Cultic - PS5 Review

Dark, ominous scene with three figures, a car, and barbed wire fence under large, bold "CULTIC" text.

Cultic blends old‑school gunplay with modern physics, clever level design, and crunchy combat feedback. Cultic was developed by Jasozz Games and published by 3D Realms. If you enjoyed games like DUSK or Resident Evil 4, this is may be worth your time. Cultic is of course available on most gaming platforms but I played this one on the PS5, grab it here on the PlayStation Store and let us know your thoughts!

Remember those arcade shooters like House of The Dead? Cultic is very much along the lines of games exactly like this but with a lot more freedom. I cannot wait to dive into the review on this one!

Me when I got my hands on Cultic, UNLIMITED POWER!

First-person pixel art view of bloody hands in a dark, wooded path with a cloudy night sky and wooden fences. — These will be covered in blood soon

Gameplay

Combat is the star of the show in Cultic. Every weapon feels heavy, violent, and satisfying. The Lever‑Action Rifle is a precision powerhouse. The Shotgun is devastating at close range. The SMG absolutely shreds through crowds of cultists. The throwables such as axes, TNT, molotovs add tactical creativity to every single level you play. The enemies react with physics; bodies fly, limbs detach, and rooms become chaotic battlegrounds for you to play in. I could honestly go on for hours about how thrilling it all feels.

Movement also really matters in Cultic. You can slide, kick enemies and objects, vault over obstacles and dodge attacks. It adds so much verticality to a game you’d expect to be flat. The fights feel frantic but have a rhythm to them. Everything feels like a plan executed to pure, detailed chaos. It is truly, a blast.

A close-up of a gun aimed in a dark, gritty tunnel, hinting at a tense confrontation with cult members. — BEGONE cult members!

Graphics & Audio

The levels in Cultic are handcrafted with a strong sense of place—graveyards, mines, forests, cultist compounds, abandoned towns. They’re open enough for exploration, dense with secrets and absolutely built for creativity in combat. The aesthetic of Cultic is a blend of low‑poly retro models but with modern lighting, while still keeping those grimy looking textures, I would love to know how they do this so well! The moody colour palettes with punchy colours for things like the blood really stood out for me. It feels like being transported into a 90s shooter, just the way I remember it being. The atmosphere is thick—creepy, oppressive, and occasionally outright terrifying. The same fear I felt when I was a kid playing games like MediEvil 2. The lore is an added bonus too. I always feel the need to skip text and notes in games like this but I actually enjoyed reading through the ones in Cultic.

The audio in Cultic did not disappoint either. Weapons sound punchy and violent, with deep bass and sharp cracks. Enemy screams, cult chants, and environmental ambience build tension the whole way through. The soundtrack mixes industrial, horror, and retro shooter vibes which is exactly what you would expect, but surpassing expectations in most places.

Pixelated video game scene showing a dirty toilet with the word “Flush” above it, set in a grimy bathroom with checkered floor tiles. Game interface is visible in the corners. — I will flush every single one without fail. Watch me.

Longevity

Episode 1 in Cultic took me roughly 6–8 hours, but of course this will depend on your pace and how much you play about in this world. Replay value is super high thanks to the multiple difficulty modes, all the secrets to discover and having to master all your weapons. The speed running potential for this one is endless and will bring along a lot of amazing hours for those wanting to put the time into it. Doing all the levels again after completing the story/episodes but with a different perspective and your entire arsenal is just pure shooter heaven.

A note titled “Gibberish Note” describes a religious weirdo in the lobby for 40 minutes, then ends with random gibberish text. — The gibberish at the end was my fault and I didn’t realise for so long!

Final Thoughts

Cultic is one of the best modern retro shooters available on PS5 right now in my opinion. It’s stylish, brutal, atmospheric, and endlessly fun. If you enjoy fast shooters with horror vibes and clever level design, this is a must‑play. The joy I felt shooting through the levels and thinking of new ways to play was incredible. The amount of tools you are given at your disposal to wreck havoc on the cult members felt truly executed to perfection. Full pun intended. With all this in mind I am happy to be awarding Cultic the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. Don’t hold back and get this game for yourself. You’ll thank me later!

Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.

About Author

Kat

You could say that games are my passion, I’m kidding! Just a seasoned coder with a very unhealthy obsession with deep diving into intricate games with immersive designs, you’ll definitely catch me non stop talking about complexities behind game design, from procedural generation in roguelikes to the subtle nuances of creating tension in horror games, or I’ll just tell you about my current obsession with Vampire Crawlers!

See author's posts

Cultic – PS5 Review