Hellblusser Review

 










FPS Dungeon Crawling Fun-A Hellblusser Review

Hellblusser was a game I saw earlier this year on twitter during its infancy but eventually forgot about as time passed. Eventually I stumbled back upon Sokpop Collective's work, and also found out these madmen make a game a month! (If you'd like to support this team, which have already created 80 games already, you can join their patreon here) Without further ado, let's check out Hellblusser, and see if this was special or something to forget about.

Dungeon Crawling and Spellcasting

Hellblusser has a very interesting artstyle consisting of what I'd call super cell shading, meaning taking that initial artstyle and highlights outlines even more and ups contrast to the max. What results is a somewhat nostalgic visual theme that sets Hellblusser apart from other first person dungeon crawlers.

 

Speaking of first person dungeon crawlers, I typically dislike their adherence to stiff movement and restrictive dodge mechanics. What Hellblusser does is modernize what some of the older Elder Scrolls games sought to create. In HB you will look for enemy attack patterns, block or strafe accordingly, and then cast your spell or attack with your blade. As you travel deeper through the games three worlds until you stumble upon shops and rest areas, acquiring upgrades and equipment along the way. It breaks down expansive spell menus and damage numbers to more controlled and simple gameplay. By cutting the fat off of these games, Hellblusser is immediately enjoyable. 

Although it may be simple and not that particularly difficult, I had a lot of fun with Hellblusser just casually strolling through its levels. It took me only 3 runs to get through the entire thing, and, with an unlockable endless mode, I like to boot it up for a little bit from time to time. The music also adds to this experience, with a great soundtrack full of vivid synths. 

Be sure to check out the full OST here!

As for its downsides, I'd say weapon balance is an issue. During my first two runs the weapons I bought were fairly standard, but on the third one I found a hopelessly overpowered fire sword and blasted through the rest of the game with ease. Also, the first boss is a cute little puzzle to defeat, whereas the last two literally revolve around the same exact idea. This left the bosses feeling strange and same-y, hindering my enjoyment of them. Even with these criticisms in mind, I found this game ultimately worth the wonderful $5 price tag. 

Verdict

Hellblusser definitely surprised me when it came up on my steam radar, but it certainly is worth the $5 investment. Hell, I liked it so much I think I'll go back and give one of  Sokpop Collective's 80 other games a shot. For a quick little jam, Hellblusser is is worth giving up a sandwich for. 

8.7/10-A Short Little Jam 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monolith Review

Image
Roguelite Majesty-A  Monolith Review Monolith is a blatant hidden gem, and a concept I haven't seen done much recently. Yes, it is a roguelite, the superhero movie genre of video games, but it employs mechanics from most modern bullet hell space shooters to create a more unique experience.  You are a little spaceship in search of exploring the procedurally generated vault of levels to reach the end and obtain the power that lies within the monolith. Ain't much more than that, and what else is needed? Claustrophobic Combat The game has a great sense of space, forcing you to make split second decisions and rely partially on your instincts. As you improve, you learn to utilize all of the space you've been given, no matter how tiny the room. By shrinking the scope of the playable screen, combat is always active and keeps you focused through an entire run.  Couple this combat with expert visual design and a killer soundtrack, and each combat encounter is both...
Read more

Exo One Review

Image
  Missing the Mark-An Exo One Review Previously I really enjoyed these sort of open ended and abstract experiences, specifically Giant Squid's Abzû and its great sense of aquatic atmosphere. Having not played many of the other examples of the genre, namely Flower and Journey, I decided to check out the newly released Exo One from Exbleative to make a return back into these types of games.  Misreading the Room Ultimately, Exo One falls short of capturing the essence of what made these games engaging enough to enjoy. Looking to Abzû, there was an emphasis of smooth and coherent movement-you could kick your flippers through the water rhythmically to gain speed or grab onto animals and use their unique features to ride through the water. Exo One has a similar sense of momentum, as you turn into a ball to roll down slopes then transfer out into a disc to fly forward at maximum speed.  And this deeply satisfying, however, this is all Exo One ever does for the en...
Read more

Downwell Review

Image
  Confidence in Simplicity-A Downwell Review With every generation of new hardware and consoles the push in the gaming sphere has always been the same: better graphics, bigger scope, and just MORE. Downwell, to me, exists as a prime example as to why simple can be infinitely more enjoyable than complex. However, Downwell is a bit more sneaky in its execution, offering a lot of little details that add so much depth to a novel concept.  Ojiro Fumoto’s vision for Downwell seems to be that of a game jam game. For those who are unaware, a “game jam” is a competition in which upstart developers are tasked with making a fleshed out concept and prototype for a game in a short timeframe, typically 48 to 72 hours. The goal of these competitions is to get people creating as quickly as possible, and to not overthink so much that you don’t even start a project. Fun fact, the acclaimed indie shooter Superhot was the result of a game jam, eventually evolving into a full experience worthy of ...
Read more