Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Angel Melanson
New horror video game Crisol: Theater of Idols transports players to the beautiful but malevolent island of Tormentosa, a location rich with twisted folklore waiting to be discovered. The first-person horror/action adventure game is set in a nightmarish reimagining of Spain, “Hispania.” It’s a haunted world where you’ll play as Gabriel, a soldier with the ability to use his own blood as a weapon against the island’s deadly foes.
We recently had the opportunity to try a hands-on sneak peek of the game and chat with David Carrasco, CEO and Co-Founder of Vermila Studios. It’s hard to believe Vermila Studios is a boutique twenty-person team based in Spain. The attention to detail would lead people to believe there was a much larger team behind the project. The small independent team spent the last five years developing the world of Hispania, and there’s much to be discovered.
I had the opportunity to walk through the game’s second chapter, encountering relentless and terrifying enemies, learning about blood memories, and how to reload my firearm with Gabriel’s blood. But don’t worry, in order not to drain yourself of your literal lifesource, there are syringes available along the way that can be used to reload. You’ll also have the ability to siphon blood. The game’s enemies are horrifyingly original, including wooden statues that cannot be stopped by a mere blow to the head alone!
“They are very persistent. These statues have been possessed by some sort of divine entity,” Carrasco explained. “I don’t want to explain too much, but because they are not made of flesh, it doesn’t matter what you destroy; you need to inflict enough damage for them to disappear. You may destroy their head, their arm, their legs; in some cases, you can even split them in half, and they’ll still chase you.”
To that point, during my gameplay, I managed to fend off a group of the statues with a combination of Gabriel’s gun and knife. I smashed the wooden statues to smithereens and thought I was doing pretty well, given the fact that the statues were all headless by that point. But they kept coming. So I kept smashing. A real smashing machine.
When I thought I had splintered every last one of them, my display was giving danger signs as though I was under attack, but there was nothing left ahead of me. It wasn’t until I looked down to discover that the legs of the statues continued to attack. I finally put an end to those as well. No mercy! So be advised: those wooden idols take quite a bit of breaking down before they reach the point where they can no longer inflict damage. “We want that feeling of uneasiness, that you are not safe at any moment,” Carrasco shared.
The game can be completed in 8-10 hours for players who want to mow through the combat and move on to the next chapter. But for those who want to explore the world and unlock the lore of the island, there is a rich universe to discover. “Blood memories” can be found throughout the game, giving clues to what happened on the island before it became this hellscape. While Hispania’s lore is fictional, Carrasco and the Vermila team did want to draw on their Spanish heritage and folklore for inspiration. “There aren’t many games that portray Spanish folklore. Definitely not high production value games. We tried to bring Spanish culture and folklore to the forefront and maybe get people interested.”
Carrasco explained that the initial concept of the game came from a trip Vermila's Creative Director, David Tornero, took to a festival in Southern Spain during Semana Santa (Holy Week). During the celebration, statues similar to the ones you see in the game are brought out and paraded around the streets. The polychromatic wooden statues have been painted over and partially destroyed by time. Real hair is often used for these statues and for something intended to be comforting, Carrasco admits that there is also an “ominous feeling. It’s a little bit dark.”
“He was there at that time, and he felt a little bit scared about it,” Carrasco added. “And he said ‘what would happen if all of these statues came alive and started killing everyone?’ That was a very small thing that was the seed for Crisol that grew into a much larger story and universe.”
In a game where you’re using your own blood as a weapon, strategy is important. The idea of drawing on blood as a weapon stemmed from the broader concept of sacrifice. Carrasco explained that in many religions, there is the concept of “You sacrifice yourself for your god.” In Crisol, “You literally sacrifice your health, your own blood, to defeat the enemies that are attacking the town. You’re destroying yourself to be able to save the moment.”
If you’re not used to first-person shooters but still want to enjoy the storyline (like me), there are various difficulty levels and accessibility elements like aim assist and auto aim. (Thank you!)
Vermila Studios partnering with horror giant Blumhouse, gives this independent game a real opportunity to shine. “Partnering up with a big company, someone who knows horror very well, has helped us polish the game,” Carrasco said. “They give us their input, but never want us to do anything that isn’t our idea. It is very helpful for us. At the same time, because they know horror very well, they know how to showcase it to the world. They understand Crisol very well, and they are trying to give Crisol to the world in a very good way.”
Crisol: Theater of Idols will be launching worldwide on Feb. 10, 2026, available on PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for $17.99 USD. Crisol will also be available on PC via Steam, with a 10 percent launch discount (on Steam). Are you ready to make your blood sacrifice?
Check out the latest trailer for Crisol: Theater of Idols below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6NP6Ro5AKg&feature=youtu.be
