Strygain Outer Gods is a survival horror developed by Misterial Gaming and published by Fulqrum Publishing, which gives a Lovecraftian vibe to the style of a Resident Evil game. This helps push those horror themes from just scary, monstrous creatures and elevates them with psychological horror.

Set within the shadowed cosmos of Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones, this descent into dread beckons you to witness and perhaps alter the profane events that herald the coming of the Black Day. Reality frays at the edges, and sanity is a fleeting illusion in a world steeped in ancient horrors and secrets long buried beneath the weight of time. Drawn by a cryptic summons and accompanied by a friend well-versed in the occult, you journey to the fog-cloaked settlement of Kingsport, a place where the air hangs heavy with unspoken truths and the past gnaws quietly at the present.

A violent shipwreck delivers you to its shores, but the wreckage is merely the first omen, a whisper of the greater nightmare that coils in the dark. As nameless fears stir and the veil thins, your will, your reason, and your very soul will be tested. With blade, wit, and forbidden knowledge, can you forestall the awakening of the Outer Gods, or is your fate like so many before merely to be unmade, one madness at a time?

Step into a first-person survival horror experience that blends atmospheric tension, limited resources, and intense combat. Set in the isolated Kingsport with grotesque creatures and chilling secrets, players must navigate fog-strewn, muddy streets and claustrophobic buildings where every creak could signal danger.

With choices at the start that allow you to customise your character in terms of a boost in health but take a hit on your stamina and increase your lockpicking skills, but then maybe you’re not so knowledgeable about the occult, meaning things that need those skills will be harder or unavailable. Luckily, throughout the game, you will discover cards that will grant you skills and buffs to help shape your play and hopefully make it a little easier.

Armed with only what you scavenge and weapons you find, you will face off against horrifying enemies that will not go down easily. Ammunition is scarce, and every bullet counts, forcing you to think before you shoot. Puzzles block your path, often requiring exploration and keen observation to solve. Notes, recordings, and environmental storytelling peel back the layers of a twisted narrative rooted in the occult. Inventory management is key. Deciding what to carry, what to leave, and when to risk backtracking is important. Save mirrors are few and far between, heightening the tension as you inch deeper into the nightmare.

Now, one thing that annoyed me was the voice acting; it was good, but they only voice-acted certain parts. Just do all of it or none of it. Pick a lane. I understand that it costs money, and voice actors are not free, but if you are going to use them, you might as well do the lot; it also helps add emotion to the horrors around you. Speaking of those horrors, I cannot fault

the sound effects; I walked into a building and heard the noises coming from a different room, and I almost just walked back out. Paired with the surprisingly excellent visuals, which I cannot fault the landscape, the buildings, the creatures, and the witches, all fantastic, it felt occult; it felt Lovecraftian, and it was most of the time terrifying.

Until the full game comes out, you do not interact with other characters too often or for extended periods, and it will be interesting to see the direction in which the story heads with those characters. As an avid Resident Evil fan, I loved how this felt similar to Resident Evil but different enough that it felt fresh and new. I was excited to continue even after discovering how difficult it was. Saying that for those who give it a try, and I say you should, the enemy melee reach is longer than you think. I honestly believe that the score I give for this game will go up once the full game is released, and hopefully, they may patch it and add voice lines for the entire game.

Written by: Adam Brasher