Better than most soulslikes i've come accross, the game adds enough unique systems to set itself apart from similar games but also brings a lot of the best elements of a souls game too (atmosphere, level design and combat).
WIthout spoiling anything I will say there was a clear point during my first play through where I had to stop admire the developers intention and just say "I respect this game." I think this game is worth your attention even if you're only a casual souls fan.
Let's start with the good: the levels.
There are quite a few of them, they're big, they all look great and fairly distinct, they have complex layouts with plenty of shortcuts and secrets and intelligent bonfire placements...
I've beaten the final boss, explored quite a bit off the main path, and I'm sure I haven't even seen half of what the game has to offer.
In this area, I think Hellpoint is superior even to the original Dark Souls.
Why isn't this a 5/5, then? Unfortunately, because pretty much everything else isn't very good.
The game has a fair amount of platforming, but the controls aren't good, your character will easily get stuck into slopes (let alone more complex geometry), falls go from "zero damage" to "instant death" within a handful of meters, and there's plenty of death pits to fall down into.
By comparison, the combat is no threat at all: when fighting the final boss my greatest concern was that my attacks brought me dangerously close to the edge of the arena, that's how easy things are.
The combat is stiff, the enemies are too predictable and manageable, the bosses are mostly bigger versions of normal enemies (save for a handful of main story bosses), item management is a massive chore, some weapons don't seem to work properly...
There are great ideas here and there (the Black Hole doors, the Underworld, the slight variations in enemy placement as you revisit levels...), but they're usually half baked.
Despite all these negatives, I don't regret playing through Hellpoint, and I'm curious to see what the devs will do next.
Dark Souls mechanics in a hellish 'Dead Space x Hellraiser' kind of world. I was very impressed by the overall quality of the game - the aesthetics, the sound design, the controls; everything is polished. Even though I'm not a big fan of the Souls-like genre myself, I enjoyed it a lot. I recommend it 100%.
A typical soulslike in a dark sci-fi setting, somehow similar to Event Horizon. The combat is fluid and fun, if repetitive, but the major focus is on exploration, as the map is very complex and full of secret areas and interconnected shortcuts. If you're into the sensation of being lost and not knowing exactly where you are and where you're supposed to be going, this is the game for you.
A bit too obscure, maybe: after having played all four endings, I still have absolutely no idea whatsoever about anything in the plot or lore. Zero. No clue at all.
