The 9th Charnel is described as a first-person psychological survival horror game in the same vein as Outlast and, to a certain degree, Resident Evil 7. As far as similarities are concerned, The 9th Charnel is much closer to Outlast, and the first-person perspective and the gorgeous (if at times janky,) visuals remind me a bit more of the Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village duology.
The 9th Charnel Gameplay Review: Stealth, Weapons, and Survival
The premise is simple: You need to survive in an extremely hostile world, and you can do so through stealth or by using weapons. The gameplay loop isn’t complicated, and it doesn’t need to be. You’re given an objective by NPCs or by naturally progressing through the game, you explore the locale and scrounge for items, and if you’re lucky, weapons. The game doesn’t directly tell you what to do as you are left to fend for yourself. You need to rely on in-game documents, diary entries, and letters to fill in the blanks of the lore.
There are plenty of puzzles in the game, and while I wouldn’t call them absurdly difficult, they do offer a satisfying enough difficulty level to keep you engrossed on your first playthrough. The puzzles, at least in my opinion, seem to have been inspired by Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil as a whole and it was a pleasant surprise to say the least.
The 9th Charnel Visuals and Performance: Strong Lighting, Some Jank
The game looks good for an indie game. The character models leave much to be desired, but they’re not horrible. They’re just terribly mediocre. The environment and the lighting, however, are top-notch. The weapons look like they were taken directly from the Source Engine, but the similarities end there. Some of the cutscenes are rendered nicely, but you can definitely see and feel some jank now and then. It doesn’t completely ruin the immersion, but it’s still bothering enough to be noticeable.
Overall, I think that the game looks good. I wouldn’t say it feels like an expensive game, but it could be if it were polished more.
The 9th Charnel Story Review: Generic, Sometimes Interesting
I will be perfectly honest – I didn’t really care for the story of The 9th Charnel. It definitely felt like a generic psychological survival horror story, but it was still interesting at times. I wouldn’t call it a groundbreaking plot or anything like that, but it was serviceable at best. It’s just one of those “dark cult doing bad things” type of beat and if you’re into that, then you’re going to enjoy this.
The 9th Charnel Length and Replay Value: A One and Done Horror Run
The 9th Charnel is definitely not a good game but it isn’t a bad game either. I appreciate the developer’s efforts in making the game as it’s clear that this project was made by a fan of the genre but that’s all it is. It’s a generic survival horror game, and it’s janky at times. The graphics look good, the story is serviceable and the gameplay is what I would consider short and sweet. Would I replay the game? Probably somewhere down the line but I think that The 9th Charnel is one of those games you play once and never again.
If you’re a diehard survival horror fan looking for a fix, then you may want to give this game a try. It’s perfectly average and sometimes, that’s all this game needs.
STREAMER SCORE
Performance
Streamability
Audience Engagement
Replayability
3.5
Summary
The 9th Charnel is an average first-person survival horror game that leans closer to Outlast than Resident Evil. It has solid atmosphere and lighting, decent puzzles, and short but satisfying gameplay, but its story feels generic and the overall experience is janky enough to hold it back.
