Can a God of Life and Death Revive the Horror Genre?

(Check out Death Relives here!)

It is easy to get excited by the prospect of a horror game that ventures beyond the typical haunted house or slasher tropes, and Death Relives certainly promises something new. This first-person survival horror title delves into the rich and often terrifying world of Aztec mythology (yes, seriously), a setting rarely explored with such focus. The atmosphere is thick with a sense of dread, and the premise is compelling enough to draw anyone in, but can the execution live up to the ambition? Read on to find out!

A Tale Woven in Blood and Bone

Death Relives places a significant emphasis on its narrative, which is heavily inspired by Mesoamerican civilisation and the worship of Xipe Totec, the god of life, death, and renewal. Players take on the role of Adrian, who must navigate a sprawling mansion steeped in history and horror to rescue his mother from the clutches of this ancient deity. The story unfolds through cryptic puzzles, haunting flashbacks to colonised Mexico, and collectible lore totems.

While the narrative is strong in its final act, it can feel a little inconsistent at times, with the Aztec elements occasionally feeling more like a backdrop than a fully integrated part of the world. However, the use of Nahuatl, the ancestral language of the Aztecs, when spoken by Xipe Totec, adds a truly unnerving layer of dread and authenticity to the experience, and the inclusion of it really is quite impressive.

The Mechanics of a Living Nightmare

Gameplay in Death Relives revolves around stealth, survival, and puzzle-solving. You are almost completely defenseless against Xipe Totec, so evasion and finding hiding spots are key to your survival. There is a unique mechanic in Death Relives, called the God Seed, which is a plant-like wristband that is fused to Adrian’s arm.

This device acts as a radar, showing your location, the god’s location, and your next objective. You also possess a sacred blade, the Xizoltic, which can temporarily drive the deity away (but not for long). However, using this blade drains your life through the God Seed, forcing you to seek out and kill ghostly priests to replenish your health. This creates a difficult balance, because it encourages players to avoid confrontation whenever possible.

Some of the puzzles are intriguing, but the stealth mechanics can feel clunky, and the enemy AI behaves erratically, despite the game being promoted as having great AI. This is a shame, as it breaks the immersion slightly, especially when silly things happen, like Xipe Totec spotting you through a wall, or things such as his patrol paths being very short.

The Visuals of an Ancient Fear

The game is built on Unreal Engine 5, and it shows in certain moments. The environments of the sprawling mansion are often visually splendid, with atmospheric lighting and a menacing visual design for the supernatural elements. The guttural design of Xipe Totec is both excellent and particularly threatening, evoking genuine fear. However, Death Relives does let itself down somewhat in certain areas. For example, human character models can look gaunt and unpolished, even in well-lit areas, and this can detract from the overall immersion.

On the audio front, the sound design is a definite highlight. The panic-inducing chase music and unsettling ambient noises of the mansion do a great deal of the heavy lifting in crafting a tense atmosphere. The audio for stepping on broken glass is a particularly satisfying detail, not to mention the ridiculously heavy, bass-filled, lumbering footsteps of Xipe Totec as he approaches.

The Echoes of a Scream

With a playtime that can be completed in just a few hours, the replay value of Death Relives is somewhat limited. While the experience is intense, and there are collectible lore totems and hidden clues to discover, the core gameplay loop doesn’t offer enough variety to warrant a second playthrough. The story, while compelling at times, is a linear experience that does not branch or offer different outcomes, and this is indeed a shame as it would have been nice to experience the game from additional perspectives based on different scenarios.

Conclusion

Death Relives is an ambitious title that attempts to blend a unique mythological setting with a modern survival horror experience. Its strengths lie in its genuinely terrifying atmosphere, the compelling mythological angle, and a handful of clever gameplay systems. However, its execution is uneven, as it is hampered by clunky stealth mechanics, and an overreliance on AI integration that, while conceptually interesting, falls flat in practice. The experience is, somehow, both a mess and a marvel, a game with strong ideas but one that ultimately falls short of its potential. It is an experience for horror aficionados who are more interested in a game that experiments with form rather than one that polishes a tried-and-true formula.

Grade: 6/10 – Above Average