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From the teams that gave us FAITH: The Unholy Trinity comes a new 2D retro survival horror game: Tenebris Somnia.
Tenebris Somnia draws from classics in the horror genre like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, which already caught my interest, but what really stole my attention and put this game on my watchlist were the live-action scenes. That’s not something you see much these days, and I’m a sucker for traditional effects in this very digital era. Would they feel like a gimmick? Would they add to or take away from the experience?
Plus, who doesn’t love a horror game during the Halloween season?
Exes are a Nightmare.
The game starts with our main character, Julia, being haunted by nightmares of terrible things happening to her ex-boyfriend. With the nightmares becoming more frequent and disturbing, she decides to go check on him. Shortly after arriving at the apartment they used to share, it’s obvious that something is amiss. What if the nightmares aren’t actually nightmares after all?
Enemies and creatures feel fairly manageable for the most part, and like in most survival horror game, running and simply evading are always an option. The revolver, for instance, was only used early on as I acclimated to how aiming and shooting works and how many shots took down a monster, and I later settled on evading and saving my ammo for later encounters. Which I’m thankful I did, because I was shown that what I thought were a good amount of resources turned out to be just enough to survive, and then it was back to searching every drawer in every new room I entered. But that’s the survival part, right? Being lured into a false sense of security with a pocket full of ammo and healing items, only to (potentially) use it all.
The combat does its job, but it’s not a very complex system; you take aim and then either swing a melee weapon or shoot. I did long for a dodge at some points, but once I had a good grasp of enemy patterns, sprinting out of the way and around attacks worked well.
The puzzles, on the other hand, checked all the boxes for me. They’re neither too hand-holdy nor too difficult; they’ll have you keeping an eye out for potential items or clues and making mental notes of areas you’ve previously visited. I won’t delve too far into the story aspects; it’s much better to experience the twists and turns for yourself, but a little comment I will make is that I think it’s cool how cinema and film are a core theme for a game that spent a lot of time and care on its own filmed portions.
Speaking of…
Monsters brought to life.
First, to get it out of the way, no GenAI was used in the creation of the cutscenes. They were all filmed by an award-winning film crew from Argentina, using real actors and a blend of practical effects, monster makeup, and visual effects. The results are pretty fantastic, and at times quite gruesome.
I will admit, it felt a little jarring at first to go from a 2D sprite to a live actress, but I got so invested and looked forward to the next scene that the style switches felt more like a continuation than an interruption. I wanted to see how the narrative would develop, and I also wanted to get up close with the monsters because they look cool as hell. A handful of times, I was like, “Oh right, I’m going to have to fight this thing, aren’t I?” and had to mentally switch gears and get ready for a fight.
Clara Kovacic (Julia) and the other actors deliver solid performances, and I have to praise the attention to detail in recreating the in-game scenes for a filmed sequence. They really nailed the details, down to the art on the walls and the cracked picture frame. Which is all very intentional. As the official descriptions mention, sometimes the information you need (or secrets) is hidden within a cutscene.
It all Comes Together
The overall gameplay may not be anything groundbreaking, but Tenebris Somnia is a game that manages to take two very different styles and make them feel at home together. The live-action cinematics are what steal the show, and while I think the story is strong enough to stand on its own, the performances and special effects in the cutscenes really drive it home and make it a game that I did not want to put down.
Now, I think it’s time I fired up NG+.
Tenebris Somnia releases October 16, 2026, on Steam, GOG, PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. Physical pre-orders are available through Lost In Cult and are expected to ship in Q1 2027.
Summary
Tenebris Somnia blends classic survival horror with brilliantly executed live-action cinematics, practical effects, and a compelling story. A unique, gruesome horror experience that’s hard to put down.