Tenebris Somnia
Developers: Andres Borghi, Saibot Studios
Publisher: New Blood Interactive
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S (Reviewed), PC
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $24.99 USD – Available Here
Overview
When it comes to an indie horror game they tend to either be some of the best types of horror around or a waste of time unless they throw in some type of spin. At least that’s how things have been for quite a few years now, especially since many horror games are chasing certain themes while others are adapting in entirely new ways, ways that make one think of a certain Unholy Trinity. This includes taking retro graphics and game design to try and replicate a unique experience and when it comes to Tenebris Somnia, not only does it use that same style of retro art but also live-action FMVs at the same time. Looking to combine these two vastly different styles of approach into a survival horror game, is Tenebris Somnia a frightfully good time?
Story
Julia has been having a recurring nightmare that her ex-boyfriend, a director named Ivan, is being torn apart by deformed humanoid monsters. Despite having broken up with Ivan for months, she still has her old key to the apartment they once lived in together and finally decides that it is time to check on him. Upon arriving at the apartment Julia finds it has been wrecked with various awards smashed or in the toilet, strange scribblings on the walls, and smashed pictures and mirrors. Julia soon finds an occult like book describing how to remove a strange substance locking away the final door in the apartment where she discovers that not only has Ivan gotten involved with a cult promising to erase all memories of their failed relationship, but something far grander as well.
Upon leaving this room Julia finds that the apartment has changed drastically as not only is it suddenly night, but a monster like the one from her dreams comes charging through the open door, turning into a small blob of flesh when killed. After further investigation and exploration of the now otherworldly apartment building Julia learns that she has found herself in a twisted version of reality and it will be up to her to search for and save Ivan, something she doesn’t really want to do but feels like she must at the same time. Even if it means facing off against twisted monsters in humanoid form, bosses, and countless puzzles, some far stranger and more complicated than others.
Tenebris Somnia tells an incredibly interesting story for a survival horror game as not only do players get to witness the various horrors that Julia must endure to try and save someone she used to care for but also how twisted those same events end up becoming once the “other shoe” drops and reveals the truth. This major twist is a significant departure for a horror game and flips the narrative in a fantastic way as more details are revealed by lifting the proverbial veil as well as the hidden elements of the world and the very cult that she’s been fighting against come to light.
To top that off, the title also features multiple endings, with two focusing on how players handle a certain weapon at the very end of the game, one joke ending, and a hidden ending requiring completing the two primary endings that is a massive easter egg that goes above and beyond, showing off not only how a certain Trinity’s protagonist and primary enemy look in live-action, but also some humorous interactions between Julia and a certain priest.
Gameplay
Tenebris Somnia is a survival horror game through and through as Julia must navigate the twisted apartment and other locations all while solving various puzzles and either killing or dodging monsters along the way. Exploration is on a 2D plane though there is depth to every location and attacks as well, meaning players can attack and be attacked at an angle. The combat itself is a mixture of melee and ranged with players having infinite durability when it comes to their melee weapons at the cost of having to get close to foes while the revolver and shotgun both use limited ammunition found within the world.
The melee combat, starting with the wrench and eventually the classic pipe that has a bit longer reach but a bit slower swing speed, players will want to bait out enemy attacks to take advantage of their opening to strike. All enemies except bosses and locked-room battles can simply be run past but since various areas of the apartment complex fill up with more lethal types of enemies, having lingering foes from earlier joining the fray can make navigating a deadly hazard if players don’t thin the herd. At the same time, players will likely wish to manage their ammunition as best as possible, trying to save it for the pesky foes that either have rapid attacks or boss fights where distance can play an important role to survival. This means that the combat handles quite well, especially once players get the timing down on enemy attack patterns and how some can be stunlocked.
This is especially true when it comes to maintaining health and saving the game. While there are autosaves after certain major events in the plot as well as each stage of a major boss fight players get through, meaning they won’t need to battle through a first or even second stage again if they die but manage to reach that stage, the majority of the game’s saving is done through specific flaming water save points. These save points are scattered throughout the apartment complex and it is worth noting that, at a certain point, players will need to sacrifice three of them as well, making running between saves even more dire especially if players are running low on resources. It is also worth noting that, for some strange reason, the third save slot never actually saved in our time with the game, leaving only two accessible for rotating saves, a likely bug that is still an issue at the time of this writing.
When not facing down monsters Julia will be required to solve various puzzles that range from simply navigating through to a new location and picking up an item, gathering pieces and putting them in the right order, to more complex ones such as figuring out the proper way to not only develop film but how to do it with certain resources, alter the color of a cable, or figure out the meaning of a poem to pictures. That means that players will be having plenty of challenging brain teasers along the way and it is nice to note that not all of the difficult puzzles are at the end. These challenges vary in difficulty so players never quite know how difficult the next one might be.
There are a handful of bosses that players will need to face down throughout Tenebris Somnia as mentioned before and almost all of them have a unique gimmick players must deal with. This can range from dodging attacks while blowing out candles to running like hell until the player can lead the boss into a trap and then some. These variations to the boss fights are challenging but make great use of the game’s mechanics and rarely feel cheap, especially thanks to the aforementioned checkpoint system. That being said, it is worth noting that some later boss fights do feel like they drag on a little long, even while using some of the strongest weaponry in the game. This is alleviated slightly by the fact that either summoned mobs can drop healing items or a boss stage can have tucked away healing items to keep players in the fight.
It is also troublesome to note that while the game is easy to navigate mostly, that the title does have its fair share of issues with getting stuck on the environment. Players trying to make too tight of a turn may find themselves running into an object and getting hit by a chasing enemy or even instantly killed by a foe with an incredibly strange hit-box to his attacks. Similarly, another stage can see players getting trapped within a part of the level, only able to wait until they are killed by a monster or, in a few cases, reload a save entirely because the enemy required to “destroy” an obstacle in the way vanished entirely.
Audio & Visuals
The most striking part of Tenebris Somnia is the game’s art design. Everything in the game that involves exploration, combat, puzzle solving, and inventory management is designed with such a hardore retro aesthetic that it is incredibly close to an 8-bit art style except with a bit more detail in the backgrounds and some other visuals here and there. Julia’s appearance and the enemy appearances and designs look great in this form but they really shine when the game flips the script entirely and goes from 8-bit to Full Motion Video, transforming the game into a film. This includes numerous enemy introductions including bosses, important cutscenes and revelations, and major ending events that are absolutely gorgeous. In fact, the design of the monsters in the videos is outstanding since most of them are done through sheer practical effects though it is evident when some CGI is used.
As for the voice work, there isn’t much actual spoken dialogue in the game with the exception of a few bonus scenes that make fun of the fact that one character is American and the other is Argentinian and have no actual way to understand one another properly without a bit of comedic help. The soundtrack for the game does wonders as there are a number of fitting background tracks that work well while exploring as well as during enemy and boss encounters. This is especially true when it comes to the final boss fights.
Overall
Tenebris Somnia is an incredibly interesting take on the survival horror genre. Not just because it features a wonderful blend of retro aesthetics with FMV style cut-scenes but also thanks to its well-designed puzzles and effective combat system that keeps players on the edge of their seats when it comes to either managing resources or running from every threat. It does have a few issues here and there with hit-detection on enemies, especially some of the bosses who have their own problems, but that doesn’t stop this from being a horror game that any fan of the genre can put their faith in.
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