The Occultist

The Occultist combines first-person paranormal investigation with environmental puzzles that use Alan Rebels’ pendulum to uncover Godstone’s past. Exploring the island and connecting its clues held my attention far more than avoiding its predictable creatures. Several pendulum powers are rarely used after they’re introduced. Finding your way back through Godstone can become frustrating, and texture issues sometimes make important objects harder to inspect. This is for horror fans who prefer paranormal mysteries and environmental puzzles over combat or extended chase sequences.

There isn't a scary part of The Occultist that will make you jump or reach for the light switch. It's more of a slow, thoughtful experience that focuses on mood and tales. It's a game that wants you to think more than do, and you can explore its universe and learn its secrets at your own pace.

Will you manage to find your father before the island consumes you?

Overall, *The Occultist* is a game that stands out for its atmosphere and concept, but suffers from inconsistencies in its execution.

The Occultist is one of those games that comes along and grabs you when you least expect it. It doesn’t arrive with the marketing roar of a blockbuster, nor does it pretend to be something it isn’t. Instead, it quietly invites you into a world of shadows, whispers, and lingering dread — and once you’re in, it holds you there with a surprisingly confident grip. At the centre of the story is Alan Rebels, blessed with the skill of mediumship and knowledge of the Occult. He is a man driven by a simple but powerful motivation: find his missing father, Gabriel; and his search leads him to a remote island where something terrible has happened — an entire population wiped out, their stories cut short, their spirits restless. It’s a classic setup, but it’s handled with enough restraint and atmosphere that it never feels tired. A lot of that comes down to the performance behind Alan himself. He’s voiced by Doug Cockle, best known as Geralt from The Witcher series, and that familiar gravel gives Alan a grounded, weary authenticity. It’s the kind of voice that sounds like it’s been through things — which fits the tone of the game perfectly.

The game does a good job of creating a dark and mystical atmosphere. The story is good enough to keep you wanting to continue uncovering the secrets of Goldstone Island. However, the game doesn't really make you feel scared or have to fight for survival.

The Occultist is a solid narrative horror game that focuses more on atmosphere and exploration than on action. Thanks to its unique pendulum mechanics, varied environments, and intriguing story, it manages to hold your interest from start to finish. Despite a few flaws, such as limited replayability, occasionally confusing navigation, and uneven voice acting, the experience remains solid and immersive. It’s a relatively short but well-paced game that will appeal to fans of survival horror focused on exploration and puzzles.

The Occultist is a well-crafted first-person horror adventure with a strong atmosphere, engaging exploration, logical puzzles, and a memorable occult pendulum mechanic. Its story may follow familiar genre paths, and the dull enemies, uneven voice acting, and underused audio design hold it back, but its haunting locations, excellent soundtrack, and polished technical state make it a genuinely satisfying horror experience.

The Occultist should be a game that I adore, given these types of games are usually my bread and butter. But when you can’t get behind your lead protagonist, you sort of lose interest in their journey and what makes them tick. Godstone often looks the part, and while a few puzzles and scenarios are exactly what this game nails, the same can’t be said for the whole package. As it stands, this is a game with a ton of wasted potential as its individual components don’t gel, and a cool premise is something that can only get you so far.

The Occultist is a horror experience that shines through its atmosphere and narrative ambition, but falls short in terms of gameplay. It is interesting and full of personality, though it never quite manages to live up to its full potential.