ITCHY, TASTY
CULTIC is a first-person shooter in the retro style, grounded in old-school design and wrapped in an equally nostalgic package. Its crunchy pixels, sound effects, and focus on movement may have been heavily inspired by old-school shooters such as Blood, but CULTIC developer Jason Smith had other, stronger influences.
CULTIC’s gameplay was more inspired by Resident Evil 4 than it was by Blood. Thanks to this strange combination of influences, CULTIC offers a unique blend of FPS action and horror. And, while CULTIC’s pace is perfectly capable of ramping up, it’s also a particularly lethal game. As a result, it often requires forethought; players are just as likely to run loops around their enemies as they are to hang back, take pot shots, and chuck handfuls of wonderfully explosive TNT.
“I enjoy gameplay being more methodical and more strategic, and less just like frantic randomness or even less chaotic, I guess. And that’s partially because I suck at twitch reactions, you know, it’s why CULTIC is a little bit slower of a game and why [I] play [it] a little bit slower.”
Jason Smith for Dread Central
I LIVE, AGAIN
CULTIC’s blend of old-school action and survival-horror is on full display throughout the game’s first map. Smith starts with references to both Blood and Resident Evil 4, and even includes a literal rise from the grave. This is, of course, not dissimilar to Blood’s iconic opening.
But CULTIC’s opening sequence and visual style are perhaps the most direct comparisons to Blood. The focus on horror and obvious references to Resident Evil 4 allow CULTIC to stand out from the crowd. This includes everything from chainsaw-wielding maniacs and robe-wearing cultists, to the slew of typewriters dotted around each level. It’s the combination that makes CULTIC worthwhile despite the veritable bucket of borrowed mechanics and aesthetic touches.
“Yes, there was a lot of inspiration from the, you know, build engine games and Blood included. But gameplay wise, it’s quite quite dissimilar, you know? They’re very different games.”
Jason Smith for Dread Central
WHERE’S EVERYONE GOING, BINGO?
CULTIC’s first map may be class A, but it didn’t start this way. Smith went through multiple iterations, from crafting the game’s initial demo to its entry in Steam’s Next Fest, with Smith only really gaining confidence with his level design towards the end of Chapter One.
“I would say that level design is definitely the part of the process that I struggled with the most and had to learn the most about.”
Jason Smith for FandomWire
And yet, despite Smith’s lack of experience, the very first level of CULTIC – titled “The Grave” – manages to be a memorable introduction that bridges the gap between Smith’s various influences; it’s packed with secrets, covers a handful of unique environments, and even features a spine-chilling section towards its end that offers up a horror-infused climax.
While the overall atmosphere of The Grave is discernibly unnerving, this slow ramp-up from more reserved action to outright horror is what makes CULTIC’s first level such a perfect opening note. To top it all off is an eerie, building background track that keeps the pace, composed by Smith himself.
