Beholgar

About

"Beholgar is a single-player fantasy platformer Metroidvania game with stellar graphics and an awesome soundtrack. As a barbarian, you must save the world from an evil god by exploring caverns, ancient woods, and deadly castles, and battling ferocious beasts. Gain new skills, abilities, and magic rings, and vanquish ancient creatures on your quest to find weapons, items, and abilities."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 122 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

stability13 negative mentions

Beholgar features engaging gameplay with a well-balanced combination of combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving elements, making it fun and rewarding.
The pixel art graphics and soundtrack effectively capture the nostalgic feel of classic 2D games, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The game offers a challenging experience that keeps players motivated to improve their skills and explore the richly designed levels.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with character movement, hit detection, and menu navigation, which can disrupt gameplay.
The difficulty can feel unbalanced at times, with some early enemies and traps leading to frustrating cheap deaths, especially for new players.
The absence of a map and unclear progression paths can make exploration tedious and confusing, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay of "Beholgar" is characterized by a blend of combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving, offering a varied and engaging experience, though it is marred by bugs and some clunky mechanics. While many players appreciate the nostalgic visuals and the challenge it presents, issues such as unresponsive controls, balancing problems, and a lack of precision in enemy movements detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these drawbacks, the game is considered solid for its price, with a rewarding gameplay loop that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “Beholgar's gameplay is a well-balanced combination of combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving.”
- “The integration of platforming elements with combat and puzzle mechanics provides a varied and engaging gameplay experience.”
- “The general gameplay loop, exploration, and combat until the next checkpoint feel really satisfying.”
- “One or two bugs could be tolerated, but in the case of Beholgar, every single session was littered with those, effectively sabotaging the gameplay experience through multiple soft locks and forcing the player to replay the same segments through no fault of their own.”
- “I like the graphics and the ambiance, but the gameplay totally ruins this game: when you jump and press down forward, the character's inertia suddenly stops moving forward and you fall right into the spikes.”
- “The game itself is clunky, controls are bad, level design is mediocre, and some gameplay choices are questionable (poison, really?).”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
Beholgar features visually stunning pixel art graphics that pay homage to retro classics while incorporating modern elements, creating a nostalgic yet fresh aesthetic. The attention to detail in the artwork and animation enhances the overall experience, although some players noted minor technical issues and a lack of certain features. Overall, the graphics are widely praised for their charm and ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia, making them a standout aspect of the game.
- “Beholgar presents a visually stunning world, with pixel art graphics that capture the essence of retro classics, but with a modern twist.”
- “The attention to detail in the art and animation is evident, contributing to the overall aesthetic of the game.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous and the creatures are nicely detailed.”
- “It makes the aesthetic feel not very cohesive.”
- “The nes-style graphics and music are very charming; I found them neither irritating nor positively evocative enough to distract me from the meat of the game.”
- “I could really enjoy a game like this, I pretty much love where you were going with it, especially the visuals, but it just was not ready to be released.”
music
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and immersive quality, effectively complementing the action and atmosphere while capturing a nostalgic 80s retro aesthetic. Reviewers highlight the well-integrated soundtrack and sound effects, which enhance the gameplay experience, although some express a desire for more customization options. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The soundtrack is energizing and captures the spirit of the 80s classics, while the sound effects help create an immersive and dynamic experience during combat and exploration.”
- “Energetic soundtrack: the music and sound effects are well-integrated, creating an immersive atmosphere and helping to maintain the energy and excitement throughout the game.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful.”
- “The NES-style graphics and music are very charming; I found them neither irritating nor positively evocative enough to distract me from the meat of the game.”
- “Like the music stops playing in like 5 spots at least, I had several sticky zones that made me reset the checkpoint.”
- “Music turning off, getting stuck in walls, character freezing in certain frames, some enemy attacks not doing damage, walking on top of the world.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The story of the game is generally well-received, featuring an immersive fantasy narrative that blends mythology and adventure, though some players feel it lacks depth and complexity. While the plot is engaging and enhances the atmosphere, there are criticisms regarding the simplicity of the narrative and the underdeveloped backstories of NPCs. Overall, the storytelling is considered adequate for a 2D action platformer, with players expressing a desire for more content and depth, particularly towards the climax.
- “Narrative and setting: Beholgar immerses players in a fantasy narrative with an intriguing plot that mixes elements of mythology and adventure.”
- “The story is told in an immersive way, with dialogues and events that help build the atmosphere and deepen the plot.”
- “Immersive narrative: The story is well-crafted and engaging, with a plot that keeps the player interested and motivated to explore the game world.”
- “The story of the NPC is really weak.”
- “It's an adequate metroidvania with retro-style graphics, typical metroidvania upgrades, and a standard plot about a barbarian saving his land from an evil sorcerer.”
- “There isn’t much story, but what we get is very fitting for a game like this.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting numerous glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as forced key rebinds, animation issues, and getting stuck in the environment. While some players note that these problems are being addressed through regular updates, the overall experience remains marred by a lack of polish and frequent technical issues. Those sensitive to glitches may want to approach with caution, despite the game's potential.
- “I'd really love to put out a positive review, but man, the glitches.”
- “There are a lot of beta level glitches (forced key rebinds on a new area, which the dev claims to have patched, thrown axes that only go left, getting stuck in 1 tile high sections after rolling) and the game needs a lot more polish before it's really ready to play.”
- “I don't want to say it's a bad metroidvania because it's really not, but at the same time, there are just so many little problems and glitches, it just continuously made me angry.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive storytelling, creative level design, and richly detailed environments that enhance engagement. The well-integrated soundtrack and sound effects effectively complement the action, maintaining energy and excitement throughout. Overall, the visuals and audio work together to create a captivating and dynamic atmosphere.
- “The level design is creative and diverse, with richly detailed environments that help create an immersive and engaging atmosphere.”
- “Energetic soundtrack: the music and sound effects are well-integrated, creating an immersive atmosphere and helping to maintain the energy and excitement throughout the game.”
- “The story is told in an immersive way, with dialogues and events that help build the atmosphere and deepen the plot.”
- “The soundtrack and sound effects are well chosen, with music that effectively complements the action and atmosphere of the game.”
- “I have to give a huge plus for the visuals, especially the starter atmosphere of the forest.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to the lack of a map, which complicates navigation and backtracking. Additionally, dying results in a substantial loss of currency, making it difficult to afford upgrades without resorting to time-consuming farming.
- “It's a metroidvania without a map, making navigation and backtracking sometimes confusing or tedious.”
- “Every time you die, you lose a significant amount of cash, putting the minor coin shop upgrades further out of reach unless you waste time farming.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted through a platforming section where players experience a sense of urgency and tension, as platforms disintegrate upon contact, evoking feelings of anxiety and excitement.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting excellent performance and a consistent frame rate of 60fps.
- “The performance is excellent, maintaining a solid 60fps throughout gameplay.”
- “I was impressed by how well the game optimized for my system, delivering smooth and responsive controls.”
- “The optimization really shines, allowing for a seamless experience even in graphically intense moments.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally perceived as lacking, with many users feeling that it attempts to be funny but ultimately falls short.