CULTIC Reviews
Cultic at once feels it's much too similar to Blood: Refreshed Supply, and yet, it does enough differently to earn an easy recommendation. With a focus on much more deliberate atmospherics and thoughtful level design, not to mention an array of genuinely satisfying weaponry, Cultic is absolutely deserving of your hard-earned cash.
Cultic doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's a standout shooter.
Cultic is a crunchy retro-inspired FPS that builds upon the foundations of Blood to deliver a viscious, violent delight.
Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
If you love retro FPS, always shed a tear when you hear about Blood and you like to slaughter the adepts of a bloodthirsty cult, Cultic is the boomer shooter you've been waiting for.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Cultic’s shameless revelry in gore is delightful. Its array of guns is conservative in number but tightly focused in design, each weapon built for purpose and tangibly effective as a result. Pacing is a little one-note and insistently dingy visuals can be offputting at times, but the whole package remains a top notch retraux shooter. I had tremendous fun throughout, and while I’d like to see a little more unique personality from future installments, I haven’t had my fill of the action on offer here.
Developed by one man only – Jason Smith – Cultic is an excellent old school shooter. The campaign isn't particularly long, but the second part will come as a free update in the future (hence the 'Chapter One'), and there's also a fun survival mode that will let you hone your skills.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With Cultic, the nostalgia hits hard. So hard that it was easy to overlook some of the lighter features of the game. Enemies are mindless cult fanatics, sometimes with a gun, other times with an ax, and on occasion dressed in more than just robes. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that Cultic made me feel like I was sitting on a kitchen chair in my friend's house, taking turns trying to clear levels like I was ten years old. When I find something that gives me that goosebump feeling of nostalgia, I eat it up. Cultic made it feel like Thanksgiving; I can't wait to see what the solo developer, Jason Smith, cooks up for chapter two.
Cultic is a creepy romp through tombs, towns, and other terrorizing areas. Tight gunplay, fantastic stylized visuals and a somber soundtrack are only held back a bit by the dumb AI and relatively trivial combat encounters.
Cultic goes far beyond a simple homage to the retro style of first-person shooter games, and proves itself right in creating an experience that is undeniably full of good inspirations, but is also unique and different from what the current (or past) market offers. Even with some inconsistencies in the art style and narrative pacing, it doesn't settle for being "just" a great boomer shooter, and is certainly a safe bet for anyone who appreciates an excellent mix of action, cosmic horror, and a healthy dose of gore violence.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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Review in Russian | Read full review
A great return to classic pixel FPS. Although graphically it may not suit everyone and it does not bring anything new, the gameplay and the atmosphere are definitely excellent.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
CULTIC is a love letter for boomer shooter fans that has the perfect mix between old and new, resulting in a product with the potential to rise above similar games. It's a worthy look back to the roots of the FPS genre, while also forging a path into a new genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
One of the finest retraux FPS games available, CULTIC pays homage to titles like Blood, and actually surpasses them. From running, jumping, sliding, and reloading, to chopping heads, firing and reloading weapons, and throwing explosive dynamite or flesh-burning Molotov cocktails at the feet of robed fanatics, everything feels awesome. The levels are large and decently non-linear, and the atmosphere, visuals, as well as the OST, are top notch. Solo-dev Jason Smith has every right to feel proud of this wonderful ode to the era it was inspired from.
CULTIC is one of the best modern examples of the genre. Despite its well-known references, the game has enough personality that it doesn’t feel like a mere imitation. The combat is fast-paced, brutal, and varied; the level design rewards exploration; and the art direction creates an oppressive and memorable atmosphere. The minimal storytelling, the platforming sections, a few forgettable bosses, and the excessive length of certain maps don’t detract too much from an overall enjoyable experience. Considering that most of the work was done by a single developer, the result is even more impressive. For fans of retro FPS games, horror, and over-the-top violence, CULTIC is practically a must-play.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Agile and violent, Cultic is a shooter that delivers well on its premise by drawing inspiration from the greatest boomer shooters across all console generations.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Cultic is deliberately not as fast-paced and chaotic as some of the most beloved 90’s classics, and it plays into that angle with an excellent horror aesthetic, marvelous level designs, interesting puzzles and a combat that requires some reasoning, not just fast fingers on the trigger. It’s probably not for everyone, but if it scratches the right itch for you, it can be a stellar shooter.
CULTIC: Chapter Two is worth your time. If you've got even a shred of love for the boomer shooter genre, this is the one. It's creepy, it's brutal, and it's stylish as hell, a perfect homage to the RE franchise. Three years was a long wait, but it was worth every second.
CULTIC: Chapter One, with its horror themes, retro art design, beefy gunplay and well-designed levels is hands down the best old-school inspired shooter released this year. There is so little to complain about the game that are not on a technical level. It’s crafted with so much love and care that it’s easy to envision CULTIC becoming one of the, if not, the best throwback FPS ever made by the time all the chapters are released. Kudos also goes to the publisher for launching the game with a fair regional pricing.
Cultic: Chapter One is quite honestly my favorite horror experience of the year, with some of the finest booming and shooting I've done. In a year that's also presented Turbo Overkill and Metal: Hellsinger, that should show you just how highly I think of the game. I only have two real issues with the game. The similar feel of the levels in nature is one of them. The only other is the episodic nature of the game leaving me I'm chomping at the bit to get Chapter 2, especially after the way this one ends. Aside from those, Cultic: Chapter One is an essential purchase for horror and shooter fans alike. It's up there with the absolute best games of 2022.