Retro, simple, but unpredictably sinister, “FAITH: The Unholy Trinity” pays tribute to a bye-gone era of video games by possessing it with evil. It’s a very difficult experience that charmingly portrays the horror trope of using religion against the supernatural, echoing films like “The Exorcist” across all three of its episodes. This horror game is best entered blindly, but if there’s anything you should know—what you are about to do has not been approved by the Vatican.
Strange things have happened in Connecticut. On Sept. 16, 1987, John Ward, a Catholic priest, travels by car to finish an exorcism after a past one had gone awry under mysterious circumstances.
Guide him well, for this is anything but hallowed ground.
Immediately praiseworthy is the nostalgic style that presents the intriguing plot. “FAITH” is displayed through pixelated outlines of color on a black background, sandwiched between artwork of John confronting a demon. It emulates the feeling of playing in an arcade cabinet.
Don’t let that fool you—“FAITH” is pretty scary, and its jump scares surprisingly work, even from a top-down perspective. The icing on the cake is the cut scenes that blend motion capture and dated graphics in an unsettling fashion.
All three episodes of “FAITH” send John into different locations to save those that have fallen victim to the roots of all evil. The journey gradually becomes more unholy as you progress and learn more about John, fellow priests, and Satan’s wrath.
Navigating rural Connecticut is interesting, but it sometimes becomes a slog in outdoor areas. “FAITH” lacks definitive instructions, presumably because there are multiple endings per chapter that are affected by your choices. However, the game isn’t afraid to let you travel the wrong way, so you might waste valuable time walking towards absolutely nothing until you finally get tired of it and turn around.
Everything amps up when you’re inside a building. Interiors are more detailed, usually housing something malevolent, but some of the puzzles spawn confusion. Do note that four walls and a roof mean less wiggle room or places to run. Running doesn’t solve problems, though. That’s where your trusty crucifix comes in.
Flash your crucifix, and the pesky spirits will stay at bay. Exorcisms double as a way to conjoin the narrative since using your crucifix on specific objects summons notes of lore for you to read.
Moving and wielding a crucifix are John’s only moves, which sounds boring, but it makes sense. After all, you’re controlling a priest. The limited move set toughens encounters with the damned.
When it’s exorcism time, the demonic creatures and possessed entities will not hesitate to violently eviscerate you. I’ll go ahead and warn you: Prepare to see “MORTIS” on your screen frequently because you will die several times.
To expel a spirit, know when to fight or flee. Using your crucifix freezes you in place as you’re facing that specific direction, but if that doesn’t get you killed, it’s John’s insanely slow speed or his sometimes-questionable hitbox. Each battle may take a hot minute before you finally prevail.
It’s up to you to save everyone in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but what happens if you don’t?
John Ward is a flexible character depending on your survivability and choices. Missing encounters or not defeating specific bosses will affect your ending, so exploration is key. There are plenty of secrets to find in addition to the many identical notes you collect. In the end, I was still intrigued about who John really was as a person rather than as a priest.
On a similar note, there are sections where “FAITH” makes you feel truly frail, particularly sections that emphasize the use of other tools besides your cross.
Demonstrating your weakness early on in episode one is when John gets his hands on a rifle with only one bullet loaded. Walking back to point A is intense, because what are you about to shoot? When do you fire? The only question you don’t want answered is: What happens if you miss?
Sections engulfed in darkness are also entertaining. A memorable moment began with John being forced to surrender his cross, only to leave him in a blacked-out building with nothing to light his way but the flash of a camera he finds.
Completing “FAITH: The Unholy Trinity” felt like I had been through hell because, technically, I had been. Facing behemoths feels difficult, almost to a fault, but by the time I reached the end, I felt relieved. That’s an emotion a horror game should elicit when you finally escape its terror.
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