The Order of the Snake Scale Review (PS5)
Summary: The Order of the Snake Scale drops players into the eerie mining town of Happy Rock, where a routine investigation quickly spirals into a surreal mystery. As detective Seth Vidius, you navigate puzzles, explore the town, and confront occasional enemies while uncovering cult secrets and corporate oppression. With its retro-inspired visuals, unique camera system, and Lovecraftian atmosphere, it’s a compact, but memorable psychological horror adventure.
3.1
Cosmic Conspiracy
One stormy night in one town begins one unforgettable investigation. The Order of the Snake Scale is developed by FM Simple Games Studio, Sons of Welder, and Acid Arrow, published by FM Simple Games Studio and Sons of Welder, and first released on PC on March 13th of 2024. Ultimate Games later stepped in to help bring it to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on September 25th of 2025. Marketed as a Lovecraftian psychological horror game, it certainly borrows heavily from the survival horror playbook, but its focus leans more toward mystery and atmosphere than raw terror. Its most defining quality is a unique presentation style that layers multiple viewpoints at once, creating a sense of distortion that makes it stand out, though this same ambition occasionally works against it.
The story follows Seth Vidius, a grizzled company man with little choice but to follow the rules of a bleak dystopian future where corporations and unions of states dictate every detail of life. Religion, art, and personal expression have been outlawed, and humanity trudges on in a sterile, lifeless world. Seth himself doesn’t buy into this order, but plays along to survive. After a stormy drive, he arrives in the mining town of Happy Rock to investigate a mysterious crime scene. Locals whisper about a cult, townsfolk have gone missing, and monstrous tentacles are said to taint the water supply. The sheriff offers little help, leaving Seth to untangle the truth on his own, armed with his augmented cybernetic eye and trusty sidearm. The setup strikes a compelling balance between dystopian sci-fi and cosmic horror, with Happy Rock serving as an eerie stage for the unfolding mystery.
Narratively, the game holds its own. The core plot is tightly constructed and never loses its sense of direction, even as it layers in cult intrigue, corporate oppression, and cosmic strangeness. There’s a heavy reliance on dialogue and written notes, which do a good job fleshing out the world and its characters. That said, the writing occasionally stumbles; certain lines of dialogue feel awkwardly phrased, enough that they sometimes need rereading. Still, for a story-heavy title, the pacing is steady, and the mix of investigative work and eerie worldbuilding makes it rewarding to follow through to the end.
Gameplay largely revolves around exploration, puzzles, and item-based progression rather than heavy combat. Players spend much of their time searching environments, finding objects, and trading them or using them to unlock further areas. Backtracking is frequent, but rather than becoming tedious, it fits the rhythm of the design. Discovering where each piece fits in the larger puzzle loop can be satisfying, especially once the game’s logic starts to click. It’s easy to lose a night to the four to five hour campaign, simply because the loop of discovery, note-taking, and unlocking keeps building momentum.
The most distinctive mechanic is the hybrid camera system. Movement uses old-school fixed-camera angles reminiscent of classic Resident Evil, layered with a slight fisheye distortion that gives the visuals a warped, dreamlike edge. Combat shifts the perspective into a picture-in-picture first-person aiming mode, allowing players to line up shots while still seeing their character’s position. On paper, it’s clever and original, but in practice, the control scheme takes a lot of getting used to. Tank-style movement with both sticks is clunky, and running often results in unintentional quick turns thanks to the interplay between controls and fixed perspectives. Many players may simply default to keeping the gun out permanently, using the first-person view as the primary way to navigate. Strangely enough, this workaround works, and while unconventional, it’s part of the game’s odd charm.
Combat itself is serviceable, but never the main draw. Enemies rush Seth head-on, easily highlighted by his augmented eye, which marks them in red. Ammunition is usually plentiful enough to keep firefights from feeling tense, though the occasional swarm or sudden rush can catch you off guard. There’s also basic melee as a backup, though it rarely feels necessary. Healing items are scattered throughout, and some inject a brief psychedelic filter onto the screen before returning things to normal, which is a nice touch that ties into the game’s surreal tone and overall worldbuilding. Combat is straightforward to the point of being forgettable, but it exists more as punctuation between stretches of puzzle-solving and exploration rather than a true focus.
The puzzle design leans on classic survival horror conventions: number codes, slotting items into mechanisms, and piecing together lore notes that point toward solutions. The challenge is rarely in the puzzles themselves, but rather in spotting the right items in cluttered environments. Seth’s augmented eye highlights interactable objects with a red glow, which is helpful, but not foolproof. Missing a key scrap of paper or tucked-away item can result in long, aimless stretches of retracing steps, which may frustrate less patient players. Still, for those who enjoy methodical scavenger hunts, the structure is satisfying.
Visually, the game embraces a deliberately rough style, echoing the late ’90s and early 2000s era of survival horror. Low-poly models, stark textures, and exaggerated lighting combine to create a world that feels handmade and slightly alien. The town of Happy Rock itself is memorable, with its shifting environments between town streets, sewers, factories, and mines, offering enough variety to keep exploration fresh. Animations are relatively smooth, ragdoll effects add some humor when enemies collapse, and flashlight exploration brings tension to otherwise static backdrops. The audio design, while less striking, does its job with creature growls signaling danger, environmental effects setting the mood, and a soundtrack that supports the atmosphere without stealing the spotlight. At times, it feels predictable, but it’s effective enough to complement the visuals.
Final Thoughts?
The Order of the Snake Scale succeeds more as a curiosity than a polished product. Its awkward controls and uneven writing hold it back, but its inventive camera system, eerie worldbuilding, and old-school puzzle design make it memorable. It’s a compact, strange, and distinctive adventure that wears its retro inspirations proudly while trying new things. Players looking for polished combat or hand-holding may bounce off, but for fans of survival horror oddities and puzzle-driven mysteries, Happy Rock is worth visiting. At its affordable price, it’s an easy recommendation to those who want something different, even if “different” sometimes comes with rough edges.
About the Author
Nay Clark Gaming holds a special place in my heart and I never stop talking about video games. I really love all types of games and have an interest in games that have complicated stories and lore because I enjoy untangling the mystery of it all. When I'm not gaming, I unsuccessfully try to control three amazing and incredibly bright kids.
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