Tech Review: Church in the Darkness (PS4)

Religious maniacs have decamped to the jungles of South America after fleeing the US. Your task is to rescue a brainwashed nephew. Sneak through the commune - wearing disguises, hiding in crates, and throttling the occasional cultist - as propaganda about the evils of capitalism blares from loudspeakers.

The top-down perspective - imagine Grand Theft Auto circa 1999 - is rusty, but the gameplay is novel. Each play-through is slightly different. Your character's infiltration point, and his or her objectives, shift around the map. The personalities of the cult leaders, Isaac and Rebecca Walker, change with each replay too.

Church In The Darkness sings from the same hymn sheet as recent horror flick Midsommar. Its central inspiration is the Peoples Temple, a religious movement that moved to Guyana in the 1970s with disastrous consequences. It's a great idea, but the lack of depth in the stealth gameplay will stop you from worshipping at this game's altar.

5/10