8Bit/Digi

A Classic Nightmare in Five Acts

Following in the footsteps of classics like Clock Tower and Silent Hill, this is a nightmare that genre fans will enjoy. Song of Horror has both the charm and frights that will get any horror games attention. From a gameplay stance, it has all the standards of the genre. From a narrative perspective, it will keep you on edge.

Song of Horror* is one of those games that knows its fans and it does everything to appeal to them. The game has all the hallmarks of a good horror survival while keeping you on edge. It’s a nightmare of its own right while forcing you to uncover the lores dark secrets. This is a game truly made by horror fans for horror fans.

* Note that this is a review of the complete game and not a single chapter.

Don’t Look at the Picture

Song of Horror is an episodic nightmare that is broken down into five chapters. All of them are connected by the involvement of a music box and a sinister entity. Set in 1998, the story begins with Daniel Noyer arriving to the Husher Mansion in search of Sebastian P. Husher and his family. After entering a mysterious room, it sets of a chain of events. The story will focus on a verity of characters in their attempt to save themselves and others. At the same time they bust fight a sinister force known as the Presence. How the story is told will all be based on the actions of the player.

From the start, you will come to admire the dark and intense atmosphere. It provides plenty of frights through the eerie environment and the intense build ups. It does have a few “jump scare” moments but it isn’t too dependent on them. Like any good horror survival, it forces you to over come creative puzzles and challenges. Finally, one has to admire its unique take on the permadeath mechanic. If you’re character dies, you will have to take on the role of another and pick up where they left off. Thus, your bad choices will completely alter the story and experience.

The games only real issue is the control function is janky and the layout. This seems to be a problem among many narrative driven games (good and bad). As a result you may be making numerous attempts to hover over any thing you’re trying to interact with. Compared to most games, it’s more polished but still has the same issues.

A Nightmare Song

Song of Horror is a narrative driven horror survival in the traditional sense that will scare players in all the right ways. From its intense atmosphere to the many characters, this is a nightmare that you want to survive all the way to the end. As a game, this is a must have for anyone who enjoys a horror experience.

Disclaimer: Renaissance PR provided the game used in this review.

This review is the critique and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides an insight into the video game community and industry of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Song of Horror (PC)

9

Excellent

9.0/10

Pros

• Dark and intense atmosphere with plenty of frights.
• Creative puzzles and challenges.
• A unquie take on permadeath.

Cons

• Janky control function and odd button layout.