Crisol: Theater of Idols

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Crisol: Theater of Idols is a single player action adventure game. It received positive reviews from players.

Crisol: Theater of Idols is a gripping first-person horror/action adventure set in the haunting world of Hispania, a nightmarish reimagining of Spain. Playing as Gabriel, a soldier who can use his own blood as a deadly weapon, you endeavor on a journey to fulfill a divine mission from the Sun God. Key Features: Explore the Cursed Island of Tormentosa Uncover the chilling histor…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 545 reviews

gameplay88 positive mentions

optimization26 negative mentions

The game features a unique mechanic where health is used as ammunition, adding a layer of strategy to combat.
The art direction and atmosphere are stunning, creating an immersive experience reminiscent of Bioshock.
The story, while not groundbreaking, is engaging and keeps players invested throughout the game.

The game suffers from performance issues, including frame rate drops and lack of optimization for various hardware setups.
There is excessive use of yellow paint to indicate interactable objects, which can break immersion.
The voice acting, particularly for the character Mediodia, is often seen as annoying and out of place, detracting from the overall tone of the game.

gameplay
237 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
4%
The gameplay of Crisol has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique mechanic of using health as ammunition, which adds a layer of strategy to combat. However, some critiques highlight that the overall mechanics can feel simplistic or poorly executed, leading to a repetitive experience. While the game is visually impressive and offers engaging puzzles, it struggles with pacing and can be frustrating due to slow moments and linear gameplay.
- “The core mechanic of sacrificing your own health to generate ammunition is a brilliant touch that adds constant tension to every encounter, and the clever puzzles kept me engaged throughout the whole journey.”
- “Crisol is a very solid horror survival game that has a very good gameplay twist: your HP is your ammunition. It's one of the first games where I used every type of weapon in the game because reloading reduces your HP, creating a constant dilemma of whether to reload or save health for tougher encounters.”
- “The gameplay loop feels very similar to Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 4, combining classic FPS shooting with survival horror puzzles, making for an engaging and enjoyable experience.”
- “The visual feedback doesn’t line up with the mechanics.”
- “30 minutes of gameplay to die and have to restart the whole game and you can't skip cutscenes, Jesus this is ridiculous, respect my time.”
- “The gameplay sucks.”
story
190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring engaging plot twists and a unique blend of folklore and horror elements that keep players invested throughout its 10-12 hour runtime. However, some players find the narrative execution inconsistent, with jarring voice acting and a lack of depth in certain areas, leading to mixed feelings about its overall coherence and impact. While many appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and character development, others feel it could benefit from more polish and clarity.
- “The combination of story, voice acting, and exploration kept me engaged from start to finish.”
- “The story is interesting and makes you want to keep playing so that you can find out more; overall, this is a brilliant horror FPS.”
- “The story this game tells starts off quite innocent enough but even at its start hides something quite sinister and dark, and as you progress through this twisted fable, there are twists and turns, and nothing is quite as simple as it appears to be.”
- “The story is very reminiscent of a Greek or Roman tale of gods and cults but is wrapped in a very Castilian Catholic aesthetic.”
- “However, the biggest flaw with this game was the story; for the first half, I found myself becoming very interested in the narrative.”
- “The borderline scattershot approach of 'same can be said for all religions' felt strange and almost disingenuous with its attempt to write a convincing story surrounding the entities within it.”
graphics
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
61%
4%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art style and atmospheric visuals reminiscent of titles like Bioshock, while others criticize the performance issues and lack of customization options. The aesthetic, often described as gothic and inspired by Spanish themes, is highlighted as a strong point, though some players noted that character models can appear blocky and the overall graphical fidelity feels dated. Despite these criticisms, the game's visuals and art direction are generally regarded as impressive, contributing significantly to the immersive experience.
- “The graphics, animations, art direction, the creepiness, all of it is perfect and incredibly neat, polished.”
- “The atmosphere is superb, the combat is a bit like a blend of Bioshock and Dead Space, and the graphics are great!”
- “The art direction and visuals in this game are gorgeous, especially on the first level.”
- “Characters will say things that feel wildly out of place—modern phrasing like 'the vibes are bad'—which clashes horribly with the time period and aesthetic the game is trying to sell.”
- “It’s also hard not to notice that a significant amount of AI-generated imagery seems to be used, which only further muddles the aesthetic identity.”
- “Not even 30 minutes in and this game already feels unfinished in multiple ways, let me start with the fact that the custom settings don't even allow you to change any of the graphics options let alone turn off Lumen if you so desire.”
atmosphere
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its impressive design, evoking a rich, gothic, and immersive experience that captivates players. Many reviews highlight the strong visual and sound elements that contribute to a haunting and engaging environment, although some note that certain character interactions can disrupt the overall tone. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric storytelling and exploration.
- “The atmosphere is impeccable; the isolated island where it is always raining, the looming gothic architecture, the aftermath of a bloody town-wide massacre - it is haunting, beautiful, and alluring.”
- “The atmosphere, sound design, and creativity really stand out.”
- “The atmosphere is rich, eerie, and visually striking.”
- “The game is clearly trying to evoke a Victorian, steampunk-inspired setting, but the dialogue and character behavior completely undermine that atmosphere.”
- “Her dialogue and behavior is jarring when it comes to the atmosphere and tone of the game.”
- “It works similar to Bioshock's formula, minus the atmosphere that makes Rapture so bone-chilling.”
optimization
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
55%
31%
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting performance issues such as stuttering, inconsistent frame rates, and a lack of support for popular upscaling technologies like DLSS. While some users noted that the game runs well on higher-end systems, the general consensus is that it requires substantial optimization improvements and bug fixes before it can be recommended for play. Many players are hopeful for future patches to address these concerns.
- “Super great job here devs. The game has come a long way since the demo in terms of performance; I'm really happy with how this is going so far.”
- “The optimization is very good for a debut, despite what the complainers say.”
- “The atmosphere is really good, the graphics look sharp and clean, and the game is quite optimized for an indie studio using UE5.”
- “The game is clearly not as optimized as it should be (although I do see that they're supposedly fixing that here soon).”
- “Such drastic changes from just one room to another show a dreadful lack of polish and optimization.”
- “The performance of this game is genuinely so bad that it's not playable, even on my beefy computer.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
28%
7%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with a fitting soundtrack that complements the visuals and setting. Many players noted that the music effectively conveys mood and tension, particularly in moments of silence, while also contributing to the game's gothic aesthetic. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's artistic and narrative elements.
- “The music is very fitting, including moments of silence, which convey the perfect mood when you're alone in a cell miles underground.”
- “The world is gorgeous, the story is compelling, and the music sets the perfect atmosphere.”
- “The music is absolutely wonderful, and I feel the same joy that I felt when playing Bioshock for the first time all those years back.”
- “Unfortunately, outside of the scenery, level design, and soundtrack, the rest of the game is a complete mess.”
- “For me at least, the button wouldn't work so I had to sit through the credits, credits that are so long they outlast the music, so you have to sit in silence for a while waiting for it to end.”
- “Despite not appreciating the regular sound design, I do actually like the music in this game.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the darkly comedic elements and amusing bugs, while others feel that certain characters' comedic styles clash with the overall atmosphere. The absurdity of enemy AI and exaggerated design choices elicits laughter, but the reliance on millennial humor and excessive dialogue can detract from immersion. Overall, the humor adds a layer of charm, though it may not resonate with everyone.
- “Boat is hilariously slow on 120fps.”
- “To the point where it had me audibly laughing at times.”
- “Crisol is pretty much Resident Evil Village, gameplay-wise and the sense of humor, everything is so charming, the voice acting is really good.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting bugs and glitches, particularly with the save system and certain gameplay mechanics. While some users have experienced smooth performance on high-end PCs, others have noted significant issues that detract from the overall experience. Developers are reportedly addressing these concerns, but players are eager for improvements, especially regarding performance on lower-end systems and Steam Deck support.
- “Great game, tons of setting options, runs great, 140 fps with a 4090 on max settings.”
- “There are negatives, primarily; this is a rather buggy game, which performs less than ideal on all but higher-end PCs. As of (19/02/25), the devs have already put out a statement saying that they are working on this. I hope this (along with Steam Deck support) comes sooner rather than later, as what you'll be left with after stripping the jank is a stellar experience, especially considering the price tag.”
- “There are quite a few glitches, especially with the save system.”
- “One of my personal pet peeves of this game was chapter 3 and being in the boat, where movement was so slow and buggy that I did not care for it at all.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
Character development in the game is criticized for lacking depth, with many characters, including the protagonist Gabriel, feeling underdeveloped and inconsistent in their abilities and personalities. While the visual and artistic elements are praised, the reliance on superficial elements like "red shadows" for storytelling detracts from a more nuanced character exploration. Overall, the character designs are mixed, with some being appealing while others are deemed unattractive, contributing to a disjointed experience.
- “Character design is nice and fitting for the location.”
- “The music is good in an atmospheric kind of way, the monster designs are uncanny, the character designs are very solid too; only the animations feel sometimes a bit off or robotic, but I didn’t mind that really.”
- “The game clearly has a visual vision, but then constantly contradicts it through character design, dialogue, and presentation (why is my career soldier unable to handle a weapon well?!).”
- “Along with that, Gabriel, Mediodia, and lots of the characters could have a bit more depth of personality and character development as things go on, and I feel like there should be less reliance on just the red shadows to explain things.”
- “The game has some really ugly character design too; I thought the monsters were supposed to give me nightmares, not the supporting characters.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over monotonous enemy designs and overly simplistic puzzles. Many found the gameplay mechanics, such as prolonged button-holding and excessive environmental barriers, to contribute to a sense of boredom rather than challenge. Overall, the grinding experience is characterized as a significant drawback, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Here, the enemies never felt more than goofy and tedious.”
- “It gets tedious rather than nerve-wracking at times.”
- “Unfortunately, I didn't get too far past the prologue; needing to hold down a button to slowly move a shelf, or 'press W to crawl forward,' or 'press this button three times to start a car and drive it by pressing this button three times,' etc. got tedious.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as a significant drawback, primarily due to the absence of a new game plus feature, which limits players' ability to revisit the campaign with upgraded characters. Additionally, some elements are perceived as slowing down gameplay, further diminishing the incentive to replay. Overall, the replay value is rated around 7.0.
- “Replay value: 7.0”
- “The biggest downside to this game is replayability; upon completion, there is no New Game Plus, so I could not enjoy the campaign a second time with all my goodies maxed out.”
- “They're too slow and they will hurt replayability.”
- “I'd be interested to see how they affect replayability.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model of the game is praised for its absence of microtransactions, which contributes to a more straightforward and enjoyable gaming experience without the pressure to spend additional money.
- “There are no microtransactions, which makes the experience much more enjoyable.”
- “I appreciate that the game doesn't include any microtransactions.”
- “The absence of microtransactions really enhances the overall gameplay.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its unexpectedly heartwarming ending, with players describing it as a genuine and heartfelt piece of art, making it one of the standout surprises of 2026.
- “Had a weirdly heartwarming ending too :) One of 2026's biggest surprises.”
- “This game was something unexpected, a genuine heartfelt piece of art.”

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10h Median play time

10h Average play time

8-12h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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