Saturnalia

Mystery horror game has solid ideas, inconsistent execution.
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Saturnalia
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Saturnalia is a downloadable survival-horror sleuth game available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox One S|X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PCs. You play as four characters who coincidentally converge in a rural countryside town where all's not as it seems. A monster has emerged from the tunnels below, hunting down those who roam about in the night. It's up to you to not only find out where it came from by looking for tools and clues to get around, but also discover how it connects back to everyone's stories with mysteries that force you to reassess who the real monsters are. Players get chased by a humanoid creature with a horned mask, its presence the source of tense music and rattling noise. It leaves trails of blood on occasion. Dried-up corpses are depicted a few times. One character mentions wanting morphine and overdoses on it, but players don't see this happen in action. "s--t" and "f--k" appear several times in written dialogue.
What’s It About?
IN SATURNALIA, geologist Anna Giannini has been assessing whether the mines of Gravoi, Italy, are fertile ground for a business client. But she falls in love with a man while living there and discovers she's pregnant. When she comes back in town to complete her work and tell him the news, a terrifying creature is awakened and emerges from the underground. Where did it come from? What does it want? Anna has a new mission cut out for her, and with the help of three other friends (Paul, Sergio, and Claudia) with quests and questions of their own, they'll not only unravel the horrors of long-kept secrets and rituals, but also confront long-held, unresolved conflicts in their own lives. But can they lay these things to rest without being laid to rest themselves?
Is It Any Good?
This game is equally about survival and horror as it is detective work, even if it doesn't fully come together in the end. In Saturnalia, you assume control of four separate characters who have their respective reasons for being in an isolated, creepy village, but all of them are roped into unraveling an ancient mystery that touches on all of their lives. You switch between these characters and explore your surroundings for clues and tools, which slowly spins a web of previously unconnected stories. This "mind map" (similar to a crime board) of helpful icons, connecting lines, and color coding shows how much the history of places, people, and practices influence each other. But this particular game is held back by its presentation. Characters have no expressions or voice acting, and while the art style is bold and plot points heavy, emotive performances and distinct personalities aren't conveyed through the writing alone.
Even the gameplay leaves more to be desired. The monster that chases you will get your heart racing with stellar sound design and scary moments. The title makes a huge ordeal out of switching characters, even over long distance with phones spread across town. Another issue is how you don't lose your story progress upon dying, but the town's level design changes, so you have to relearn the layout of landmarks. Bonfires to mark your path, firecrackers to distract the monster, places to hide in - - all of these sound like they come together to induce exciting strategic play, but it's unnecessary mechanical fluff that hides the actual lack of survival and horror in this experience with a monster that can be circumvented and outrun too easily. That's not to speak for the solid design and flow of its quest progression, but as a whole, Saturnalia doesn't fully follow through with its gameplay and narrative ambitions. Nonetheless, the story and scares it offers are worth a shot for horror fans.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why problems persist in the world. If someone does something that's harmful to themselves or others, what are the factors behind those decisions? Are they always done out of malice or freedom? What underlying influences may be subtly contributing to the issues we see around us?
Traditions can be wonderful practices that celebrate the history and identity of a group, so what are some traditions you enjoy? Can you name how traditions can be healthy and helpful, and how others can be unhealthy and hurtful?
When you encounter a mystery in your own life, what are some ways you can be a better detective? Are there some practical tools you can use, like a journal and pin board? Mental tools, like logical fallacies and mnemonics?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid ($19.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Santa Ragione
- Release date: October 27, 2022
- Genre: Survival Horror
- Topics: Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: M for Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence, Blood
- Last updated: January 18, 2023
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