Tormenture (Publisher: Croxel Studios. Format: PC)
FROM Fear the Spotlight to Crow Country, 2024 was a golden year for retro scares. But rather than looking to survival horror’s 1990s heyday, Tormenture goes even further back - to an era when consoles were wood panelled and Atari was more than just a Gen-X logo.
With its mix of 80s nostalgia and pixelated visuals, Croxel Studios’ unique take on urban legends whisks players to an age when boomers could buff their console with Pledge.
Croxel Studios’ Tormenture whisks players to an age when boomers could buff their console with Pledge.
Firing up Tormenture will have middle-aged gamers once again sitting cross-legged in front of an Atari 2600. With gameplay a direct homage to classic 1980 role-player Adventure, all the lo-fi trappings of the era are here - a yellow castle, a tiny square to control and no clue how to proceed.
After some progress, though, Tormenture performs one helluva rug-pull as the camera pulls back from the screen and you realise you’re not just playing the game - you’re playing a kid playing the game.
Suddenly you’re in an oh-so-80s bedroom, having rented the rumoured-to-be-cursed adventure for your Limbo 2800 console.
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Soon, the dangers of Tormenture transcend the screen and you’re forced to think outside the box - and outside the game.
While the bulk of Tormenture involves the titular 8-bit adventure (where players must locate four hidden relics – each guarded by a boss – to open the final temple), it’s in the real world where goosebumps get a workout.
With toys like Speak & Spell and Guess Who along with a tape player at your disposal, all have their part to play in pant-soiling ways – and once the Speak & Spell innocently asks you to spell “demon”, you’ll be hooked.
Some of its puzzles can be ridiculously cryptic, and the solutions are usually found in an old toy or among notes from previous players scribbled in the game’s manual.
A steal at £12, Tormenture’s game-within-a-game offers a perfect night of nostalgic dread for the Atari generation or anyone who’s ever blown the dust out of a game’s backside.
PlayStation turns 30
IF THAT ghoul staring back at you in the mirror isn’t reminder enough of time’s merciless march, this week Sony celebrated its original PlayStation hitting the big 3-0.
Released in Japan on December 3 1994, PlayStation saw videogames find their cool. The console landed in the UK the following September, ushering in a halcyon era of WipEout, Tomb Raider and Metal Gear Solid, back when gaming meant a PlayStation flecked with Buckfast stains sitting atop a stack of FHMs.
To celebrate this milestone, this week Sony tickled nostalgia glands with a PS5 update offering free retro themes to give your machine an old-school vibe. With options for each of Sony’s previous four consoles, all add an antique sheen to your PS5’s desktop, including the throb of the iconic PS1 opening jingle on start-up and a ‘thank-you’ message as you shut down to ponder where the years have gone.
