Evil Nun: The Broken Mask review (PS5)

Evil Nun: The Broken Mask, published by Keplerians and now available on consoles, thrusts players into a nerve-wracking survival horror experience set within the confines of Eagle Junior High School, a cursed summer camp. Something tells us that ‘summer camp’ must be a trauma for way more people than we imagine. The premise here revolves around escaping the clutches of Sister Madeline, a menacing and possessed nun armed with a gigantic hammer. The game promises an array of chapters, escape routes, puzzles, crafting mechanics, and minigames to create an immersive horror adventure – we checked it out on a PlayStation 5.

The game’s narrative unfolds as players wake up in the dilapidated school, realizing the supposedly idyllic religious summer camp is actually not much more than a facade, trapping them in a nightmarish scenario instead. Sister Madeline, armed with her imposing hammer, stalks the corridors, making each step a tense and calculated move to avoid her watchful gaze in a cat and mouse game.

Evil Nun: The Broken Mask adopts a first-person perspective, allowing players to run, crouch, and hide while navigating the eerie school environment. The game offers multiple difficulty levels, with options ranging from challenging to ghost mode, where the nun can’t see the player, albeit with the caveat of no achievements in this mode. We’d recommend moving at least one level up to keep the sense of suspense alive.

Tasks, puzzles, and objectives drive the gameplay, requiring players to collect items and solve mysteries to progress. Every sound made, from footsteps to the opening of crawlspaces, attracts Sister Madeline, intensifying the need for strategic planning and a constant sense of impending danger as long as you don’t go for ghost mode.

While the game succeeds in delivering a terrifying experience with its well-executed setup and a frightening main antagonist, the gameplay loop may feel somewhat tired, lacking significant innovation in mechanics. Hardcore fans of the survival horror genre are likely to find Evil Nun: The Broken Mask engaging enough though, with a game that impresses visually with attention to detail and atmospheric lighting effects, all powered by Unreal Engine 5 – the game boasts smooth performance on the PS5. Character models, especially Sister Madeline, stand out, and a standout aspect is the audio, featuring a commendable performance by the actress voicing Sister Madeline.

Evil Nun: The Broken Mask emerges as a decent new title in the survival horror genre, thanks to its compelling setup, formidable antagonist, and impressive visuals. However, the somewhat predictable gameplay mechanics might deter those seeking fresh innovations. Despite this, the game remains a solid choice for enthusiasts of the horror genre, offering a terrifying adventure complemented by atmospheric visuals and audio.

Score: 7.0/10