The Chant Reviews
The Chant storms out of the gates with a kooky but intriguing concept of cosmic-horror, but simply isn't able to live up to its own ambitions. It has some good ideas if you look hard enough, but the clunky combat, milquetoast puzzle solving and forgettable story firmly plant this one in the category of B-Grade horror, which, to be fair, is definitely the vibe the developers seem to have gone for. Even with a few good foundational ideas with the use of prisms and a couple of cool boss fights helping The Chant slightly redeem itself, the biggest misfire is that it's just not that scary, and without that, this cosmic-horror is just a cosmic-snooze.
A bizarre supernatural horror, The Chant's setup is a promising one, but developer Bass Token's execution is unfortunately lacking; reminiscent of something you might have played during the early 2000s. Nonetheless, this is a perfectly solid, albeit incredibly weird, third-person experience, and there are far worse ways to kill seven or eight hours. If you're desperate to play a curiously odd survival horror with a cosmic, psychedelic leaning, then The Chant fits the bill.
The Chant has some great things going for it with its unique brand of gameplay and interesting story, but problems ranging from underwhelming plot to janky combat bring down the enjoyment factor of the experience by a significant margin.
A rare foray into spiritual cosmic horror, The Chant shows great promise in its story and setting but fails to realise its potential in more ways than one.
With a critical view of modern spiritual cults and quite a few good jump scares, The Chant's story-driven adventure is a remnant from the old days when AA survival horror games such as Alone in the Dark and Fatal Frame were not forgotten. The game definitely has its flaws, but it has the potential to turn into a modern AA horror franchise.
The Chant is an interesting first step for Brass Token studio.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fans of survival-horror will get a lot of enjoyment out of The Chant. Its gameplay is exciting and has a unique premise that is rarely explored. While the enemy design won’t make your blood run cold, the creepy performances from the actors will and it’s all tied up in a very slick and polished package for a fair price.
The Chant is destined to become a cult hit, we think. Marrying traditional survival horror gameplay with a unique setting and spiritual themes, it feels fresh but familiar; how many other survival horror games find you fighting plant-like enemies and other monstrosities with incense sticks, oils and salt, after all? In addition to an intriguing story and solid mechanics, once you’ve set foot on Glory Island, you’ll be on the edge of your seat until you’ve reached a conclusion.
The Chant is a surprising and impressive experience. It runs tight and brief; rarely wasting time but allowing enough breathing room for the player to explore at their own pace. It looks amazing, has excellent acting and a compelling narrative that explores some unconventional topics for a horror game. It is too bad it rarely is scary and is too easy. Making Jess a terrible fighter would probably be a worse design choice, but The Chant really needs to have more threatening foes and redesign them to be scarier. Fighting a massive toad that has a shark-like head feels more like something out of an off-brand Resident Evil than a 70s-inspired horror game with a new-age mysticism bent to it.
The Chant is a game with a psychedelic story, living up to the proposal. Although it has some technical problems and not very good lighting, the game may please fan of the genre looking for alternatives.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Chant had the pieces to be a unique piece of survival horror entertainment, but the assorted aspects of the title fail to congeal into a satisfying adventure. The combat is clunky and bland, and the story has its moments, but doesn't deliver in the end.
The Chant is one of those games that can't be compared to same game of horror gener when it comes to quality it delivers, that being said, some gameplay features are somewhat innovative. although combat issues can be seen often, at the end of the day, The Chant is a game worth Playing.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The Chant takes survival horror to the beach and beyond in a game that works in fits and starts.
The Chant not only fills a current hole in the horror action-adventure genre, but also manages to bring an original take on the genre thanks to the story and themes it opens up. The authors do not want to confirm or refute the effects of esotericism, but point out that in certain cases it is a double-edged sword.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The Chant doesn't stray too far from the manual to make a modern third-person narrative horror/action game, but it delivers in each and every one of its sections. Perhaps the combat is the point where it limps the most, but it remains fully functional. The premiere of Brass Token is a pleasant surprise and makes it a study to keep track of in future projects.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Chant has some interesting ideas, looks great, and starts its premise out well, but it just deteriorates so quickly into a convoluted mess. Between frustrating combat and enemy designs, characters that aren’t given time to develop, and a story that never really settles into a groove, the game just never fulfils its promise or potential.
This action-focused, survival horror take features a number of magical attacks, enemy-specific consumables and the balancing of mind, body and spirit to brave the storm. However, Jess’ story isn’t memorable in the slightest, while other main character arcs come and go faster than green grass through a goose. There are some enjoyable puzzles and music scattered throughout, and the fast-travel, bestiary guides and skill tree upgrades complement the game quite nicely. But overall, The Chant doesn’t offer anything spectacular. It’s still worth checking out, especially considering the game’s low price point. Although, the best practice should be to keep your expectations in check.
A horror game that frequently treads into the action-adventure territory, The Chant had me engaged with its awkward but functional combat, interesting visual design and lore. However, it was never able to consistently build and maintain tension throughout the game.
The Chant tells a gripping cult tale and offers more than sufficient terror to have you quivering in your boots. However, the gameplay is pretty inconsistent, and the visuals are not current-gen standard. A lot of things to do and many resources at your disposal, but with very limited mechanics to work with. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a game to occupy you until the release of a much bigger title, then this will do its job.
The Chant has arrived by surprise offering us a fun, entertaining and very affordable adventure for the general public thanks to its different modes of difficulty. With a graphic and sound section well above average, especially if we take into account that it is the prime opera of a fairly modest development studio. If we are fans of the horror genre and the theme of forbidden sects and rituals (which is something that just by hearing it already makes our hair stand on end) The Chant is undoubtedly an almost essential title in our survival horror game library. A horror adventure that should not be missed
Review in Spanish | Read full review