Hellboy: Web of Wyrd Review

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy franchise has had an attention-grabbing set of variations already, with 2 nice movies, and one different movie. The Darkish Horse comedian ebook has loved important acclaim as its cambion protagonist fights demons and Nazis whereas investigating with the Bureau for Paranormal Analysis and Protection (BRPD). His newest journey is chronicled on this recreation as a roguelike beat ’em up, the place he should dive additional into the unusual realms of the Wyrd. In our overview of Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, I got down to learn the way worthwhile this adaptation really is.

Brimming With Fashion and Ambiance

Hellboy is a particular collection in no small half resulting from Mike Mignola’s artwork model, so the minimalist colour palette for any given backdrop, together with the hand-drawn visible model, feels acceptable. It looks like a aspect of Hellboy we’ve not seen put to the display screen which is a pleasant contact, whereas retaining his ordinary traits, albeit with out Ron Perlman or David Harbour. As a substitute, we get the late Lance Reddick voicing the titular protagonist, which is rad.

When shifting about within the Butterfly Home and descending into the Wyrd, you’ll discover the environments are totally different sufficient to be noteworthy, whereas additionally restricted in options to not pull focus from pushing ahead. You’re in a roguelike, and you will need to survive, so don’t take an excessive amount of time to scent the roses. Environments embrace antiquity-laden ruins in some locations, surreal undersea parts in others, and even some unwelcome presences manipulating the present deeper inside. The sport is brimming with model and environment, nevertheless, there’s a downside.

The Fashion Lacks a Important Quantity of Substance For Stability

Roguelite video games have been extremely profitable recently, and I can’t assist however consider Hades every time evaluating new modern entries within the style. Whereas Web of Wyrd doesn’t try to be similar to Hades, choosing a third-person beat ’em up with minor capturing mechanics, it additionally doesn’t do a lot past simply differentiating itself. The sport is stuffed with model, however the model lacks a big quantity of substance for stability.

There’s motion in almost each room you discover, with dimension-specific monsters together with armored constructs, large offended crustaceans, and different paranormal enemies. It’s a procedurally generated hive of enemies you will need to filter out, and as you clear the set of realms, you will need to undergo once more, with new secrets and techniques and tales unfolding. The story itself is fairly easy, with you in search of a BRPD agent who’s gone lacking, solely to uncover some enjoyable occult plot twists alongside the way in which.

The Gameplay is Enjoyable however Lacks Depth

Once you’re exploring the Wyrd, you’ll be capable to brawl with the numerous enemies awaiting you, and as you beat bosses guarding the ultimate parts of every stage, you’ll unlock new skills you may improve your self with. That is fairly commonplace fare in roguelike video games, however the place Hellboy feels totally different is in its motion.

Hellboy isn’t as fragile as different rogue-lite characters, so you may take fairly a number of hits due to a Toughness mechanic that gives a defend earlier than dropping any actual well being, and it may be regenerated. You’ll find upgrades for this toughness or well being pool, and in consequence, the blocking and countering mechanic looks like a official different to simply dodging.

The fight is third-person with lock-on mechanics that remind me much less of Darkish Souls, and extra of Ocarina of Time within the sense that it may be far more awkward to hit shifting targets with out it. However the similarities finish there as a result of at the least you may goal a bow in Ocarina, whereas on this recreation when you whip out your pistol, shotgun, or grenade launcher with out locking on, you’re typically losing a bullet and leaving your self vast open for approach too lengthy. The fight can be painfully gradual when you fall out of the movement, the most important offender of this being weapons.

This brings me to my most aggressive gripe about this recreation: the ranged weapons are usually not good, at the least, something except for the pistol. Whereas I perceive the attraction of the grenade launcher’s capability to take out mooks and get well Toughness, it’s obtained horrendous reload pace, and even an upgraded pistol is a danger to prepare for extra. The shotgun specifically is likely one of the worst-feeling weapons I’ve utilized in a very long time, and shotguns have all the time been historically fairly simple to make use of, limiting optimum selections to just about simply the pistol.

This isn’t simply making use of to ranged weapons. In Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, the gameplay is enjoyable however lacks depth to maintain you desirous to play extra or change issues up. You’ll discover that, whereas there are some (very restricted) choices for the upgrades you discover alongside the way in which, many don’t really feel like they stability their appeals nicely, and also you’ll typically stick to at least one playstyle your complete run.

The Verdict

Hellboy: Web of Wyrd is stuffed with model and runs completely secure as is typical of roguelite video games. Nonetheless, in contrast to the best video games from this more and more fashionable style, it lacks sufficient of a hook to have gamers desirous to experiment with its mechanics. Whereas the story could be entertaining, it’s nothing too particular.

Graphically talking, it’s fashionable and runs easily with a minimalist comedian ebook really feel, however lacks a sure spark that brings this recreation from good to nice. It’s an affordable worth proposition for the hours of gameplay you’ll get out of it, nevertheless it hardly measures as much as higher video games within the style that promote for as a lot.

_{This overview was made potential by Good Shepherd Leisure with a complimentary copy of Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, launched on October 18, 2023.}

– This text was up to date on October nineteenth, 2023

About The Creator

J.R. is a Employees Author with AOTF and has been masking gaming and leisure within the trade since 2022. Together with a B.A. in Historical past from the College of Cincinnati, he has studied on the College of Birmingham, UK, and a part of his M.A. on the College of Waterloo. You will discover J.R. notably at residence writing concerning the hottest manga and anime. He’s extremely enthusiastic about horror, technique, and RPGs, and something about Star Trek or LOTR. When not ranting about fan theories or writing guides, J.R. is streaming his favourite RPGs and different forgotten gems.