You almost never know what you’re going to get with horror, which is part of the appeal. That said, there’s been a recent influx of games within the genre that mix walking simulator mechanics with scares, puzzles and disturbing imagery, as well as their own form of storytelling. This is the case with Psalm 5:9-13; a new horror experience from a group of indie developers: those being N4bA (also known as Ranwog), Notex, and a1esska.
When I first started this game, I didn’t know what I was in for, although I assumed that it would be a walking simulator scare. What I did know, though, is that it features a large, dead and decaying, baby creature on its cover and in its marketing. Usually those things don’t lend themselves to cozy, loving or PG stories. In the end, what I received was a title that took me thirty-one minutes to complete, but had me unsettled and most definitely made me jump once. Mission accomplished!
Psalm 5:9-13 is kind of presented as one of those VHS style throwback horror movies. The menu is really unique, because it’s presented as a dark room with toys on the floor and an old TV playing static. This full screen menu (which doesn’t fit the entire screen, given that it has black borders on each side) gives the user a cursor to select things with. They can select the options icon block, or the play icon. It’s creepy, effective, well done and unique.
After hitting play, we are dropped into a darkened hallway, before making our way through a typical suburban home as an unknown character who isn’t shown until the end. The kitchen seems mostly OK, and pretty clean. That is, until we notice that there’s a head in one of the closed pots. Finding that, then zooming in on it, triggers something and opens a closed door. Such is the formula for completing most of the rest of this game. You explore different rooms of the house, and find, then zoom in on, important things. These can be body parts, stuffed animals, or something else.
There isn’t much in the way of puzzles, but there is one involving a dinner, as well as one involving music, but I won’t spoil them. The former one is disturbing, but not difficult; especially since there’s a guide to positioning in the next room, like there is for the music one. For the most part, though, this game involves walking, looking around, zooming in and occasionally changing the station on a TV or adjusting a radio. There’s not a lot to it in terms of gameplay, but that’s alright — at least for me. Others may find it to be more of an issue, especially if they pay for the game.
That said, it’s not always clear as to what can be interacted with, and the prompt to do so can be a tad finicky. That creates some trial and error.
As one progresses through this normal house gone wrong, things will change, creatures will appear and watch you, and others will bang on doors to startle you. There’s also something that follows the player around, and provided a jump scare that made me jump when I was playing at 5:30 in the morning. It’s never exactly clear as to what has gone on in this house, but the player can make his or her own assumptions from the clues provided and the imagery. Such is the game, which is short, but looks good and is very unsettling. It’s been a long time since a game made me jump like that, and I’m not too macho to admit that it did. The last time I was this unsettled — outside of facing real life fears at recent appointments — was when I watched Undertone at 2:30 in the morning. I’ve become desensitized to horror, for the most part, but that movie also had me on edge.
Psalm 5:9-13 features a title that evokes a Bible passage about asking for protection from deceitful and malicious enemies, so that’s likely a clue as well. Regardless, things are not spelled out for the player, which is one way of approaching this. Although I do like clear cut endings, and prefer when there is only one (especially in video games), it works well enough. The end reveal is definitely something.
Like its main menu, which I think I’ll remember, the entire, thirty minute-long, game is presented in full screen with borders on the sides. This makes it feel more contained and intimate, and also helps continue the allusion of it being an 80s or 90s VHS tape. Then again, so do the CRT scan lines that are overlayed on top of a relatively photorealistic visual style. The house looks quite nice, and realistic, but the horrors inside of it are anything but.
The music and sound effects complement the above, and do so well. There are strange and loud noises, including unnatural sounds and things banging on doors. There’s also creepy music, and tones, as well as some unsettling found footage (think The Blair Witch Project, which I did rent on VHS) on the TV. That, as well as a realistic news presentation and other horrors.
This isn’t the most involved game, nor is it long in the tooth by any means. However, Psalm 5:9-13 is dark, disturbing, thought provoking, unsettling and effective. It disturbed me, a horror veteran, and got me good with a well timed jump scare. I’m glad that I checked it out, and feel that the right audience will feel the same. Just go in knowing that it’s very short.
This review is based on the XBOX Series X version of the game, which we were provided.