The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia

Last updated
The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia
Developer(s) Morbidware
Publisher(s) Headup Games
Programmer(s) Diego Sacchetti
Writer(s) Matteo Corradini
Platform(s) Windows, macOS
ReleaseFebruary 14, 2019
Genre(s) Bullet hell, typing
Mode(s)Single-player

The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia is a hybrid bullet hell and typing video game developed by Italian [1] studio Morbidware and published by Headup Games. It was released on February 14, 2019, for Windows on the Steam client. The game revolves around an ex-priest who is also a freelance exorcist. The game received mostly positive reviews, praising its music, theme and graphics.

Contents

Plot

The game's main character is Ray Bibbia, a "salty" ex-priest living in Rome who takes house calls to exorcise demons. Ray Bibbia first receives a call about a vomiting possessed girl. After a skirmish, Ray successfully exorcises her, he then brings her to his house after the girl's master refuses to pay Ray for his services or take care of the girl, soon after revealed to be called Magda. At the same time, Ray discovers that the Holy Church still facilitates slavery, with him trying find Magda's friend to help her, though he is clearly distressed upon seeing a picture of Magda with her friend. After crashing a metal vegan band concert and a strip club for information, Ray uses his computer follow up on a clue he was previously given to find a certain Holy Church covenant. Upon investigating the covenant, Ray finds evidence of their involvement with the trading of slave from blood to human bones to medieval weapons. The Nun, who had been passing off evidence as merely circumstantial, finally attacks Ray, but he is able to exorcise her. He enters a secret dungeon to find the girl he has been looking for, and is revealed to be her father. When they try to escape, one of the Holy Church's Lieutenant, now a Demon, stops them and defeats Ray while taking the girl with him back to the Vatican. Enoch, the singer from the metal vegan band, saves the unconscious Ray, who realized he isn't powerful enough and is urged by Magda to seek out his old master for further training. His master is revealed to be a Hermit in Naples, but it was revealed that his master also made a deal with the demons and became a demon himself. With him revealing that only a demon can destroy a demon, while Ray has only been exorcising them and nothing more. [2] [3]

Gameplay

The holy invocations of the main character are displayed as text on screen the player must type in the manner of a typing game. However, while they are typing, they must also dodge projectiles ranging from vomit to energy beams. [2] If the player is hit, they drop their Bible and take damage to their health. [2]

Reception

The Textorcist received an aggregate score of 78/100 from Metacritic. [4] Holly Green of Paste Magazine compared the game to Mavis Beacon , calling it "a nice change of pace" as it challenged her despite her typing skill due to its difficulty and emphasis on precision. She called the game's mix of genres "inventive", and the plot and setting "deliciously sacrilegious". [2] Luca Forte of Eurogamer Italia rated the game 8/10, calling the game a tribute to Italy, as well as "ironic" and "irreverent". Saying that the game's music is "extremely catchy", he also called the humor a "godsend" for Italians. However, he stated that the game was "niche" due to its difficulty and gameplay. [3] Simone Tagliaferri of Multiplayer.it rated the game 7.8/10, comparing it to a mix of bullet hell, JRPG and Typing of the Dead , and calling the story "intriguing" despite being "decidedly surreal". Praising the game's pixel art and originality, the reviewer nevertheless stated that the game was "frustrating" if the player could not type blindly with one hand. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Exorcist</i> (novel) 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist is a 1971 horror novel written by American writer William Peter Blatty and published by Harper & Row. The book details the demonic possession of eleven-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the two priests who attempt to exorcise the demon. The novel was the basis of a highly successful Oscar-winning film adaptation released two years later, whose screenplay was also written and produced by Blatty, for which he won an Academy Award. More movies and books were eventually added to The Exorcist franchise.

In Christianity, deliverance ministry refers to groups that perform practices to cleanse people of demons and evil spirits. These groups attribute certain people's physical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional problems to the activities of these evil spirits in their lives. Not all Christians accept the doctrines and practices of these ministries.

<i>The Exorcist</i> 1973 film by William Friedkin

The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair, and follows the demonic possession of a young girl and the attempt to rescue her through an exorcism by two Catholic priests.

<i>Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist</i> 2005 film by Paul Schrader

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist is a 2005 American supernatural horror film directed by Paul Schrader and written by William Wisher Jr. and Caleb Carr. The film serves as an alternative prequel to The Exorcist (1973) and is the fifth installment in The Exorcist series. It was intended to be the official prequel to The Exorcist before it was retooled into Exorcist: The Beginning (2004), as Morgan Creek Productions executives feared the already completed film would be unsuccessful. The film stars Stellan Skarsgård, Clara Bellar, Gabriel Mann and Billy Crawford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regan MacNeil</span> Fictional character from The Exorcist franchise

Regan Teresa MacNeil is a fictional character in the 1971 novel The Exorcist and one of the supporting characters in its 1973 film adaptation and the 1977 film Exorcist II: The Heretic, while being one of the main protagonists in the first season of the television series The Exorcist (2016–2017). She was portrayed by Linda Blair in both films and by Geena Davis in the television series. Blair reprised the role in the 2023 film The Exorcist: Believer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exorcism</span> Evicting spiritual entities from a person or area

Exorcism is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be done by causing the entity to swear an oath, performing an elaborate ritual, or simply by commanding it to depart in the name of a higher power. The practice is ancient and part of the belief system of many cultures and religions.

<i>Arc the Lad: End of Darkness</i> 2004 video game

Arc the Lad: End of Darkness, known in Japan as Arc the Lad Generation, is an action role-playing video game developed by Cattle Call and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It is the second and last game from the Arc the Lad series on the console, the first being Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits. It was released in North America by Namco.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> (2002 video game) 2002 Xbox video game

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an action beat 'em up video game addition to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise, developed by The Collective and co-published by Fox Interactive and Electronic Arts exclusively for the Xbox in 2002. It is the second video game of the franchise to be released, though the earliest in terms of setting and the first for a home console. The novella and dialogue of the game were written by Christopher Golden and Thomas Sniegoski, with additional dialogue provided by Richard Hare.

Pazuzu (<i>The Exorcist</i>) Fictional character in The Exorcist horror novels and film series

Pazuzu is a fictional character who is the main antagonist in The Exorcist horror novels and film series, created by William Peter Blatty. Blatty derived the character from Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, where the mythic Pazuzu was considered the king of the demons of the wind, and the son of the god Hanbi. In The Exorcist, Pazuzu appears as a demon who possesses Regan MacNeil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel the Devil Hunter</span> Comics character

Gabriel the Devil Hunter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has appeared as an exorcist in several of Marvel's occult titles.

<i>Diabolik: The Original Sin</i> 2009 video game

Diabolik: The Original Sin is an adventure game developed by Italian studio Artematica Entertainment and published by Black Bean Games in 2009 for PlayStation 2, Wii, Windows, Nintendo DS, and PSP, based on the Italian comic book series Diabolik.

<i>Two Worlds II</i> 2010 video game

Two Worlds II is an action role-playing game developed by Polish developer Reality Pump and published by TopWare Interactive as a sequel to 2007's Two Worlds. It was released on 9 November 2010 in Europe for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and on 25 January 2011 in North America for the same platforms. Two Worlds II is a real-time role-playing game that takes place in an open fantasy world where players take the role of a single character with whom they can explore and undertake quests.

<i>The Rite</i> (2011 film) 2011 film

The Rite is a 2011 supernatural horror film directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Michael Petroni. It is loosely based on Matt Baglio's book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, which itself is based on actual events as witnessed and recounted by American then-exorcist-in-training Father Gary Thomas and his experiences of being sent to Rome to be trained and work daily with veteran clergy of the practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exorcism in Christianity</span> Practice of casting out one or more demons from a person

In Christianity, exorcism involves the practice of casting out one or more demons from a person whom they believe to have been possessd by demons. The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a member of the Christian Church, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use prayers and religious material, such as set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, or amulets. The exorcist often invokes God, Jesus, angels and archangels, and various saints to aid with the exorcism. Christian exorcists most commonly cast out demons in Jesus' name.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale</i> 2011 video game

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale is an action role-playing video game developed by Bedlam Games and published by Atari Interactive. The game includes both single and co-operative multiplayer modes and is set in the Forgotten Realms.

<i>The Exorcist: Italian Style</i> 1975 Italian film

L'esorciccio is a 1975 Italian Horror comedy film written, directed, produced and starring Ciccio Ingrassia.

<i>The Exorcist</i> (franchise) Horror media franchise

The Exorcist is an American horror media franchise that originated with William Peter Blatty's 1971 horror novel and most prominently featured in a 1973 film adaptation of the novel, and many subsequent prequels and sequels. All of these installments focus on fictional accounts of people possessed by Pazuzu, the main antagonist of the series, and the efforts of religious authorities to counter this possession.

<i>Remothered: Tormented Fathers</i> 2018 video game

Remothered: Tormented Fathers is a 2018 survival horror video game created and directed by Chris Darril, developed by Stormind Games and published by Darril Arts. The game was originally released digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. A Nintendo Switch version was released digitally in 2019, in collaboration with developer Dico Co., Ltd. The game was also released physically in October 2019 by publisher Soedesco.

<i>Prey for the Devil</i> 2022 film by Daniel Stamm

Prey for the Devil is a 2022 American supernatural horror film about a nun who trains as an exorcist under the Roman Catholic Church and confronts demonic possession. The film is produced under the studio Lionsgate and is directed by Daniel Stamm. It stars Jacqueline Byers, Colin Salmon, Christian Navarro, Lisa Palfrey, Nicholas Ralph, Virginia Madsen, and Ben Cross. Lionsgate distributed Prey for the Devil in theaters in the United States and Canada on October 28, 2022. The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $44.7 million worldwide.

<i>The Real Exorcist</i> Japanese film

The Real Exorcist is a film produced by HS Productions. The film follows the story of a young woman named Sayuri as she becomes an exorcist following being helped by the owner of a café named Extra after a panic attack. It stayed on the top of the Japanese box office for four weeks straight.

References

  1. "Morbidware". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Textorcist Combines Mavis Beacon with The Exorcist". pastemagazine.com. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  3. 1 2 Forte, Luca (2019-02-13). "The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia - recensione". Eurogamer.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  4. 1 2 "The Textorcist: The Story of Ray Bibbia for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2025-01-13. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  5. "The Textorcist, la recensione". Multiplayer.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2020-10-05.