The most it ever really did for me was occasionally add a more dangerous enemy in an earlier section, or randomly block off areas for a short period of time. It promises variation, but unless you know what’s actually changing, then it might as well not be happening. The black hole system is actually one of the bigger disappointments of Hellpoint. Having enemy respawns be based on this might be a decent idea in concept, but it means in practice that there’s not really much stopping you from just running back and forth from the breach until you’ve defeated some of the more annoying enemies. Irid Novo orbits a black hole and the game promises that you’ll run into unique things depending on where the black hole is in relation to your character. One example that jumps to mind is the fact that breaches don’t actually respawn enemies, which is instead based on something known as the black hole clock. There are other formula differences that make Hellpoint unique, but in my opinion the rest of the changes aren’t exactly good ones. Progression through the game was satisfying as I really did feel like my character was getting stronger & more capable as I got further and further into the game.īesides the changes I mentioned earlier, the rest of the gameplay loop is pretty much what you’ll be expecting. There aren’t any strict classes or class guidelines, and you’re left to adjust your stats and level up your character however you want. The overall range of weapon and other character options is one of the things I really enjoyed in my playtime. It’s a great risk-reward system that is only slightly let down by the fact that healing doesn’t refill when using breaches. Healing is also done in an interesting way, as attacking enemies recharges your healing item, which means offense is always a good idea even when low on health. The platforming is generally very awkward and basic, but it was still nice to be able to explore the environment with a bit more depth. One of the bigger changes found within Hellpoint is the introduction of a dedicated jump button and a focus on verticality. Thankfully, as has been proven before, this formula works and Hellpoint definitely gets a lot of that right. You’ll be doing all of the usual stuff attacking and dodging, exploring tight environments, going up against bosses, and hoarding a currency to upgrade your character. There was a lot of enjoyment to be had in doing that, though, as the general gameplay loop of Hellpoint is fun and actually makes a few alterations from the Soulsborne formula that I really enjoyed. As a player, I don’t mind figuring things out for myself, but there’s only so much backtracking I can handle before feeling like it might be the game’s problem. There were many times when I had no idea what I was actually supposed to be doing, besides just looking for the next boss to kill. You can fast travel between breaches (which kind of work like bonfires in similar games), but it requires a fairly rare item which feels like an annoying burden on top of a general lack of direction. It’s a shame that some of the fun can be ruined by the confusing world progression. You’ll run into a few cryptic NPC’s here and there, but whatever they were trying to tell me simply wasn’t very interesting and I found it more entertaining to just soak in the atmosphere of the station and let the environments and world do the talking. I’d love to say that this atmosphere plays into a story of some kind, but if it was there, I didn’t really get much from it. Looking out at the tower or the black hole for the first time was a really great moment, even if the rest of the world can be same-y and uninteresting. I was a big fan of the enemy designs and the station itself, which has some genuinely beautiful areas. The world of Irid Novo is dark, tense, and lonely which creates some genuinely great moments at the onset. Immediately Hellpoint hits you with one of its biggest strengths - its atmosphere.
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