AMID EVIL

Despite the hype, initial appearance, and straight ripping of gameplay style and mechanics from the several-times-mentioned H games (not THAT, you!), the game is solid. Gripes are that the weapons really only have 2 to 4 that matter, and other than the blue mana homing wand and Crystal Mace (with F.E.A.R. Penetrator/Half Life 2 crossbow nail-em-to-the-wall functionality) there really isn't much that is memorable, aside from how many times you must use the basic axe and how annoyed you get self-harming from the Meteor Staff clone. Secondary fire also uses my LEAST favorite mechanic from Hexen II: the Tome of Power. It isn't really called that in this game, but suffice to say that you CANNOT use your cool room-clearing secondary fire any time you wish. It is an irritating case of "HEY I CAN USE IT NOw darn it it's over. And now I can't use it again because I have no ammo left and must wait another hour of gameplay or so to scrounge ammo AND the secondary fire ability resource currency again". On the plus side: you have cheats! Yes, if you get the Warrior Edition, you have cheat codes you can type in and become a Conan-Godlike-Warrior-Who-Cares-I've-Got-Unlimited-Mana-Ubermensch. And then either the game is over way sooner than it should be and you feel powerful or cheated... heh... Beyond that, this game is not as good as Dusk, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, or Graven. The world and levels are very empty, there is almost no interaction with levels, not "oh my gawd that is pretty!" scenery or skin-creeping atmosphere. The game company did a lot with volumetric fog and skimped on the level detailing, whereas in the other games you have little extras that really boost immersion. Be honest: how many times did YOU use the toilet in Duke Nukem 3D, flush, and then blow it (and all the fire hydrants) up out of spite? Level interaction and "little" details MATTER! So the game is good, in a Wolfenstein 3D "do this and nothing else" way. But it's not Doom... or a Hexen 2.

Obscenely shrill colors and constant flashing lights give me a headache and I never even had a history of epilepsy or anything. The weapons lack punch and the combat has no grit. It feels like spraying down stone statues with a garden hose. Not sure if these enemies are even supposed to be statues or living armor or whatnot. It is hard to tell. The comparison to the more "medieval", fun and fast combat of Heretic or HeXen does not hold up for even a second, when you figure out how horribly delayed your melee attack is. If anything, it reminds me more of the original Quake, and looking back I guess we can agree that as one of the first 3D games, the old Quake wasn't exactly easy on the eye. At least it had subdued colors that didn't etch themselves into your retinas like hdyrochloric acid. Maps and enemy designs are also extremely uninspired. I guess the price tag is kiiind of right so I'm not going to whine a lot more about it but if you want something more reminiscent of the old classics, give "Hedon" or "Ziggurat" a try. They do everything but better as well as prettier.

From what I have tried and played it is a fantastic title and another excellent addition from the brilliant bastards at New Blood. but my personal issue it with its optimization. Perhaps it is just my PC but I can run other higher taxing games without a problem on high settings while this game chugs and stutters even on the lowest settings. When they said it can run on a "toaster" I have to say that was just marketing and not a true statement. This could be due to GOG vs Steam but we'll have to see. I feel the biggest factor from the stuttering comes from the Unreal engine lighting. (I use Windows 7 64-bit) Maybe with an upgrade to my PC and perhaps updating to Windows 10 64-bit OS it might run smoother. I would personally would have loved if this game to have been closer to Heretic/Hexen with a similar item/armor system. I'd say Amid Evil is closer to Hexen 2 and Quake 1 but it is, in itself, it's own game that stands high and mighty. Amid Evil is worth your money (it will get 5 stars once it runs perfectly for me)

This game embarrasses many so called "indie shooters" by focusing on fast non-stop action and avoiding action breaking pitfalls like parkour/wall running BS that a lot of faux retro games seem to misrepresent as a thing in the 80s/90s. Game also avoids the worst thing about early shooters; the backtracking; levels are very naturally laid out and action rarely sees a break. Well done to the devs; you are in rare company these days.

Gonna have to wait until I have a little extra $$ but I already own AE on Steam and I gotta say: It's worth it. It's worth the asking price, even without a discount. It's like Quake meets Hexen! I mean what more do I need to say than that? Interesting worlds, nice hub, plenty of weapons and enemy types. Great stuff!