I often entered a familiar room to instead be puzzled at the layout of enemies. Some events can only happen at other times. Some places can only be accessed at certain times. This makes for one of the most intriguing aspects of Hellpoint. A clock is included in your default UI to track this. So I will always try to point out systems that the community is divided over because I think most of us know intuitively which side we will fall on once we know the point of contention.īefore moving on from systems, I want to also mention a unique real-time system where the game changes as time progresses. Look – I see my job as a reviewer as helping you decide if you want to pick the game up or not. Do you like Platformers? Then you’ll likely enjoy it.ĭo you NOT like platformers or games that mix genres? Maybe not for you. I personally think this is one of those things that boils down to personal taste. There is a vocal section of the community who actively dislikes the jumping in Hellpoint. I’ve spent enough time within the game’s community to know that my opinion on how well the jumping mechanics fit is not universally held. I felt right at home, and if you beat all the Mega Man and Mario games (either recently or decades ago), you’ll likely get into the challenge here as well. I’m a gamer dad who grew up playing super unforgiving platformers on the NES. Platforming mechanics add a sense of verticality to exploring Irid Novo that, to my knowledge, only Sekiro can match in the subgenre.Īnd you know what? There is something very old-school about the platforming in Hellpoint that feels at home with the other old-school sensibilities that inform soulslike titles. First and foremost, you can jump in Hellpoint. The systems in Hellpoint are, for the most part, standard fare for stamina-based 3D action RPGs over the past decade, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t added some fun new things. How Hellpoint Differentiates itself from other Soulslike Titles. There’s only one way forward here, and it’s making a series of jumps perfectly. More on this when we discuss mechanics and gameplay next. Still, most players are going to need to find a reason other than the story to stick with the games challenging combat and 3D platforming mechanics unless, as it came to be for myself, the challenge in the combat and exploration itself became the appeal. Yes this is a criticism, but it’s also one made with the acknowledgement this is an extremely ambitious *first* title for a small team. The game, however, doesn’t do its best job of motivating the player to want to know what’s at the center of this enigma as it could – especially in those oh-so-crucial early hours when people who are not already addicted to the soulslike loop need other reasons to stay involved. The mysteries of Irid Novo run deep and twist as much as the corridors and secret passageways the station is saturated with. No matter which parts of the story you experience in your time with the game, hacking and slashing and exploring will be the highlights that sustain your enthusiasm until the enigmatic origins of the narrative begin to reveal themselves. Fans of soulslike titles are familiar with this approach. That’s the thing with Hellpoint’s story – you may follow it or you may not. So individual playthroughs can vary quite a bit unless you are going the 100% completion route (this is possible as well). Of course, most of these encounters are not guaranteed. Oh, and let’s not forget three cosmic gods that act as the games main bosses. With literally nothing except the synthetic skin on your back, you set out to do just that.Īlong the way, you’ll possibly meet a few friends, perhaps a nemesis, maybe an entire army of cenobite-inspired shamblers. A voice rings in your head telling you to figure out what went on here. From the moment you arise from whatever goo holds your synthetic body, you’ll only have a faint notion of what you should do next. Cradle Games is not shy about how inspirational FromSoft Bloodborne was to their decisions to shape Hellpoint, and it shows in many of the best ways possible. One that permeates the entire experience of Hellpoint. There is an air of mystery about the space station Irid Novo. Now just to figure out what we are supposed to do about it.
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