Koudelka

🎮 PlayStation ⏳ 14 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Gothic Horror Origins #

Set in a haunted Welsh monastery in 1898, the game follows psychic Koudelka Iasant and two companions as they uncover dark secrets and battle supernatural enemies. The atmosphere is rich and gothic, with strong cinematic presentation and an eerie soundtrack by famed composer Hiroki Kikuta. While the story and setting are intriguing, the game suffers from clunky combat mechanics and pacing issues, which can frustrate players expecting a smoother RPG experience.

Flawed Yet Influential #

Despite its flaws, Koudelka stands out for its ambitious genre fusion and storytelling, and it laid the groundwork for the Shadow Hearts series, it’s a cult classic worth exploring for fans of horror-themed RPGs. I would only recommend this title if you are really into, either survival-horror, or turn-based combat RPGs, otherwise it’ll be a miserable experience.

A Cult Favorite #

Though, for the fans of these genres, which is my case, I love both of them, this is a complete blast and one of the most unique games that I’ve played from the PlayStation platform. I never played it back in the day, but I played it after I already developed my taste for these kinds of games, and I wished there was more that tries to mimic this style, especially in the indie industry, which would be a perfect fit for this style.