Cultic review

Help these murderous zealots free their minds (with a rusty axe) 

Ken Silverman’s Build Engine had a substantial impact on gaming. Across the 1990s, the engine was employed by respected first-person shooters like Duke Nukem 3D, PowerSlave, and Shadow Warrior. But one of the more noteworthy uses was 1997’s Blood (available on Steam as Blood: Fresh Supply). Here, traditional firearms like pistols and machine guns intermingled with improvised weapons like a pitchfork and lighter-and-aerosol can combo. Locations and enemies were more unsettling than most of Blood’s contemporaries, as you confronted hooded figures and roved through creepy mausoleums.

With recent titles like Project Warlock 2, Dusk, Amid Evil, and even Fashion Police Squad there’s been a revival of retro first-person shooters, mostly crafted by indie developers. And given that most modern shooters tend to overlook any type of single-player campaign, this kind of home-grown reinvigoration is appreciated.

Undoubtedly, Blood had an impact on solo developer Jason Smith. With legions of cloaked enemies, an arsenal of conventional guns alongside devices like Molotov cocktails and TNT sticks, as well as an unsettling, deliberately low-fi aesthetic, Cultic pays dutiful homage to Monolith Productions’ dread-shooter. But smartly, there are enough shrewd modernizations to ensure the game doesn’t feel antiquated.

One of the most noticeable changes is the different play styles that Cultic accommodates. If you enjoy more of a methodical approach, the game permits players to sneak up on a congregation of foes. Tossing an oil lamp can set their gathering ablaze, resulting in flaming cultists running around frantically as they release distorted screams. I relish seeing foes narrow down their own numbers through friendly fire. Cultic doesn’t habitually offer opportunities for fratricide, but when it does, it’s consistently satisfying.

If you want to storm enemies, blistering running speed, loft jump, and the ability to slide are all undoubtedly helpful. But a lack of collision detection between the players and opponents means it’s all too easy to blow right past antagonists. Ideally, sliding into foes would put them into a temporary stun state. At present, your wild movement speed can make platforming a bit imprecise.

Beyond the adaptability of playing styles, Cultic’s stages deserve praise. Occasionally, retro first-person shooters revert to outdated design practices. In practice, that means a lot of key gating and homogeneous environments that are disorienting. But Cultic adapts the Duke Nukem approach, with distinctive structures, organic walkways, and just enough branching to offset any sensation of linearity.

In execution, perceptible paths and far-reaching draw distances mean you’ll rarely become lost. But there’s also enough peripheral space to ensure outdoor spaces don’t feel like hallways. There’s no stealth gauge to indicate that you’re concealed from enemies. But traversing the sidelines seems to disrupt the cultists’ expansive line of sight. Oddly, using a zippo lighter to illumine dark areas didn’t seem to attack attention. Either way, you’ll definitely want the upper hand when attacking. This cult is surprisingly good at long-distance firefights, even on the lower end of the game’s five difficulty levels.

Pleasingly, your arsenal offers adaptability. Periodically, you’ll uncover upgrade kits. Take these to one of the workbenches sprinkled across the game’s stages and you’ll be able to augment your weaponry. Expect the typical tough decisions as you determine if perks such as larger magazine capacities or stopping power are your priority. Since the upgrade kits tend to be hidden around each stage, these provide an incentive for scouring each area. Additionally, there’s some versatility in the game’s ten weapons. Axes can be charged for a power-up attack or throw. TNT sticks are especially useful. While they can be lit and thrown, you can also drop  and detonate them with a well-aimed shot, which is advantageous during the game’s boss battles.

Initially, Cultic’s visuals might recall the limited resolutions and constrained color palettes of yesteryear. But soon, you’ll probably discover the ingenuity of Smith’s approach, allowing the game to effortlessly run at a smooth 60fps on hardware like the Steam Deck. Cultic’s style is impressionistic, with the blood geyser of headshots evoking the grainy feel of an old 16-millimeter film rather than the cold realism of today’s high-def shots. Coupled with muted coloring, the game looks earthy and worn, evoking the ambiance of gritty 70’s horror flicks like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Phantasm.

There’s some skeletal storytelling in the game, which uses found notes to provide the bulk of the exposition. Fundamentally, it provides insight into the workings of the cult, occasionally adding a bit of humor into an otherwise somber space. Currently, Cultic’s ten-stage inaugural chapter (additional DLC chapters are forthcoming) doesn’t devote much time detailing the protagonist’s backstory. Whether Smith makes more known or leaves this ambiguous doesn’t matter to me. Witnessing malicious cultists writhe about after being set ablaze is all the justification I need.

Cultic was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.