Devotion Video Game Review

Sometimes, terror can manifest itself in the most mundane of things. It can lurk behind closed doors, in the television set, or even within your own beliefs. Taiwanese indie game developer, Red Candle Games, knows this better than anybody. Their second game, Devotion, is an emotionally charged first-person psychological horror game that taps into the everyday fears that haunt our lives. 

Despite receiving a largely favorable reception upon release, the game was banned from Steam soon after due to an influx of angry reviews from mainland China. These reviews admonished the game for the inclusion of an easter egg that depicted Xi Jin Ping as Winnie the Pooh, alongside other accusations of the game painting China and its leader in a negative light. Red Candle Games issued a public apology and patched the game, removing its allegedly offensive content. Despite their efforts though, the game remains unavailable on Steam to this day. However, if your interest is piqued and you would like to play Devotion, you can still download it from Red Candle Game’s official website.  

Devotion follows the story of a family of three – a mother, father, and daughter. For the majority of the game, you play in first-person as the patriarch of the family, Du Feng Yu. The game is primarily set in the Du family’s small two-bedroom apartment. As Feng Yu, you explore your surroundings, puzzling together your family’s dysfunctional story piece-by-piece. The location remains the same for most of the game, but as you move through the different rooms and hallways of the apartment, you also move between three different years: 1980, 1985, and 1986. Rather than being confusing, the fragmented mosaic-like nature of the storyline adds another layer of intrigue and suspense. The timeline itself becomes a sort of puzzle as you string the events together in your mind. 

Over time, the story becomes clearer. You learn that Feng Yu is a less-than-successful scriptwriter, while his wife, Li Fang, is a retired celebrity. Once a popular singer and actress, she left the limelight in order to take care of the household and her daughter, Mei Shin. As you play, you learn that Mei Shin suffers from a mysterious, debilitating illness. A rift between Feng Yu and Li Fang develops. As a response to his increasingly chaotic life, Feng Yu turns to the esoteric teachings of cult leader, Teacher Hueh, who worships the (fictional) folk deity, Cigu Guanyin. From there, events devolve even further. 

Devotion expertly weaves in vintage Taiwanese iconography, memorabilia, and traditional cultures, while still remaining relevant to broader audiences through its timeless themes and fresh storytelling. Motifs of illness, money difficulties, family troubles, and religion are threaded throughout. It is clear from the get-go the painstaking care the developers took to get the details right. Each object, whether it’s used by the player or not, is purposeful. From the decorations on the walls to a random scrap piece of paper on the ground. The furniture even changes according to the year. For instance, as the years go by, the television set gets replaced with newer models.

Further, the pacing of the game is extremely well done. Jump scares are scarce, but implemented at just the right moments. Instead, Devotion relies far more on the claustrophobic anxiety of the apartment and Feng Yu’s unraveling mind. The hallways and rooms are suffocating. Dread mounts at every turn and in every changing scene. Each element combines to form the intricate tale of the Du family, which is simultaneously relatable, horrific, and heartrending. Yet, the game never lets you become too numb to the fear. There are scenes scattered throughout that are lighter, offering the player a moment to breathe and process the story. Clever changes in mood, art style, and lighting all aid in creating dramatic shifts, further propelling the game along to its devastating end.

One of my favorite aspects of Devotion is its emotional depth. Rarely is a horror game capable of balancing its scariness with such a strong and emotionally resonant storyline, while also never becoming overly sentimental or cheesy. Devotion strikes this equilibrium well. It is a game that is innovative in every aspect: storyline, mechanics, artistic style. Even the soundtrack is excellently selected. As the final theme song plays, there is a deep sense of release and heartache as it all comes to a head. So much happens in the last few moments of the game as everything is finally pieced together. The song is an original piece especially created for the game, performed by Taiwanese indie band, No Party for Cao Dong.

Devotion is a game that begs to be replayed. With a short but sweet playtime of around three to five hours total, it’s a game jam packed with details that can easily be overlooked in the first playthrough.