새 소식
Hellforged hands-on: hacking, slashing, and spellcasting is only the beginning
M
Matt Cabral
Thankfully, my oversized mallet makes short work of the up-close threats, while my projectile-spitting magic keeps distant baddies at bay. Toss in an intuitive, evasive dodge maneuver granting me temporary invincibility, and I feel pretty confident in my ability to clear this dungeon with little more than a scratch or two on my armor.
But as I fall into a satisfying groove of looting, leveling, and laying waste to hordes of mythical monsters, Hellforged begins to live up to its billing as an "extraction bullet-hell game." The enemies—now in the hundreds—seemingly never subside, but rather relentlessly increase in number until I'm but a tiny island surrounded by a sea of nightmarish creatures. Meanwhile, a nearby portal tempts me with a quick, easy escape back to the cozy safety of my camp.
Of course, saving my bacon by taking the cowardly route also means missing out on any epic gear that might come with persisting and surviving until I properly—and heroically—conquer the crypt. The lure of scoring better loot is only part of the appeal, however, as Hellforged features a ridiculously addictive, progression-fueled gameplay loop that ensures I'm always willing to risk being reduced to pulp for better rewards.
For starters, XP comes fast and furious, which in turn leads to leveling-up at an equally peppy pace. More than just an ego-stroking number, levels grant the option to choose from a trio of traits that make your already capable paladin even more powerful. You can also invest your collected gold to unlock treasure chests, which contain similar choice-based rewards in the form of relics. Between the two, you're served a barrage of active and passive boosts that allow you to grow nearly as strong as the escalating enemy threats.
But these stat-boosting boons barely scratch the surface, as it's the boss-summoning shrines that pack the real rewards. Survive the stacked odds long enough, and one of these sanctuaries will appear on the map, inviting you to awaken a cranky beast for the chance to gain a magical ability. Defeat the towering monster—typically of the fanged, horned, or clawed variety—and you can then select an elemental game-changer to help you survive even longer.
By the time you near the end of a crypt-conquering run, you could be an ability-stacking powerhouse, conjuring walls of fire, shooting ice shards, and dealing necrotic damage, all while protected by spinning orbs of foe-frying lightning. That's not even accounting for those supplemental traits and relics that could find you unleashing a fiery missile every time you loot a pile of gold, or leaving a path of flames in your wake when you dash to safety.
But battling armies of hellspawn to progress through dungeons and grow more powerful only represents half of Hellforged's compelling hook. While completing crypts is a thumb-blistering blast, returning to your camp is both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, you leave with all the loot you've collected, beefing up your arsenal for the next run. However, surviving (or not) also reveals the game's roguelite side, which sees you stripped of all those enemy-eviscerating powers you just earned.
However, you shouldn't worry, as Hellforged adds several inspired twists that take a crushing battle axe to any potential tedium or frustration. First off, all that sparkling loot you've secured is not only yours to keep, but it's just begging to be upgraded by your blacksmith back at camp. And not far from the friendly forgemaster, you'll also find a sprawling skill tree packed with permanent upgrade paths. Best of all, you'll eventually unlock the Arsenal, which lets you pick and choose which abilities and relics will appear within your runs.
My few hours with Hellforged guaranteed I couldn't wait to dive back in and brave its monster-crawling crypts all over gain. But there's still so much more I haven't experienced, like what it feels like to wield the "Bloodshard Earth-Breaker"—a Legendary death-dealer I earned upon besting a dungeon's necromancer endboss. And then there's Dark Elf Mortenzia, a second playable hero I unlocked just before concluding my demo.
Like a powerful alchemic concoction, Hellforged is tossing plenty of ingredients into the pot—action-RPG, bullet-hell, survival, extraction, and roguelite. But based on my brief taste, it's shaping up to be a potent blend I'll eagerly chug like a health-reviving potion.
Hellforged is coming soon to Epic Games Store.