Damnation

About

"Damnation" is a historical shooter game with great graphics, offering both single-player and multi-player/co-op options. Traverse vast, open environments and engage in frenetic combat with intelligent enemies, combining fluid action and daredevil acrobatics for an exhilarating experience. The game's unique vertical concept offers a fresh take on the shooter genre, inspired by iconic American history elements.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

49%

Audience ScoreBased on 275 reviews

graphics24 positive mentions

story20 negative mentions

The game features a unique steampunk setting with interesting level design and verticality, providing a visually appealing experience.
The parkour mechanics and climbing elements are enjoyable, reminiscent of classic platformers, and add a fun dynamic to the gameplay.
Despite its flaws, the game offers a decent amount of content and can be entertaining, especially when played with friends.

The shooting mechanics are clunky and unresponsive, making combat frustrating and less engaging.
The story and character development are poorly executed, with weak dialogue and a lack of coherence in the plot.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, leading to a generally unpolished experience.

story
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
58%
22%
The story of the game is widely criticized for its poor presentation, including issues with pacing, dialogue, and character development, leading many to describe it as a disjointed and cliché experience. While some players appreciate the unique steampunk setting and find moments of interest, the overall narrative is often deemed lackluster and forgettable, with many reviewers expressing disappointment in its execution. Despite a few redeeming qualities, such as a simple and understandable plot, the consensus is that the story fails to engage or resonate effectively with players.
- “The story itself is simple and quite understandable, thank god, so at least you won't be confused about who is who and what is going on. The setting seems quite interesting though; it's a post-US Civil War America, but with heavy steampunk elements.”
- “The thing that kept me going to the end was the somewhat interesting story. The game is set in a steampunk wild west type of world, and you're trying to stop an evil brainiac that has a robot army behind his back.”
- “Interesting world building and story, just keep your expectations low; this is a 2009 game after all.”
- “This game has probably the worst story presentation I have ever seen.”
- “I can't believe you can botch absolutely everything from pacing, dialogue, character presentation, character interactions, plot development, story cohesion, etc. Nothing in the presentation of the story or setting works.”
- “The story is a mess, cliches of Shyamalan caliber, no character development whatsoever.”
gameplay
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
56%
25%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the clunky controls, mediocre shooting mechanics, and linear design. While the level design and atmosphere are praised, the platforming and combat elements often feel underdeveloped and frustrating. Overall, the game struggles with pacing and execution, leading to a disappointing experience despite some moments of potential.
- “This game is 11 and a half years old, yet it holds up well. It has a classic Tomb Raider feel but with more forgiving mechanics and puzzle solving, though a few stumped me for a bit.”
- “Fun gameplay.”
- “Great gameplay, great fun, great story.”
- “I can take those mediocre mechanics as it is an old game, but what I can't really forgive is its atrocious checkpoints.”
- “Some impressive world building is going on in the background, but the gameplay is just terrible.”
- “The gameplay is divided into three basic components: there's Prince of Persia style platforming (it's not as good, unfortunately), there's third person shooting (no cover system, thankfully) which functions most of the time and has some cool weapons, and there are terrible vehicle sections where you drive a motorbike up walls and over jumps with no real challenge or points of interest except if you're lucky enough to be driving through a scenic area.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many noting that while the environments can be stunning and the steampunk aesthetic is interesting, the visuals are generally considered dated and mediocre, reminiscent of older titles. Some players appreciate the level design and certain beautiful views, but others criticize the overall quality, animations, and the use of Unreal Engine 3, leading to a consensus that the graphics do not significantly enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing for its time but ultimately falls short by modern standards.
- “Even with the weight of years passed on graphics, friendly reminder to some, the locations are stunning and impressively gigantic.”
- “Its old but the graphics are nice and there are some beautiful views (some environments are bland, some are done well) from up high and you can look thousands of feet below and see where you have been.”
- “Graphics are dated, of course, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the character models or the landscapes.”
- “It's sad because it actually has amazing level design, but its gameplay is unbelievably bad, along with some below mediocre graphics.”
- “The shooting is strange, the animation is laughable, the graphics are pretty poor, and the controls are awkward.”
- “The graphic style doesn't play to the engine's strengths, the controls are bad, the third person shooting feels disconnected from the player, and the storyline is as drab as pancakes without syrup.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it unintentionally hilarious due to poor voice acting and absurd bugs, others view it as frustrating and incompetent. Many reviewers highlight moments of comedic value, particularly in cutscenes and character interactions, suggesting that it may appeal to those with a specific taste for "so-bad-it's-good" humor. Overall, the game's humor is seen as a double-edged sword, offering laughs for some while leaving others disappointed.
- “Like you just need to watch one of the heroes' cutscenes; it's hilarious.”
- “They take the stupid story so seriously, but I couldn't stop laughing all the time.”
- “The voice acting was hilariously bad, which made it even more comical.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches and bugs that contribute to a feeling of being rushed and unfinished. Many describe the experience as unbalanced and frustrating, indicating that the game's technical issues significantly detract from overall enjoyment.
- “It has so many glitches it would take far more time to list them all than I am willing to do.”
- “Buggy and terribly unbalanced.”
- “Not too bad, a bit short and very buggy game; feels rushed and unfinished, but aside from that, it's not terrible.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is frequently praised for its unique level design and intriguing world, earning high marks despite criticisms of clunky gameplay and outdated graphics. Many players appreciate the immersive environment, suggesting it has the potential to enhance replayability, even if the overall execution falls short.
- “The level design and atmosphere is great... I would give 8/10 for the map design.”
- “I just like the atmosphere and weird world to replay a few times.”
- “Damnation is sadly way too unpolished a game, which could have been much more with its atmosphere and all.”
- “But be warned: gameplay is clunky, graphics outdated even for the release time; I just like the atmosphere and weird world to replay a few times.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The music in the game is described as nice and contributes positively to the overall experience, complementing the engaging gameplay and storyline. Players appreciate the stable performance of the game alongside its entertaining soundtrack.
- “The music in the game is nice and adds to the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack complements the gameplay perfectly, enhancing the atmosphere.”
- “I love how the music sets the tone for each level, making every moment feel epic.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, with some describing the parkour mechanics as unresponsive, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The grinding feels slow, tedious, and at times unresponsive.”
- “The grinding is repetitive and lacks any real sense of progression.”
- “The amount of time required to grind for resources is frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is widely criticized, with reviewers noting a lack of depth and growth for the characters, describing the narrative as chaotic and filled with clichés.
- “The story is a mess, clichés of Shyamalan caliber, with no character development whatsoever.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with multiple users finding the story to be unengaging and lacking depth.