Permanent death always manages to add another level of tension to a video game. Often seen in roguelike games, permadeath mechanics have long proved a solid method to increase challenge and longevity, as well as adding integral story arcs as seen in The Banner Saga. Ongoing episodic title Song of Horror brings this to the world of survival horror.
Song of Horror is a horror game from developer Protocol Games. The first episode released on Halloween, before a second episode compounded the game's mechanics and setting. Episode 3, which is out now for PC, propels the title along once more, evolving a little from the episodes that have come before.
The core gameplay of Song of Horror acts like a love letter to horror games of old. The game is chock full of claustrophobic camera angles, while esoteric puzzles and scary moments coalesce into a traditional survival horror experience. At times slow and foreboding, it uses its short episode lengths well, and Episode 3 crams a steady stream of story beats into its two and a half hour runtime.
Song of Horror keeps things lean by forgoing the grind of mundane enemies that has occasionally plagued even the most beloved of horror series, such as the later entries of Silent Hill. Instead of the whittling down of health through random, regular creatures to run past or fight off, instead Song of Horror is punishing in its truly dangerous yet rare encounters. These are showcased through panic-filled moments of running for cover or quick time events that lead to equally quick deaths.
Some may be concerned that this could leave Song of Horror feeling sparse, but the permanent death is what makes this statement of play work. Song of Horror, in spite of its name, is a quiet game, slowly building a sense of dread and vulnerability. Its winding corridors, cluttered rooms and shadowy lighting all leave the player feeling under threat.
The playable characters (of which there are three in Episode 3, plus a brief epilogue) have different traits, such as strength, stealth, or serenity. Regardless of these individual skills, they are all frail, and players will have to work hard to keep them alive. Sometimes this can feel a little cruel, such as punishments for players who fail to pick up specific items needed for timely moments.
This ties into the more traditional model that lies at the heart of Song of Horror. With the scares taken away Song of Horror has a lot in common with old-school adventure games, much like older survival horror titles like Alone in the Dark or Clock Tower. This is particularly true in the third episode, and players may want to keep a note book at hand to write down the various clues strewn across its dingy rooms.
It all builds forwards via Song of Horror's core mystery, which started with the disappearance of writer Sebastian Husher in the first episode. Episode 3 follows down the same route, as its desperate cast of characters attempts to uncover the truth behind the ever-growing list of missing persons and the hidden meaning behind an ominous music box.
There are some mind-bending moments, too. The most memorable of these is a snippet of gameplay with a projector that leads to a clever, perspective-shifting section straight out of Control. When it comes to atmosphere, Song of Horror's third episode is some of the best seen this year in gaming, with a distinct understanding of how otherworldly objects can tap into the subconscious of the player.
It's not perfect of course. Some of those aforementioned unfair moments can feel frustrating for those trying to keep their limited players alive, particularly when death can come so fast and without much means to stop it. Meanwhile, some of the voice acting does feel a little awkward, and smaller budgetary issues lead to the occasional moment of janky animation.
Overall, though, Episode 3 is a very strong new entry in Song of Horror. So far 2019 has proved a good year for independent horror games, such as No Code's Observation, and Song of Horror is one to add to the list based on the episodes so far. With two episodes left, there's a lot to live up to based on this third episode, but hopefully this potential will be unleashed.
Song of Horror Episode 3 is available for PC. Screen Rant was provided with a PC download code for the purposes of this review.