highest difficulty enemies have cone shaped vision detection that even becomes smaller should you dawn a disguise. You can also throw rocks and trigger alarm clocks to distract problem guards away from your desired path.
It’s not that the gameplay is poor. All the functions work as advertised. It’s just uninspired and lacks any real depth. This becomes more and more of an issue the further into the game you get, with each subsequent playthrough feeling more predictable and less exciting than the last.
I really like the art style. It’s almost identical to Fallen Tree Games American Fugitive which was released back in May. Not every game needs to push the PS4 to it’s limit and there is definite merit to a game looking unique. Or well, almost unique in this case. The top down view point also helps with the stealth aspects of the gameplay.
The story starts with you arriving on the aptly named Freedom Island to try bring home your nephew Alex who is entangled with a cult. The game is procedurally generated in terms of enemy placement and character motivations. Sometimes when you start, cult leaders Rebecca and Isaac are actually good people and your nephew doesn’t want to leave. Others they are quite the opposite and he is more than willing to flee.
There aren’t just two scenarios either. On some occasions one leader will go against the grain from the other. It is these nuances that keep you returning multiple times to see the different ways the game can play out. Permadeath is used as well, so if you die it’s back to the start and everything resets. You don’t carry over any gear and while the layout of the island remains the same, the character placements change. It’s an interesting hook for sure, but with the lack of variation in gameplay and tannoy propaganda only slightly changing depending on the motivations of those in charge it quickly becomes very repetitive.
At £15.99 this game is worth picking up if the subject matter interests you. I would expect most will extract about five hours worth of gameplay out of it unless you are going for the platinum, in which case double that. Just don’t expect any great surprised beyond the first hour.
The Church in the Darkness has some really interesting ideas and it’s different which makes it stand out. Unfortunately basic gameplay holds back what would otherwise be a real solid indie title. There is fun to be had in the game, but it is short lived.
Terry