Crisol: Theater of Idols

It’s been long enough now that games like Resident Evil 7 and Bioshock can influence a new wave of horror games (which is slightly terrifying in itself — time passes far too quickly). And the one game that has been grabbing my attention for the last few months is Crisol: Theater of Idols, a first-person survival horror featuring all manner of clockwork nightmares, infused with themes of cult, devotion, and conflicting faith that demand you spill your blood… quite literally.

Since the most interesting part of this game is the fact that standard bullets are about as useful as wet paper, the only real way to fight for your life is by using your own blood.

The concept alone drew me in, and after playing this twice, I have to say there is far more here than just the gnarly and compelling gameplay dynamic.

Your Blood, for Faith

Crisol takes us into a twisted version of Spain, where faith, death, and total devotion are rampant across the land. This is especially true on the island of Tormentosa, where the people have rebelled and slaughtered one another over the dividing factions supporting one of two divine gods.

As Gabriel, a devoted soldier of the Sun God, you are ordered to travel to the cursed island and stop an insurrection caused by fanatics of the Sea God. However, using iron and steel is useless against the mechanical horrors that await you. Thus, your holy father — the Sun God — presents you with a divine gift. Your blood will flow from your veins to enhance your weapons and provide a fighting chance against the Sea and its mechanical beasts.

However, not all is what it seems on Tormentosa, as secrets begin to unravel, shedding light on the darker nature of Gabriel’s faith and his unwavering devotion. There are many clear callings to classic survival horror games — key hunting, puzzle solving, limited resources, and frightening clockwork enemies creeping through the shadows. Expect a fusion of elements from Bioshock, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil 7.

Crisol has a great foundation for its story and gameplay, providing a neat dynamic that is rarely used. Shedding your own blood as a mechanic is not something seen often — in fact, I can only recall a handful of vampire games that come close. There is a lot to admire about Crisol as a genuinely unique horror experience.

The narrative itself is quite strong, with a compelling setup: Gabriel is sent by the Sun to travel to the island and squash an uprising led by a rival god. Much of what we see is the aftermath of the violent ordeal that has left most of the island’s denizens dead, with roaming clockwork monsters stalking the streets to finish off anyone left behind. There is also a small handful of resistance fighters working for the Sun God to help Gabriel. With the aid of their leader, Gabriel collects several artefacts that will seal away the Sea once and for all — proving his devotion and loyalty in return.

So, as you might gather, strong themes are questioning the logic of faith when it demands so much — even the spilling of blood in exchange for favour from a supposedly benevolent being. I liked these notions of questioning faith and exploring the abuse of power when literal gods ask followers to kill in their name. It’s serious subject matter, and I appreciate that the game presents everything plainly, allowing you to think about it without explicitly spelling out the obvious.

However, the main issue lies in the tone and pacing toward the end, which becomes a little all over the place. While the general plot and thematic elements are dark, certain character exchanges feel oddly goofy, and some moments lack weight. The voice acting is fine — everyone does a solid job — but the writing occasionally feels mismatched to the seriousness of the situation.

And while this is by no means a short game, the turnaround toward the end is rather sharp, and I did see many of the twists coming from a mile away. To be fair, even Bioshock had its own struggles with the latter half of its narrative. I still enjoyed the story very much, even with some uneven writing and delivery. Gabriel’s journey could perhaps have been fleshed out further, but the atmosphere, rich world-building, and thematic depth were more than enough to keep me invested until the very end.

Blood for Blood! Tearing the Cogs Out!

What shocked me quite a bit with Crisol was the price tag. For such a modest cost, we get a significant amount of game, featuring multiple chapters of densely crafted environments filled with puzzles, backtracking, key hunting, secrets, and brutal combat.

Crisol very much sits in the vein of Bioshock, sending players to various areas of the island to reclaim key story items. To do so, you must traverse each location — often broken into multiple sections — fighting enemies, collecting keys, and solving puzzles to progress further. Key items can also be used to open additional areas that harbour vital loot and resources. Yes, there are bolt cutters here — as tradition demands.

The level design is absolutely brilliant, with a strong sense of pacing, clever looping structures, and good set pieces adding variety throughout the 8–10 hour campaign. Combat encounters are spaced well, puzzles break up the action nicely (never too mentally taxing, though perhaps a few could have been harder), and a ruthless stalker enemy pursues you in certain sections — often areas requiring backtracking or puzzle-solving mid-route. Very clever stuff, and genuinely thrilling.

Everything here is generally solid and well-crafted. My only minor gripe would be that some areas feel slightly too linear, and because levels are segmented, much of the backtracking and secret hunting can feel straightforward. If these environments were more interconnected and certain key items reused later, it might have expanded the sense of scale and exploration. But honestly, the level design and problem-solving remain consistently strong.

But oh dear lord… the yellow paint.

I understand environmental guidance — used correctly, it’s fine. But here it is so distracting. Like, so distracting. To the point where it genuinely killed immersion and had me saying, “I understand where I’m going, for f***’s sake!” It’s irritating — no doubt about it — but I still massively enjoyed the overall design.

My only other complaint would be the bosses. They’re fine, but they often feel like watered-down Resident Evil encounters. Not a particularly exciting roster, nor especially memorable situations built around them.

Combat is the main highlight here. While I do wish there were a slightly larger roster of weapons, the core combat loop — balancing your HP and ammunition — is bloody brilliant. The struggle between keeping your blood neatly inside your body to, you know, stay alive, versus needing it to pack a punch against some mechanical, clockwork maniac, provides constant on-the-fly decision-making and strategy. I loved it.

This mechanic does lose some of its edge on easier difficulties — hard mode is absolutely recommended, and tougher options would be welcome — but at its best, the “blood for blood” dynamic is utterly thrilling.

Enemies are a genuine challenge. Even basic foes jitter and move unpredictably, making them tricky to shoot. You can dismember them to slow their advance, but they will keep coming until fully disintegrated. The number of times I got spooked by a pair of legs walking toward me was unreal — and it kept reminding me of the time I swear I saw a ghostly pair of legs at my old workplace. I did. But that’s another horror story entirely.

Enemy variety isn’t massive, but most are enjoyable to face. One particular enemy type — thankfully used sparingly — felt mechanically unclear. The scenario was frightening, but I never quite understood its detection logic. I assumed it was sound-based, adjusted my approach, and yet it still seemed to know exactly where I was. Frustrating, though thankfully limited in use.

There’s also a satisfying range of upgrades and passive abilities acquired through coins and crow relics, which you trade with the nicest witch I’ve ever met in a horror game. Freeing caged crows grants discounts — a lovely incentive to explore thoroughly. It’s all very useful and rewarding to engage with.

And while I do wish the game were slightly longer, I can’t honestly complain. Wanting more from a thrilling eight-hour survival horror experience — especially at this price — is hardly a bad thing.

Overall?

This is my main takeaway with Crisol: Theater of Idols. For a debut title from a small studio, it confidently delivers a striking and engaging survival horror experience, featuring a clever central mechanic that genuinely elevates the tension. It proudly wears its influences — especially Bioshock — while carving out its own identity.

Yes, certain aspects could have been fleshed out further, and a slightly longer campaign would have been welcome. But for a first major project, the level design is gratifying, the combat dynamic compelling, and the world beautifully crafted with rich environmental storytelling and detail.

This is a genuine standout for 2026.

And if you’ve read this far… go and play it.

+++ Strong level design and gameplay flow
++ Great combat dynamic with the use of blood as ammo
++ Rich environmental storytelling and world design
+ Great concept and core narrative

- Some narrative beats and elements are underwhelming
- A few more weapons and enemies would've been great
- Needed more difficult situations to take advantage of the blood mechanic

A review copy of Cirsol: Theater of Idols was kindly provided by Blumhouse Games