Tenebris Pictura

Tenebris Pictura is an action adventure horror game developed by a Spanish indie studio Pentadimensional Games. It's their second game, after 2017's Megaton Rainfall. Although available on Steam, it doesn't support mouse and keyboard, requiring a controller.

Plot

The game is set on a gloomy, foggy island during the Victorian era. Its main character is a paranormal investigator with psychic abilities, who agrees to investigate the disappearance of his friend's daughter. The investigation reveals the presence of a dark cult and otherwordly beings originating from paintings from a mysterious collection.

Mechanics

Tenebris Pictura is an action adventure metroidvania, combining puzzles and combat. The protagonist traverses many diverse areas while encountering NPCs. Oftentimes he also comes across hostile creatures he must face using his psychic powers.

During combat, he astral projects himself, letting his spirit fight enemies for him, at close range or with deadly energy streams. To succeed in battle, the player must think tactically. Before even initiating combat, we must first safely hide the protagonist's helpless physical body. During battles we must use nearby objects, moving them around to gain an advantage over numerous enemies. As we progress through the game, we learn and develop new skills and how to use new traps.

The game also features many creative puzzles, while its locations defy the laws of logic. We'll come across rooms with fading floors, moving walls and separate worlds contained within paintings.

Using the Aeter Pendulum, we can locate dark forces in different areas of the map - misty forests and corrupted buildings. The hero's psychic abilities also let him find clues regarding events that are about to unfold on the island.

Technical aspects

Tenebris Pictura combines 2D and 3D graphics, featuring a heavy, cold color palette occasionally broken by shades of yellow. The game is third-person, making use of isometric and top-down perspective. It also heavily references Gothic style, which greatly shaped the Victorian style.