Especially in this console generation, and with so many indie studios putting out retro-vibe titles of all sorts, it has been an interesting time to be a vintage gamer like myself. While not all titles can pull it off, there are some that through their look and feel can practically transport me back in time to earlier days and systems. Typically this would be with games from the SNES, NES, and even the earlier Atari eras. What blows my mind with FAITH: The Unholy Trinity though is that it went back a little further than that, even to the days of playing a variety of early games at school on the Apple IIe.

With its primitive graphics, effectively-utilized limited color palette, and that freaky-ass weird voice that absolutely took me back in a time warp just on its own, this is a game made by a developer who is fully committed to reviving the elements of the earliest days of gaming at home (or, for many, school). Now, you wouldn’t think that mixing this style with a horror title would work, but strangely, it really does… at least if you can live within the limitations of what can be done technologically. Moving between screens absolutely brought me back to early Atari 2600 games, where that’s how your typical game was played. Where the experience is elevated to still feel somewhat relevant now though is with some solid writing that grabs you, as well as some truly disturbing low-res versions of cutscenes that are surprisingly creepy and effective.

With this package covering 3 distinct games, if you’re a fan you’ll have a fair amount to explore and enjoy in all of its funky and aged glory. That said, there’s no doubt that if you don’t have a connection to the sorts of early games that are being emulated here, it’s less likely you’ll be enthused. Old mechanics inherently invite a fair amount of wonk. Your means of defending yourself are absolutely limited, the crude elements in some cases can make it hard to initially know what you’re looking at, and the moments that act as your only save / respawn points can sometimes feel a bit spread out. However, if you’re down for a blast of retro feels being shot through your eyeballs and ear holes, there’s something special about this authentic old-school experience.