Apocryph

46%
Game Brain Score Based on 118 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Apocryph Game Cover
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Apocryph is a dark fantasy first-person shooter inspired by classics like Hexen and Heretic. Explore intricate levels, wield an arsenal of weapons, and confront hordes of enemies in a brutal, immersive world. With challenging gameplay and a rich atmosphere, Apocryph offers a faithful homage to the genre's golden age.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

46%
Audience ScoreBased on 118 reviews
gameplay12 positive mentions
stability11 negative mentions
  • The game captures the nostalgic feel of classic old-school shooters like Hexen and Heretic, providing a fun experience for fans of the genre.
  • The gore system and enemy dismemberment are satisfying, adding a visceral edge to the gameplay.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are appealing, with decent level design that evokes memories of retro FPS games.
  • The game is very short, with only a few levels available, leading to disappointment for players expecting more content.
  • There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including poor AI behavior and stuttering frame rates, which detract from the overall experience.
  • The game lacks polish and feels unfinished, with many features and improvements still needed to meet player expectations.
  • gameplay36 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the nostalgic, old-school shooter mechanics and the variety of weapons, while others criticize it for being clunky, repetitive, and poorly optimized, leading to crashes and frustrating level design. Despite its fun moments and potential, many feel the game is unfinished and lacks polish, resulting in a gameplay experience that can be both enjoyable and disappointing. Overall, while it captures the essence of classic shooters, it struggles with technical issues and design flaws that detract from the overall experience.

    • “The gameplay it proposes is straightforward and really old-school in style: expect levels filled with static health/ammo pickups, enemies appearing in 'batches' after opening gates, doors, or just when passing through, and also increasingly difficult levels as new enemy types appear.”
    • “Of the many throwback shooters out there, I feel it does a great job of capturing the aesthetic and frenetic gameplay of games like Heretic, Hexen, and Blood.”
    • “The actual feel of the gameplay and the atmosphere is great.”
    • “Gameplay is just awful, clunky, repetitive, and boring.”
    • “The game struggles to maintain framerate even on modern hardware due to horribly unoptimized assets, crashed three times during the first 17 minutes of my gameplay, weapons were disappearing from my inventory on map change, and there are multiple areas where you can get stuck in level geometry.”
    • “The developers sold the game as a modern 'old-school shooter' just like the classics, but all the game does is embarrassingly insult them with their wannabe hardcore heavy metal stuff and gameplay.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and aesthetic reminiscent of classic titles like Hexen, while others criticize the visuals as muddled, blurry, and lacking detail. Many users note issues such as graphical bugs, poor implementation of filters, and a general lack of polish, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, some players appreciate the game's attempt to capture a retro feel with modern enhancements, though they acknowledge that it falls short of higher-quality indie titles.

    • “I love the graphics and variety of monsters.”
    • “Hexen meets newer graphics and effects, a true nod to classic FPS for sure with newer aesthetics.”
    • “Definitely captures an old school design taken to new heights with some fantastic heavy metal music and graphics.”
    • “It has neither retro nor modern graphics; it looks like something from 2007 or a mobile game.”
    • “The built-in pixelating and color reduction filters don't really produce any retro look either, just make already messy visuals even more unintelligible.”
    • “Please do not be fooled by the graphics in screenshots; in-game it does not look that nice at all.”
  • music27 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the heavy metal soundtrack that enhances the action and atmosphere, while others criticize it for being generic and poorly balanced with gameplay. Many users recommend adjusting the volume settings, as the default levels can be overwhelming, and some feel that the music often feels out of place or repetitive. Overall, while the soundtrack has its moments, it lacks originality and can detract from the overall experience.

    • “This game has a lot of issues, but it is fun to play, has a good soundtrack, and in my opinion has generally good levels and interesting areas to explore.”
    • “During maps, we hear distant diegetic sounds which really add to the ambience, while the great metal soundtrack accentuates the kick-assery.”
    • “Definitely captures an old school design taken to new heights with some fantastic heavy metal music and graphics.”
    • “I can't tell how many of the game's assets are original, but the music sounds like it's royalty free stock music and the enemy animations are stock mocap animations.”
    • “Music to gameplay is way off balanced, and always pulls you out of the game.”
    • “Also the music feels out of place and it confuses a bit the whole tone of the game.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging art style, immersive level design, and effective use of sound, creating a dark fantasy environment that enhances gameplay. Reviewers highlight the intriguing enemy designs and the sense of exploration, with some noting the occasional scares from hidden threats. Overall, the game successfully captures a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like Hexen and Heretic, though some players express a desire for further development to fully realize its atmospheric potential.

    • “Scary sometimes, as monsters come at you from behind from hidden rooms or corridors and scary monster growls and noises, nice atmospheric feel.”
    • “So thank you Bigzur Games for creating a wonderful atmospheric look that straight away reminded me of Hexen and Strife in a way, especially the town level.”
    • “The levels are also pretty fun to explore, especially the indoor areas because they ooze atmosphere.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly on new hardware. While some players noted that recent updates have improved certain aspects, many still describe the game as unfinished and unoptimized, leading to a frustrating experience overall. Despite occasional fun moments, the technical shortcomings significantly detract from the gameplay.

    • “Really buggy; does not work on new hardware.”
    • “I played it through, and can confirm it's an unfinished, buggy, and overall rather bad game.”
    • “Unoptimized, very buggy; would not recommend in the slightest.”
  • optimization11 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players experiencing severe framerate drops, crashes, and various technical issues, even on high-end hardware. While some users report no performance problems, the overall consensus points to a lack of polish and unfinished elements, leading to a frustrating experience. The game's assets and performance settings appear poorly managed, contributing to an inconsistent and often unplayable experience.

    • “Unlike some reports though, I didn't have any lag/performance issues at all.”
    • “I don't notice any performance issues with a 7700k and a GTX 1070.”
    • “Also with some great graphics that could be optimized and touched up on a bit, like a gauge for how much pixelation I get when turning on the feature and just how fractured of the animation do I want it to be with that feature, basically emulating sprite movements; I get it, it's sweet.”
    • “The game struggles to maintain framerate even on modern hardware due to horribly unoptimized assets, crashed three times during the first 17 minutes of my gameplay, weapons were disappearing from my inventory on map change, and there are multiple areas where you can get stuck in level geometry.”
    • “Inconsistent performance, with occasional severe frame drops, even on high-end systems, for apparently no reason.”
    • “Everything else is just unfinished, and between the poor performance, technical issues (the game tops out at 1080p), lack of content, and buggy AI, Apocryph doesn't earn a mostly positive rating at this point in time.”
  • story4 mentions

    The story in the game is perceived as underdeveloped and feels unfinished, with minimal narrative elements that do not significantly impact gameplay. Players encounter sporadic text snippets throughout the levels, but the overall plot is deemed inconsequential, culminating in an unsatisfying ending that hints at more content that never materializes. While some aspects of the story show potential, the lack of depth and resolution leaves players disappointed.

    • “Now I won't really focus on the good, as I think it is pretty obvious by just looking at the trailer, but some things done well are the music, the maps, textures (generally), the smaller, more easy-to-familiarize-yourself-with inventory items, a couple interesting power-ups you only get to see once, in my opinion great weapons (the rocket launcher is one of my favorites ever), very Heretic-like gameplay, pretty cool story if the game ever gets finished, great atmosphere overall.”
    • “Sadly, it looks unfinished - every few levels there is some text with story bits (though the story doesn't matter much, at the end you just kill stuff) and after the last available level you get some text that seems to imply there will be more, but there isn't a 'continue' button.”
    • “Overall, pick it up really cheap and limit your expectations as this is a good time if you're okay with no story, some bugs, and a poor ending.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by an edgy, niche appeal that resonates with a specific audience, reminiscent of teenage humor. Additionally, the poor translations contribute to the comedic experience, adding an unintentional layer of amusement.

    • “Like the game my edgy 14-year-old self would have liked, even though I'd only show it to my closest friends who share the same humor.”
    • “The translations are so terrible, they're funny.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to overwhelming enemy numbers, despite appreciating the weapon selection and gore system. It is suggested as suitable for those interested in farming gameplay.

    • “The weapon selection is adequate and the gore system gives their application a visceral edge, but the combat itself is tedious and the enemy count is excessive.”
    • “Recommended for game farming.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Users generally find the replayability of the game to be low, indicating that there are limited incentives or variations to encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “The issue I have with it is that the replayability right now is pretty low.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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