Song of Horror (PS4) Review

TRIUMPHANT THROWBACK WENT AWRY

Song of Horror is a third-person survival horror game much like the earlier Resident Evil games, but it boasts an “ever-changing environment that makes no two playthroughs the same” which sounds like a really cool idea in practice but comes off being more of a pain than anything else.

The story of Song of Horror is broken up into five chapters all revolving around a writer by the name of Sebastian P. Husher and the disappearance of his whole family by some being known as The Presence. Over the course of the game, the player learns about this mysterious being and its involvement.

The story mostly is told through these almost comic-like splash screens and in-game notes, not unlike Resident Evil. The issue being is that the story really fails to grab the player’s attention and by hour three I found myself already fighting off the urge to just skip the notes altogether. Having a stable of characters to choose from, some having better stealth or sanity only really changes a few things like the light source the chosen character uses to light the way or how often The Presence forces itself into a room. The problem with the multiple characters is that none of them are really fleshed out so it’s really hard to get attached to any one character. By the way, if your character dies you choose another character, find your body, and take your items back so it becomes more of an inconvenience then anything. All in all, the story is mostly forgettable consisting of forgettable characters.

The gameplay of Song of Horror is also a blast from the past, having tank-style controls and really pulling in from older Resident Evil titles with its backtracking for items to get a step closer to your goal, only to get another item that fits somewhere else. Controls are closer to Resident Evil Zero than the first Resident Evil. The tank controls are a little more refined but that doesn’t change the fact that it just does not feel good to move through the environments, and don’t be surprised when the character gets stuck on geometry in tight spaces or every time the player goes up a flight of stairs… which is often…

The Presence comes with its own issues and this mostly stems from the whole idea of an ever-changing and evolving A.I. that controls the entity and chooses when it attacks or forces you into quick decision moments. Because they are not cleverly crafted scares and are left to this almost randomly generated monster it rarely lands and comes off more like an inconvenience than anything else. If the player does get killed off, another character steps in, and after collecting the previous characters’ items it’s time to continue on as nothing happened.

The A.I. behind these scares just comes off as inconsistent, mixed with the fact that the player is continuously running around. It comes off like Song of Horror more than anything doesn’t respect the player’s time and personally, that is a big issue.

In the sound department, Song of Horror is okay. The voice acting is average as well, nothing great but serviceable. Where the audio is at its best is when The Presence comes out and it just generally sounds creepy. The rest is the standard creepy environmental affair.

The one thing that Song of Horror has going for it is that it does look pretty good. It does a good job of showing off light casting from the character’s source; whether it’s a flashlight or a candle there is a real difference. The character models are a little weird looking but The Presence has a good on-screen… well presence. Creepy arms reaching through a door or a being creeping into a room and casting it in darkness, while it may not feel good to play, does look pretty good.

Overall, I was disappointed in Song of Horror and while it may seem to try and get players to play through multiple times using different characters there just isn’t enough reason to trudge through the game again.

SCORES

GAMEPLAY - 3/10

VISUALS - 6/10

SOUND - 4/10

CONTROLS - 3/10

REPLAY VALUE - 1/10

OVERALL - 3.4/10

More information about Song of Horror can be found on the official website. A digital PS4 copy was provided for the purpose of review but the game was played on a PS5. Screenshots were captured through native PS5 features.