I know 2020 has been a super awesome year, but maybe it’s time to take a trip back to the 90’s. Hellbound created by Saibot Studioes and Nimble Giant Entertainment is a throw back to those glorious FPSs. A hero has to blast his way through demons and Hell in order to save the world. FPS have evolved since the beginning, so how does Hellbound stack up?
Our hero is trapped in a civilization that has been conquered by Hell. He is chosen to wage war against the monster in charge. There is a little more to the story, but this is the main thrust. Don’t look for in depth commentary of current events. The developers know that people played the original Doom and it’s like in order to kill monsters and get to the end of the level as quick as they can. People want non stop action.
The graphics are great to look at. Hell has been a favorite topic for game design, but Hellbound adds it’s own touches. Less of a fiery pit and more of an alien world. The double moons looked especially impressive. The enemies are come in about four variety. An interesting choice are the four legged kind. These things are fast and don’t think you can get away if you run. They will catch you and they hurt!
The weapons are your standard gun based choices. One of the cool factors is that guns have a secondary functions. Click a button and suddenly you could be looking down your sights for a more precise shot. The level design is fantastic and every area looks different. At the end, you get a score based on kills and how many secrets did you find.
The only real compliant about Hellbound is the lack of more choices. You want to have more weapons and fight with different monsters. The game is not overly long, so it stops just before it would get repetitive. The game has only been out for a week, so hopefully the developers will add some more weapons to your arsenal. It is a testament to how fun the game is the the player wants more.
Hellbound shows us a different time line where the FPS is still king. Light on story but heavy on action and fun, this game is for anyone who bought the original Doom and it’s clones. Almost thirty years later, the original FPS model still has things to show us, and that is a good thing indeed.
8.5/10
Available on PC