It’s now been a few months since Blumhouse Games presented Crisol: Theater of Idols, a new FPS horror game, developed by Spanish studio Vermila Studios, which takes players to Hispania, “a twisted version of Spain,” where players must use their blood as both weapon and lifeline. Just in time for the all-new Steam Next Fest, an updated demo is available.
Though it’s not the first playable look at the stylish, religious imagery and folklore-inspired game the publisher and the developer have shared, we (and many others) had somehow missed it the first time around, so now seems like the perfect opportunity to venture into its theater of horrors with a familiar, BioShock-y approach to first-person action. Crisol doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s currently targeting a 2026 launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
You can download the Steam demo right here. According to the page, it introduces players to the terrifying island of Tormentosa:
“Gabriel’s boat has just capsized off the coast of Tormentosa, killing the entire crew. He survived the water but the town might be a different story. Take on the terrifying living statues known as Astillados and find the balance between life and death as you drain your own blood to reload your gun. Prepare to sacrifice everything. How much blood will you shed to uncover the twisted truth? This demo is just a taster of the horrors to come.”
As teased by the marketing materials, blood is at the center of Crisol: Theater of Idols’ moment-to-moment mechanics and systems, as it fuels the weapons you come across and is key to solving all sorts of puzzles, but of course, you also need it to stay alive. It’s a fascinating approach to first-person horror design, and we hope it comes together nicely in the end.
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