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First Steps, Big Dreams: The Crisol Journey

Remember your first bike ride? Or your first attempt at swimming? Chances are, neither went perfectly. You probably fell, swallowed too much water, or relied on training wheels and armbands for a while. Yet, you likely look back on those experiences with fondness. Even then, there was something magical about pedaling against the wind or gliding through water. Some beginnings are just like that: imperfect, but so thrilling they're worth every bump and bruise. Crisol: Theater of Idols is one of them.

This debut title from Madrid-based Vermila Studios, a team of about twenty people, is as imperfect as it is enjoyable. In a recent interview, co-founder and creative director David Tornero recalled how many times they nearly shut down, openly admitting that BioShock was a huge inspiration. Rapture is one of the reasons he got into game development, and it shows. There’s no better description for this game than the "Spanish BioShock" label that's been following it for months. We're talking about a first-person shooter with a strong narrative and an atmosphere as fascinating as it is terrifying—which explains Blumhouse's involvement!

Welcome to Tormentosa: A Twisted Spanish Tapestry

Instead of a submerged city with no gods or kings, Crisol invites us to the heretical island of Tormentosa. This region is a stunning, unsettling blend of different Spanish locations, eras, and artistic movements. You step into the shoes of Gabriel Escudero, an emissary from Hispania, who arrives with a firm intention: to evangelize infidels and eradicate the deity behind a rival cult. Thus begins a tale exploring the sharp edges of religion, identity, and the rampant consequences of unchecked faith.

Despite its gloomy and somber aesthetic, Tormentosa isn't primarily a jump-scare fest. It has its moments, but Crisol isn't a survival horror game. Its true pillars are action, puzzles, and exploration, with the latter easily being the strongest. Wandering through its meticulously crafted environments and discovering this twisted version of Spain is the absolute highlight of the experience. You’ll encounter characters in bullfighter costumes and 16th-century Flemish military attire, haggle with a wailing woman, and spot echoes of the cathedrals of Santiago, Burgos, and San Idelfonso. There are flamenco tablaos, gypsy fairs, vintage doll factories, and torture towers straight out of the Inquisition. The carousel of references to Spanish culture is truly unforgettable.

 

While the game smartly avoids falling into crude parody—and doesn't reduce Spain to just flamenco, bulls, and paella (we absolutely loved its slogan: “topical, but not typical”)—it does feel, when compared to other Spanish-inspired titles like Blasphemous, that Crisol exports a somewhat more superficial and less cohesive image. It visits more common tropes and exaggerates certain aspects of Spanish folklore a bit too much (Mediodía, one of the characters, is a prime example). These are minor quibbles and personal preferences, however, and they don't stop its world from delighting us and leaving us eager to return in the future.

Action & Innovation: A Double-Edged Sword

It's in the action sequences where Crisol shows the most room for improvement. Not so much for what it does, but for what it *doesn't* do. Your first combat encounter is practically identical to your last. There's a noticeable lack of dynamism and progression. To keep BioShock as our guiding star, Irrational Games tackled this with plasmids, the sky-hook, enemy hordes, and strategic elements like mines and turrets. Crisol's action is much flatter and more repetitive. The scarcity of enemy types (barely three!) doesn't help either. They approach slowly, in small groups, and if you keep your cool and aim for their legs, it's all quite manageable. It's curious that there are mutilations, but no real sense of impact. You also have upgrades and a parry, but the former are anecdotal, and the latter is a bit imprecise.

Let’s be clear: we’re not here to bash the game, but to contextualize it as an indie title with AAA aspirations. We need to temper our expectations. Crisol doesn't actually do anything *wrong*. On the contrary, it's entertaining and functions smoothly. It lays a fantastic foundation and serves as an excellent calling card. It's just that the shooter aspect, among others, reveals its humble origins. This premise could be immensely enriched in future sequels with the right support, and Vermila proves they deserve it with plenty of talent and ideas. A prime example? The reload system—one of the game's most striking and original mechanics.

Reloading with a Twist: Your Life for a Bullet

In Crisol, Gabriel's weapons don't consume traditional ammo; they consume his very life force! Each bullet demands a sacrifice from your health bar, and refilling a shotgun magazine doesn't cost the same as a pistol's. In combat, you not only have to avoid getting hit, but also manage not to bleed out from reloading at the wrong moment. This system (with a curious button layout) is not only visually striking and genuinely unique, but it also adds a layer of depth to battles. While it might take some getting used to, we believe it's a brilliant path forward!

The studio clearly pours its heart into this game. You'll find sequences where you're pursued by an immortal enemy, reminiscent of Resident Evil 2's Mr. X, and battle peculiar monsters—like one made of church stained glass that can reflect light and turn invisible. Even the common enemies have personality; they're not mere puppets or animatronics, but “Astillados” (splintered ones)—polychromed wooden figures based on saints and martyrs found in any Spanish church. Add a couple of boss fights (the final one's design is spectacular) and a hub area with several mini-games you return to between chapters, and you have a game brimming with character.

Puzzles, Story, & Performance

After the atmospheric setting and the innovative reload system, the third most noteworthy aspect of Crisol is its puzzles. Some are more inspired than others, but they are more prevalent than usual and are a welcome addition. They help ensure that, despite its discussed weaknesses, Crisol remains highly entertaining for its 8-12 hour duration. In our case, we clocked 9 hours while collecting most of the collectibles. The level design is fairly linear, so you won't get lost for too long. In fact, there's even a trophy for finishing it in under 3 hours! It never feels like it's overstaying its welcome, making the time spent feel like quality time. At just €17.49, it's incredibly hard not to recommend it.

However, its price tag doesn't mean we have to be lenient with a story that felt weak and ended disappointingly. Furthermore, Crisol makes a narrative blunder we've seen before—for example, in the Guardians of the Galaxy game. Certain dialogues require you to stop and wait for them to finish. If you advance naturally, you interrupt them. This forces you to focus on conversations that simply don't warrant that attention. Radio chatter and ghostly apparitions slow down the gameplay just to monopolize your focus. The narrative experience could definitely be a bit more fluid and engaging.

 

Graphically, Crisol is a treat for the eyes, and as we said, at times it truly looks like a AAA title. Of course, it has its tricks: long loading times in elevators and rocky passageways, negligible environmental destruction or interaction, just-sufficient AI, and some odd effects like fire. These are trade-offs we gladly make for the brilliant overall finish of its world. Our only plea is for improved console performance with a patch. We reviewed it on a PS5 Pro, and it felt like it was running at 30 FPS with frequent stutters. It's not unplayable, but the discomfort is recurring.

The Sound of Tormentosa

On the auditory front, we celebrate a soundtrack featuring eight sung tracks, specially composed for the game and based on real 15th-century Spanish ballads. This unique musical choice perfectly complements the game's rich cultural tapestry and adds another layer of immersion to the unsettling world of Tormentosa.