The Chant Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · November 16, 2022

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>For this The Chant Review we find out how a peaceful weekend soon turns to cosmic dread after a group chant opens The Gloom, a psychedelic dimension of terror that feeds off negative energy. To survive the horrors, you must do whatever it takes to uncover the island’s weird cult history and reverse the ritual. Interact with the other members of the retreat as they slowly become consumed by their own negative energy. Survive against an array of prismatic creatures and cultists released from The Gloom as you piece together the weird history of the island.

The Chant Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
26.76GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Survival horror gameplay.
3rd person perspective.
Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders and vibration.
Three difficulties – Neophyte (story), Adeptus (balanced), and Magister (difficult).
In-game cutscenes.
Button prompts appear on the screen.
Can skip cutscenes.
A string movie presentation feel.
Strong opening scenes to set up the story.
Mind, body, and spirit stats change as you answer and interact with people.
When your mind empties you go into a panic attack and the screen goes all blurry and your pad vibrates.
Meditate to use your spirit and refill your mind.
Full crafting menu.
Beautiful locations.
Tutorial pop-ups as you play.
Lore adds story and also increases mind like EXP.
Full stats section.
Restart from the checkpoint or chapter option.
Items like Ginger, lavender, and mushroom caps are used to regain your senses.
Puzzle elements throughout.
Combine items to make new ones.
Prisms are worn by each member and each has unique powers and gloom zones.
Gloom zones are kind of a gateway into another player’s mind and you see and hear things from them, some good some not so much.
Reels can be found and used at the projectors as to get much-needed background info.
Read monster pages to add their details to the bestiary.
Any found lore or notes get added to your library.
A lot of jump scares throughout.
3rd person perspective.

The Chant Review Cons:

Cannot rebind controls.
No video settings for things like HDR or Ray tracing etc.
Characters do look a bit robotic in places.
Having senses exp tied to decisions then warps my answers as I go for exp over what I might want to say instead.
Despite having a few of them when a weapon ran out it wouldn’t switch to another one or let me equip it.
The voice/script is cringy in places.
Very slow pace from movement to the story unfolding.
Never sure when it saves.
The combat is horrible, the dodge button incorporates a crawl backward motion, the swinging of a weapon is mashy and unwieldy and it’s generally not nice.
Got into unwinnable situations usually combat-based.
The game asks you to go here and go there but you get very little if any direction or guidance.

The Chant:

Official website.

Publisher: Brass Token

Developer: Prime Matter Games

Store Links –

PlayStation

7/10

Graphics - 7/10
7/10

Sound - 7/10
7/10

Accessibility - 7/10
7/10

Length - 7/10
7/10

Fun Factor - 7/10

7/10

Summary

The Chant started off strong, with a powerful opening sequence setting up what is probably a good story. One full of secrets, anger, and death on a tropical island retreat. Like I say it starts off well but it starts to show crack very early on, a slow pace only annoyed me more than anything as it didn’t add anything. The way the game tells you to go somewhere but gives you no guidance or help is again not cool and adds stress. Once the story gets going it’s OK, its stop-start approach can have you forgetting what is going on but it moves along. To break up the many many puzzles you will get combat against some impressive nightmare-inducing monsters but the actual combat is just a button mash of frustration with no feel-good qualities. I didn’t like how I could not for the life of me get a new weapon equipped during combat or how a fight segment would literally be unwinnable. The puzzles as said are all over the place and they are not that taxing but again it feels more like they are there to extend the game’s life. It’s such a bummer as I reckon a good story is in there but it just got misguided and never went all the way which made a very unsettling experience for all the wrong reasons.