Project Warlock

Project Warlock is a good, solid homage to the classic 2.5d shooters like Doom, Heretic, etc. I really enjoyed the game, I liked the art style & the upgrade systems & weapons. A few detractions being the levels are fairly short & small & they all tend to be rather "horizontal" & flat in design w/ little changes in elevation & very little verticality. The most complex levels in the game tend to be key hunt mazes w/ no puzzles, few stage hazards, no set pieces or anything, just requiring you to collect keys & back track.

Project Warlock is a fun game with a lot of variety and some great moments. Unfortunately, it is let down by the lack of story & puzzles, as well as poor audio and so-so level design. Pros: * Bosses are really good, they are huge, inventive, and multi-stage. There are 5, one for each episode, which is a lot for this type of game. * Enemy artwork is awesome. Many enemies are multi-stage and it's awesome to see them transform, limbs fall off, etc. All the enemies look very different from each other and they all look cool. * Game is pretty addictive, the levels are short enough that it really gives that "one more level" feeling. * A good diversity of environments. Antarctica and Hell in particular are fairly well done. Cons: * No story whatsoever. Yeah, story isn't the main focus in these games, but most Doom-clones at least had a few lines of lore to motivate the action. Without this the game feels like random stuff thrown at the wall instead of something coherent, and it's hard to feel excited about what is to come. * No puzzles. Most classic Doom-clones at least at a few puzzles to mix things up, like "hit the right combination of switches". In this game it's all shooting everything until it dies and picking up everything you see. Gets dull. * Mediocre level design. Unlike other reviewers, I don't have a problem with the levels being Wolf3D-like. Classics like Catacomb Abyss, H.U.R.L., Thor's hammer, etc. all had levels that were way better designed than this game. They understood that you needed to cultivate a real sense of place rather than just throw random textures and themed objects around. And they had bigger levels that fostered a sense of exploration. Egypt in particular is poorly done. * Sound and Music are awful. Music is just so important to a game like this, but this stuff is just generic metal/ambient that does nothing to set the mood or get the blood pumping. Enemies are always near-silent (even bosses!) which is a huge letdown.

Okay, let me try to explain this. Firstly, I am a huge fan of doom and still play it with brutal mod (and quake, quake 2, blood, shadow warrior, etc..). I was first enjoyed to play warlock as it looks like "good'ol'FPS" with modern bits of gameplay (perks, upgrades, etc...). However, the experience was pretty disappointing as there are many flaws that disturbs gameplay : - very small maps - yet awkwark level design makes you getting lost in a map big as my flat - really easy (the hardcore mode does not count as it's just a trick to lengthen the game) - very, very dark : don't know if it comes from my settings, but increasing brightness just make it weird so, now, back to the title : the game was entirely made by only one person, which is incredible and this is the reason why I am not giving a single star. Back in early 90's, there was Doom : it was a very, very subtle game at so many levels, much more than one can expects and Project Warlock reminds it at every corner : Doom was subtle, ahead of its time and competitors had tough jobs to be at the same level.In fact, Project Warlock reminds me some of the doom clone you could find on Amiga. So if you buy this game, do it first to support the dev.

If you like old-school FPS action, this title is pretty darn good. Explosively fast gameplay with guns blazing. I beat this game twice it was so good. It has a clear influence as advertised. The action is almost non-stop with a typical but fun arsenal. The levels are so well designed (key hunting is painless) that you never really get confused or lost, and most can be savored or if you choose, can be done within 5-15 mins, a plus for those with a limited time schedule. 60 levels, that are all fun, decent bosses, and good art. This game plays with a tried and true 90s FPS foundation, If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you're a fan of DOOM, Duke 3D, Wolfenstein, and all the other greats, I'd imagine you'll have fun with this title. The perk upgrades are pretty fun too. My only real issue was some weapons force you to repeatedly click in order to shoot. I’m not a wizard staff kinda dude, but the staff in this game turns you into a baller if you power it up. The modern sensibilities of the game such as perks, upgrades, and rapidly frantic gameplay make it very appealing. The shooting is tight, as are the controls. The soundtrack is FANTASTIC with a different track for all 60 levels. Buy it, I’d be happy if the few who made this game created another gem for $12.

Game scratches an itch that can only be found with games like Doom, Wolfenstien, Hexen and Duke Nukem. Easy to pick up and hard to master but short condensed levels filled with circle straffing goodness. Highly reccomend if you're a fan of any of the previous games mentioned. Story is pretty much a throwback to 90's cheese, it's all about the killing!