In this old-school survival horror indie game, featuring graphics in the style of an Apple II or Atari 2600 title, players get to take control of a priest as he tries out his very first exorcism.
The game began in chapters, developed by one-man indie dev Airdorf Games, before being combined into one and released as Faith: The Unholy Trinity by publisher New Blood Interactive.
Exorcisms Galore (well… one of them) in Faith: The Unholy Trinity
The man behind Airdorf Games is Mason Smith. It’s worth noting he’s a Christian, so although the game has accused of being blasphemous he’s been upfront about his faith and why he’s made the game.
Plot wise, we’re looking at a kind of video game version of 1973 horror classic The Exorcist.
Set across three chapters (and with multiple endings to aim for), the game begins in September 1987. You’re a Catholic priest called John Ward who visits Connecticut to perform an exorcism. You have to find a house in the woods, warding off evil spirits in the process, and find the demonic Amy.
Gameplay is deliberately simplistic, with your main weapon being a crucifix and you must progress through areas, solve puzzles, and try not to get killed. All the while you piece together the wider story. Here’s the first chapter in action!
Curiously, the game uses an 8-bit style take on Beethoven’s music. This is someone the legendary Earthworm Jim 2 did on the SNES in 1995. Away from the dirge music, there’s the appealing (if this is your type of thing, which it is for us) retro style isometric graphics.
It’s a methodical game and genuinely quite spooky at times, featuring some modernised retro graphics and cutscenes to create a creepy adventure game.
With about six hours of gameplay, a strong story, and some pixel art scares, the big thing will be whether or not you like this type of retro experience. It’s a great game, but one that’s plodding at times and the graphics will put off a certain type of gamer.
But if you can see around that and invest five hours, then you’ll discover a bizarre world of demonic pixels out to get you. Get thy crucifix ready and prepare to perform your first exorcism.
