Cult of the Lamb
Cult of the Lamb is the latest release from Massive Monster and Devolver Digital. You play as a cute little lamb who was sacrificed by a cult, but was saved in death by The One Who Waits, an exiled and trapped god. This gift has a price though, as you must now build your own cult and destroy the four bishops who trapped The One Who Waits and release him.
The Game
Cult of the Lamb is a combination colony sim/roguelike. You spend half of the game at your base, where you tend to your cult. There are a few main stats you have to worry about. First is the cult’s Faith. If it drops too low, your followers will begin to dissent and eventually leave the cult. You keep Faith up by keeping followers healthy and happy, and performing various rituals. Your followers will produce Devotion which unlocks new buildings for you to build at your camp. Each individual follower has a Loyalty stat that can be raised by interacting with them daily and giving them gifts. Followers with higher Loyalty provide more upgrade points during sermons and provide a Devotion bonus each time they level up.
The other half takes place in four different dungeons. You fight your way through several random rooms, gathering resources along the way, to take down various bosses then head home. To be absolutely clear, this is a roguelike in the “venture into randomized dungeons with different equipment and updates each time” sense, and not the “go as far as you can in random runs until you die and earn rewards that make the next run more likely to succeed” sense. It’s an important distinction to make, as a lot of people (including me) much prefer one over the other.
Combat
The combat generally feels really nice to play. It’s fast and fun. There’s so much breakable stuff in every room and it’s so fun to smash everything. There’s a wide variety of curses that are all cool and interesting. I really appreciate how getting hit feels noticeable in this game in ways that it hasn’t in others I’ve played. I’ve had several experiences in various combat games where I develop a complete blindness to my health and don’t realize how much damage I’m taking until I’m dead, but this never once happened in Cult of the Lamb.
Other Cool Things
The music is good, the art style is undeniably cute, and I love the design and atmosphere of each individual dungeon. I also love that there’s a bleat button. There are few things that I love more in video games than buttons that exist only to make a noise.
Something else I liked is that, for the most part, you’re never forced to be a jerk to your followers. Cruelty is an active choice that you have to make. You don’t have to sacrifice your followers, but look at how much power it gives you. You don’t have to imprison dissenting followers, but they’re annoying, and isn’t that the most egregious crime of all? A lot of games try to make commentary on various topics that are ultimately undercut by the fact that you as the player don’t really have a choice outside of choosing not to play it. Games condemning violence don’t really have much of an impact if the only way to progress through the game is through violence. In Cult of the Lamb you have to think about what you’re doing and decide how far you’re willing to go for the sake of power.
Issues
However, despite all the good things about it, there are some problems. The most pressing are the bugs. Most of the bugs I’ve encountered have just been annoying, like followers getting stuck until I made everyone come to the temple or the scrollbars not working sometimes, but some have impacted gameplay in pretty negative ways. During my 2nd boss fight, the death animation didn’t play and the corpse was invisible, so I almost ended up restarting the game until I stumbled across the reward item to properly end the fight. The game got stuck during the rewards screen after the 4th boss, so I had to restart the game and redo the entire dungeon. The devs have been good at patching bugs so far, but some of the patches have introduced new bugs. As I’m writing this, there’s some stuttering that wasn’t there before, and my faith level keeps getting stuck at a certain level no matter what I do to raise it until I perform a brainwashing ritual to lock and unlock it. While I would recommend this game, I wouldn’t blame you if you put it off for a while until all the bugs have been fixed.
The colony sim progression doesn’t feel balanced with the dungeon progression. I had fully upgraded everything a little while after beating the third boss, and I was playing “suboptimally;” I generally stayed away from sacrifices and didn’t do all that many rituals. I imagine if you were playing a bit more ruthlessly you could max out the upgrades before you even got to the third boss. It just felt kinda weird to be sitting on piles and piles of gold when it still felt like there was still a while to go until the end. It also felt like there wasn’t a whole lot to do with the special resource from the 4th area aside from building that area’s decorations.
Verdict
I give this game 4 out of 5 cthulhus. It’s fun, it’s cute, but it’s a little bit buggy and the progression differences can put a damper on things. Cult of the Lamb is currently $24.99 and available for PC, Xbox, Playstation, and the Nintendo Switch.
(4 / 5)
Gaming
Lovecraft Meets Junji Ito in WORLD OF HORROR
WORLD OF HORROR is a cosmic horror roguelite game developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games.
WORLD OF HORROR is a cosmic horror roguelite game developed by Paweł Koźmiński and published by Ysbryd Games. The game is available on macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. This review will cover the Steam (Windows) version of the game.
You must explore the strange goings on around Shiokawa, Japan. It appears that eldritch forces have influenced the town in incomprehensible ways. So, attempt to comprehend these forces and maintain your sanity to save the town. Plan your investigations, choose between cases, and fight for your life.
There are a few game modes but three difficulty spikes. The easiest is a specific case with some random events. This mode teaches you the basic mechanics of the game. The harder difficulties give you access to an apartment and choices on which case you investigate. Completing objectives earns you customization options for the customized mode.
What I Like About WORLD OF HORROR
Running on GameMaker Studios, the pixelated aesthetic shows influences from Lovecraft and Junji Ito, though the latter more so than the former. WORLD OF HORROR haunts its viewers with its aesthetic, allowing the pixels to evoke those horror legends.
Random generation remains a key feature of the game, with various options and choices giving a massive variety. Your character also has some limited customization to access perks and further development. I will bring up some weaknesses later, but it is surprisingly vast. Adding to this variety, WORLD OF HORROR provides mod accessibility.
The combat allows for a great deal of thought and planning. You select your character’s actions within an action bar and perform the tasks (or combos) to beat an opponent. This JRPG style provides variety in action that makes it engaging and unique.
The random generation and variety make each playthrough different. You might acquire a devastating katana in one playthrough only to bleed out unceremoniously in another.
While not a terrifying gaming experience, WORLD OF HORROR strives to provide an eerie and intense experience. At this, the game is a success. The weird and unnerving collide to invest the player in this strange world.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Body horror deserves a mention, but the aesthetic and pixels doesn’t particularly evoke realism. Regardless, many designs evoke body horror.
Aside from this, here are some points of consideration. First, WORLD OF HORROR uses JRPG turn-based combat, which seems a point of division among some gamers. However, there are enough interesting mechanics and complexities beyond clicking an action and waiting your turn.
Second, WORLD OF HORROR isn’t a cult detective. You’re experiencing events and choosing how your character responds. Some sage wisdom I heard for WORLD OF HORROR is to focus on the whole campaign instead of a single case. Failing a case isn’t a game over, so prioritize your character’s longevity.
What I Dislike About WORLD OF HORROR
Only a few issues hindered my experience. Some scenarios replay on a single case, let alone a playthrough, which becomes repetitive. Some scenarios have multiple solutions to add variety or require perks to access new options, but that’s not always true. This issue makes the randomization taxing at times.
This next issue is likely a bug or an oversight. After losing my reason (sanity), I found myself still able to investigate despite the game claiming that means death. An unrelated event finished me off, but I can’t help but assume this is a bug.
Final Thoughts
WORLD OF HORROR has its quirks but earns massive replay value and surprising depth. It’s a unique and ambitious indie title worth the price. If Junji Ito’s style or cosmic horror is your particular brand of horror, WORLD OF HORROR delivers an experience you’ll likely enjoy. Though this combination synergizes well, few games combine these elements successfully.
(4.5 / 5)
Step into the mind-bending world of Eldritch Automata as we sit down with Game Designer Nick Francia at GenCon 2024!
Uncover the secrets behind this Lovecraftian mecha-masterpiece and get a glimpse of what’s to come.
In this exclusive interview, Nick Francia shares:
• The intricate game development process • Inspirations behind the eerie Lovecraftian elements
• Unique mecha-infused gameplay mechanics Calling all Lovecraft fans! Dive into a world where eldritch horrors meet steam-powered marvels.
Eldritch Automata promises an unforgettable gaming experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
👉 Ready to embrace the madness? Check out our playable demo at a con near you! #EldritchAutomata #GenCon2024 #LovecraftianGaming #IndieGameDev
Prepare for a spine-chilling experience as Jim Phoenix delves into the shadows with Trick or Treat Studios at GenCon 2024!
In this exclusive interview, we uncover the terrifying secrets behind their latest bone-chilling creations: “House of 1000 Corpses” and “Halloween II” board games.
These games aren’t just about rolling dice – they’re about immersing yourself in the blood-curdling atmosphere of beloved horror films. With unique survival (and kill!) horror mechanics and cooperative gameplay, you’ll feel the terror coursing through your veins with every move!
But wait, there’s more! With the Kickstarter to House of 1000 Corpses shipping soon, we have an in-depth review coming up for that game, Halloween II–AND…Chucky. BOOMMM!!!
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