Crisol: Theater of Idols was the surprise highlight of my Summer Game Fest schedule, a hybrid of Resident Evil and BioShock. Developed over the past five years in Madrid by Vermila Studios and published under Blumhouse Games, this first-person action-horror asks you to literally bleed for each shell spent. Every. Shot. Counts. A hands-on demo left me exhilarated, certain that it could claim a place on my “must-play” list when it releases in late 2025.
My preview began in the decrepit Tormentosa, a decaying seaside hamlet nestled in a surreal nightmare world reminiscent of Spain. Animatronic creatures shambled through dark alleyways and constantly surprised me as I turned corners on the narrow streets. The Spanish architecture was a welcome aesthetic not commonly seen in horror games, but even those influences felt like a distorted version of a familiar yet long-forgotten nightmare…
Game Director David Carrasco told us the team drew deeply from Catholic iconography to create the world. The style and writing also draw upon fairytale inspirations, and they have obvious influences to Resident Evil Village. All this is blended into a mechanique horror that is clearly influenced by the drowned world of BioShock.
The cobbled streets are brutal and blood stained. Bodies line the roads, but, thankfully, you can use them to your advantage. Gabriel, the protagonist, chambers his revolver with his own blood; each shot siphons a portion of his health, merging ammunition with vitality. As a result, each encounter adds layers of stress to the already tense survival-horror framework. Every missed shot stings that much more. The only way to recover health is by either collecting hidden blood syringes or by draining the blood from human or animal corpses that are strewn throughout the streets.
Enemies take the form of mannequins. They are horrifying idols with limbs that jerk and thrash as they come to life in your presence. You can shoot off their legs to cripple them, but that only slows them down, and they remain a threat. Even blasting their heads off won’t stop them as they will continue to shamble onward. Only dealing a specified amount of damage will reduce them to ashes, and that damage is enhanced by hitting weak spots, which seemed to be joints.
And then I met Dolores.
Dolores is a towering animatronic matriarch. Much like Resident Evil’s Mr. X, she is unkillable and loves to play hide and seek. Combat is futile, so stealth becomes essential as you dart into homes as you try to lose her. The demo ended once I finally lost Dolores, but it is clear this won’t be the last you see of this terrifying animatronic idol.
Exploration in Tormentosa will reward curiosity. Even with my limited time, I found extra syringes and coins which will be used for upgrades. I even discovered a mini-game that awards a shotgun, but I abandoned it, knowing my time was limited.
By the end of my session, I was left wanting more in the best way. There is something truly special cooking with Crisol: Theater of Idols, and I can not wait to get my hands on the full version when it releases later this year.