Baroque Decay Games, the creator of Yuppie Psycho, has returned to a decade-old project for its next game.
Holy Horrors
Catechesis, a pixel art horror RPG inspired by the likes of Resident Evil, was first announced in 2013 and caught the eye of gaming sites. But became too big a project to handle for the developer at the time. Now is the time it seems as Catechesis is reborn and coming to PS4, PS5, and other modern consoles as well as PC.
The story of Catechesis sees Daniel, an altar boy of a fringe religion, possessed by a demon. Desperate to cure his ailing grandfather, Daniel prays for divine intervention and starts performing acts of kindness that miraculously improve his grandfather’s health. However, these virtuous deeds unintentionally trigger the opening of a gate to hell. Daniel must venture deeper into the netherworld to rescue his beloved grandparent, forever intertwining two realms.
Michael “Garoad” Kelly, composer for VA-11 HALL-A and the eerie, surreal score of Yuppie Psycho, will score the game, and says it will be a mixture of Trip-Hop and horror score influences such as Halloween, The Omen, and Suspiria.
The game’s overall design takes inspiration from titles like Silent Hill, Deadly Premonition, and the Persona series, while also following in the footsteps of RPG Maker horror classics such as Mad Father and Ib. It draws influence from recent pixel indie games like OMORI and Faith, creating a unique horror-action RPG experience rarely seen in games.
During the day, players guide Daniel through interactions with a vibrant cast of characters, attending school, visiting his grandfather’s church, making hospital visits, or working in a supermarket. However, when night falls, our protagonist is thrust into twisted worlds teeming with demons, where he must fight for his life against various creatures while solving puzzles and riddles to uncover the mysteries of the tabalistic religion. Thanks to a new addition in Baroque Decay games—combat—Daniel can accumulate experience to level up and acquire different power-ups to aid him on his quest.
