This game is so absurd that it is likable. Fighting eldritch horrors from another dimension with essential oils and sage is a choice that I don't think most development studios would be, quite frankly, brave enough to make. It's actually better that it is played straight instead of ironically, because I think a sincere passion for these subjects shines through. This game has a lot of soul and verisimilitude.

Adventure! Horror! Cults! Psychedelic drugs! Lovecraft? Psychology? You know there is such a thing as too many ingredients, right? I’m getting ahead of myself so why don’t we take a trip to Glory Island to see if the horror adventure game The Chant is worthy of a vacation to.

Pros
A pretty island setting
Cool creature designs
Free DLC expansion that continues the story (more on this later)
Solid opening that makes you think you’re about to play a b-horror movie with several good ideas however

Cons
The game takes itself too seriously by hopping into another genre while the other genres established take a back seat with said several ideas ending up being duck tapped together and as a result the game as a whole is a mess
Several of the games mechanics are undercooked and probably could have been cut out. There’s a few dialogue choice you are given which seem to only give you XP in one of the three stats rather than make any significant difference to the events of the story. There’s even a portal hub system that I completely forgot about until I stumbled across it again starting my second play through.
The upgrade system also feels like an after-thought, outside of increasing how much you have of the three stats the rest seemed to make minimal difference to game play. Hell I didn’t even unlock the ability to upgrade my dodge until I was basically at the end of the main game.
Combat consists of using craftable weapons/throwables/traps and powers you unlock as the story progresses with three different flavors of the enemy types. Using the appropriate one will deal more damage but there isn’t really a downside to using the incorrect one.
Said new powers you gain from progressing the story I ended up finding that I barely used them in game simply because I just didn’t have enough resources to utilize them often and when I did I just used one of them. I got this same experience even when attempting a build based on using said powers and even then found myself mostly using melee attacks.
The story feels like it was written by multiple writers who each did separate sections of the story with minimal consultation with each other and then they duct taped it all together. As a result of this, there are several moments that come off as unintentionally funny
The characters, who are also bland enough I have a hard time remembering their names, sometimes come off as if having multiple personalities literally going from “everything is fine” to “I’m completely losing my ♥♥♥♥” the very next scene.
There are three endings to the main game however it’s safe to assume that with the inclusion of the DLC that only one of them is cannon considering that’s how it continues. This might not be so bad if the ending for the DLC also didn’t leave off on obvious sequel bait. Speaking of which…

Mini review for Into the Gloom DLC
Pros
Combat feels slightly improved; I had more chances to use the powers you’ve gained from the prisms much more often but still resorted to using just one of the powers.
A new craftable weapon and a new craftable throwable/trap
Cons
It plays vastly different from the main game, its less story focused and plays more like a rogue lite where if you die you just return to the main hub with only your XP and key items. Unlocked short cuts also remain unlocked when this happens and everything you’ve collected or killed respawns as well.
None of your stats from the main game are carried over into this and same issue with the upgrade system I had in the main game seems to have carried over with even more fluff.

So would I recommend The Chant? Not really, this game feels very much like a game by committee with minimal leadership. If it’s on sale or you’re curious, it’s a harmless enough purchase but this isn’t a game I would recommend seeking out. There is too many different ingredients in this dish to make it a special experience and there for I give The Chant 2 Glooms out of 5.

I give this a thumbs up, but it's with some caveats.

Firstly, the story is good. Mourning the loss of her sister, protagonist Jess embarks on a retreat, where her friend Kim is already ensconced. Pretty soon you realise this retreat is not all it seems, where a chant goes wrong and starts affecting the group. You set off and figure out not all is what it seems with the group. You fight magical enemies with magical melee weapons to get through and figure out what's happening with everyone. As far as stories go, it's simple, but conveys the message well.

The graphics are also good. Nothing AAA, but the animations, world, ambience, and lighting were all pretty good. I felt immersed in the world the game created. Also, I'll give props to the voice acting in the game, too. All acting was believable and conveyed the right emotions at the right times without any hint of force. Good job.

I will also commend the game for its stability. I don't recall it crashing even one time. No stuttering, glitches, or breaks of any kind.

Now here's where things get a bit shaky:

• Weapons and crafting supplies are scarcer than you think. At the start of the game I was killing all enemies I could see and soon realised I was skint on weapons all the time. Pretty soon I understood that the best way to defeat enemies is to not attack and to run past them. I want to attack enemies, so this strategy was a little disappointing, but wholly necessary.
  
  
• You will die. A lot. Around the 3rd chapter I realised that death was coming thick and fast, and seeing any enemies was cause for concern. At some point within the 4th chapter I got sick of not getting through any level and not having the health necessary to survive, that I ended up lowering the difficulty to its easiest setting. I ended up getting through relatively easy by doing that. It was a cheap method, but boy it worked when nothing else did.
  
  
• The path to proceed isn't always obvious. Many times I got lost and the exit isn't clearly marked. The apex of this was a point in the game where you have to align light sources at a tower. This section of this chapter took me over an hour to complete. I honestly thought the game was bugged. It wasn't. I just wasn't following the right path to the right light. That was immensely frustrating to get through. Maybe I'm just an idiot (plausible), but just keep that in mind for your own playthrough as you go through the chapters and find that the way to go isn't clearly marked.
  
  
• The ending was disappointing. I had the Mind ending, and it just ends on a huge cliffhanger before the credits roll. I assume the DLC kind of addresses this, but I expected something more after slogging it out.

Anyway, I know I listed all the stuff I disliked, but overall I do recommend this game. The combat is fulfilling, once you figure out what to do, and the puzzle elements are well integrated, despite me not being able to see them immediately. I got more enjoyment out of the game once I downgraded the difficulty. It's a good price for what it is, even without a sale.