We have no shortage of retro-inspired shooters these days, but CULTIC manages to stand out by doing more than simply recreating the look of the classics. Its grim tale of a disgraced detective investigating a murderous cult quickly establishes a bleak, oppressive tone as you’re dragged through abandoned facilities, forgotten catacombs and decaying towns overrun by fanatics and supernatural horrors. The narrative remains deliberately understated, relying on environmental storytelling, notes and audio logs rather than lengthy cutscenes. That keeps the focus firmly on the action, although we couldn’t help but feel the story never quite reaches the same level of depth as the atmosphere surrounding it.
The gameplay is where CULTIC truly excels. While its chunky visuals immediately evoke the era of DOOM, Blood and Quake, the mechanics feel much more contemporary. Sprinting, sliding, dashing and jumping all combine into fast, fluid movement, while a sizeable arsenal of firearms, melee weapons and explosives offers plenty of room for experimentation. Throwing axes, hurling furniture at enemies or igniting carefully placed bundles of dynamite is just as viable as charging in with a shotgun, and that freedom makes every firefight feel dynamic rather than scripted. Weapon upgrade benches also add a welcome sense of progression without slowing the pace.
Rather than relying on endless corridors, CULTIC’s levels encourage exploration and reward curiosity. Hidden resources, secrets and upgrade materials are tucked away throughout surprisingly large environments, and later chapters in particular become increasingly interconnected and open-ended. Resource management also plays a bigger role than expected, since ammunition and healing supplies can disappear quickly if you become careless. The result is a satisfying balance between aggressive combat and measured decision-making, although the increased amount of backtracking in the second chapter may not appeal to everyone.
Combat remains consistently satisfying thanks to excellent weapon feedback and enemy encounters that constantly pressure you to stay mobile. Unfortunately, the challenge occasionally crosses into frustration. Enemies are remarkably accurate from long distances, often spotting and hitting you before you’ve even identified where the shots are coming from. Combined with their aggressive behaviour, this creates some sudden deaths that can feel more punishing than deserved. Thankfully, the responsive controls and generous selection of difficulty options help soften the sharper edges, making perseverance worthwhile.
Visually, CULTIC strikes an impressive balance between nostalgia and modern design. The deliberately low-resolution sprites, voxel-inspired environments and muddy color palette successfully recreate the feel of late-90s shooters while still supporting larger, more believable environments. Clever lighting and environmental effects generate genuine tension, especially during darker sequences where limited visibility keeps you constantly on edge. Asset reuse becomes more noticeable over the lengthy campaign, and enemy variety could have been broader, but the oppressive art direction rarely loses its impact. The soundtrack deserves equal praise, shifting seamlessly between eerie ambience and pounding combat tracks to reinforce both the horror and the action.
With both major chapters, the Interlude campaign, Survival Mode and additional bonus content included, the PlayStation 5 release offers an excellent amount of value. More importantly, it successfully blends old-school shooter sensibilities with enough modern ideas to feel like far more than simple nostalgia. A slightly underdeveloped narrative, occasional visual repetition and some overly lethal enemy encounters stop it short of perfection, but the outstanding gunplay, memorable atmosphere and cleverly designed levels make CULTIC one of the strongest retro-inspired shooters to arrive on consoles in recent years. Fans of classic FPS games should feel right at home, while newcomers willing to embrace its demanding combat will discover an experience that’s every bit as rewarding as it is relentless.
Score: 8.1/10