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Dolmen is a single player and multiplayer role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Massive Work Studio and was released on May 20, 2022. It received negative reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

"Dolmen is a Sci-Fi Role Playing game set on the alien world of Revion Prime, where you must gather unique crystals capable of revolutionizing space exploration. Experience dynamic combat with melee and ranged options, and energy management that enhances your attacks. Discover the mysteries of this beautiful yet hostile planet in single-player or two-player co-op."

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58%
Audience ScoreBased on 220 reviews
gameplay11 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions

  • Dolmen offers a unique blend of souls-like mechanics with a sci-fi setting, providing an interesting atmosphere and engaging gameplay.
  • The crafting system allows for a variety of weapon and armor combinations, encouraging players to experiment with different builds.
  • The game features challenging boss fights that require players to learn enemy patterns and adapt their strategies.
  • The combat feels clunky and unresponsive at times, with issues related to hit detection and animation fluidity.
  • The story and lore are underdeveloped, lacking depth and failing to engage players effectively.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including camera problems and inconsistent enemy behavior, which detract from the overall experience.
  • gameplay
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Dolmen has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its janky mechanics, slow pacing, and lack of clear explanations for core systems, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the unique energy mechanic and varied boss designs, others find the combat frustrating due to unfair difficulty spikes and poorly telegraphed enemy attacks. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from significant polish issues that hinder enjoyment.

    • “Dolmen's core gameplay is good.”
    • “Great graphics and gameplay, and it's very well optimized.”
    • “Satisfying gameplay that strongly encourages mixing up melee and ranged weapons on the fly.”
    • “Honestly, I would like to say that some of the bosses have some good ideas going on, but the fact that the moment-to-moment gameplay is so incredibly janky and slow makes any good ideas they may have had just feel like an annoyance.”
    • “The main issue with combat is the jank, with fiddly animations and mechanics that are about as reliable as that used car you bought last month from that shady salesman.”
    • “This is perhaps the worst souls-like I have tried, and it is embarrassing that a group of people came together and had such flawed and horrid-feeling mechanics that they tried to build a game around.”
  • story
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it weak, bland, and lacking depth, often describing it as a mere backdrop to the gameplay. While some appreciate the lore and world-building elements, others criticize the characters and plot as clichéd and uninspired. Overall, the consensus leans towards the story being a significant drawback, overshadowed by more engaging gameplay mechanics.

    • “The game is full of beautiful vibrant colors, it has amazing responsive controls that never fail during combat, and the story will have you on the edge of your seat and emotionally attached to the amazing characters in the game.”
    • “To sum it all up, Dolmen is a great game with a huge world waiting to be explored. The gameplay is precise, the story is hidden in the many Dolmen lore computers, and every Dolmen respawn computer is a relief while every boss fight is intense.”
    • “This is a very innovative souls-like game, with a deep immersive atmosphere in space (without thematic exaggeration, which I truly like) with a very rich and engaging storytelling.”
    • “The whole story was really nonsense and you did not miss anything by skipping all the notes on the ground.”
    • “The story is weak but the voice acting and overall presentation are very good.”
    • “The story is nothing to write home about, but I would hope anyone interested in this wasn't coming for the story; the overwhelming consensus is that it's not very good and I am in concurrence with that statement.”
  • graphics
    39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the crisp visuals and enjoyable aesthetics, while others criticize the art style as generic and uninspired. Many agree that the graphics are decent for a low-budget title, but they do not stand out as revolutionary or particularly impressive for a 2022 release. Overall, the game is visually appealing but lacks the polish and innovation expected from modern titles.

    • “The graphics are crisp and look nice.”
    • “The graphics are sick and the gameplay is awesome!”
    • “Great graphics and gameplay, and it's very well optimized.”
    • “It seems like all the effort was put into the graphics instead of the gameplay.”
    • “Graphic is fine but you can clearly tell that this is a low budget game.”
    • “The graphics are that of a PlayStation 2 vomiting into the Unreal Engine and it getting upscaled... slightly.”
  • grinding
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have mixed feelings about grinding in the game, with some finding it manageable and even enjoyable, particularly for endgame achievements and weapon upgrades. However, the lack of fast travel options and the necessity to farm bosses for unique weapons can make the process tedious and time-consuming. Overall, while grinding is not essential to complete the game, it is a significant aspect for those seeking to maximize their experience and obtain rare items.

    • “A grinder's paradise for wanting to get rare drops, materials, and currency for level ups, though no grinding is required to beat the game.”
    • “The upgrade and progression systems are elaborate and motivating, and enemies drop a lot of items, so it's not really grindy.”
    • “There's no way to quickly warp to checkpoints, so you have to physically go all the way to them every time, making farming routes incredibly tedious due to how large the maps are with no mobility options other than backstep spamming.”
    • “Whoever thought gating multiplayer behind resource grinding was a good idea didn’t think straight at all.”
    • “Devs please make boss weapons cost 1 material instead of 3, I want to try all the unique weapons but farming the bosses is a chore.”
  • humor
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as both adorable and hilarious, with players finding amusement in its quirky names and absurdities, such as the term "dolmen" having a humorous connotation in some dialects. While the game itself may not be highly regarded, its comedic elements, including funny boss names and the overall silliness, provide a lighthearted experience that can be enjoyed, especially at a low price. However, some players acknowledge that the humor is a significant part of the game's appeal rather than its quality.

    • “It's both adorable and hilarious.”
    • “Dolmen is a really funny game that I can recommend you pick up on sale for 2 dollars, but you should never spend more than that.”
    • “The bosses have funny names like Tharvis Kheep and General Blingus, and half of them can be cheesed by getting them stuck or just abusing the AI.”
  • stability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, stability in the game is mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with no crashes and good performance on high-end hardware, others encounter significant bugs, glitches, and unresponsive controls that detract from gameplay. Boss encounters and combat mechanics are particularly criticized for being inconsistent and unsatisfying.

    • “Otherwise, the game is pretty fun; it runs great on a 3090 with all settings maxed.”
    • “It runs great! I've played for several hours, and the only bugs I've encountered were ones that killed me or that I killed!”
    • “However, buggy combat is hard, very empty, and results in being one-shot.”
    • “It's broken, buggy, stuttering, and unplayable.”
    • “Bosses are buggy, as are some enemies.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting good graphics and performance without major bugs. However, some users have experienced issues such as stuttering and strange menu controls, indicating that while the optimization is solid, there are still areas that could use improvement.

    • “I don't think I ran into any bugs or performance issues.”
    • “+ graphics, optimization, and surprisingly, audio design are good.”
    • “Great graphics and gameplay, and it's very well optimized.”
    • “Broken, buggy, stuttering, unplayable.”
    • “The game is not optimized.”
    • “I haven't encountered any major bugs or performance issues; however, the menu controls with a pad are strange, some effects need a do-over (the spider green death poof...jesus), and the human models...really?”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized as strange and dream-like, creating a deep immersive experience in a dark, space-themed setting that enhances its rich storytelling. While some elements could be improved, the overall ambiance effectively combines challenging gameplay with a strong horror element, contributing to its innovative souls-like nature.

    • “It has a strange, dream-like atmosphere that I couldn't really describe to you if I tried, but I feel it.”
    • “This is a very innovative souls-like game, with a deep immersive atmosphere in space (without thematic exaggeration, which I truly like) with a very rich and engaging storytelling.”
    • “Challenging fights, and good horror atmosphere.”
    • “Some sounds, interactions, designs, or elements linked to the atmosphere could be better.”
    • “The atmosphere is dark, and the bugs are real.”
    • “It has a strange, dream-like atmosphere that I couldn't really describe if I tried, but I feel it.”
  • music
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is described as eclectic and fitting in unexpected ways, particularly noted for its effectiveness on the ship. While some boss music is criticized for being cringeworthy, the overall sound design, including music and sound effects, is generally cohesive and enhances the gaming experience, though there are inconsistencies in the quality of sound effects.

    • “The music on the ship is weird, doesn't really fit, but is somehow also perfect.”
    • “Awesome music and sound effects.”
    • “The enemy, environment, and sound designs are all cohesive, and the music complements them all well.”
    • “The boss music is worse and more cringeworthy than in another crab's treasure.”
    • “The enemy, environment, and sound designs are all cohesive, and the music complements them well enough.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express mixed feelings about the game's replayability, noting that while there is some potential in experimenting with different builds, the overall experience remains largely unchanged. Many criticize the linearity and lack of exploration, suggesting that the game could benefit from expanded content to enhance replay value.

    • “I would love to see the good parts of this game expanded upon to provide more replay value, similar to Nioh.”
    • “There is some replay value in experimenting with different builds, although it may not offer a completely different experience like in some other Souls games.”
    • “Would love to see the good parts of this game expanded on and given a lot more replay value similar to Nioh.”
    • “There is some replay value in experimenting with a different build (which isn’t going to be a totally different experience, unlike in some other Souls games), everything else stays the same.”
    • “Loads of empty rooms with nothing in them; if the game continues like this, there will be no replay value. It's very linear with not much to explore.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game emotionally engaging, praising its vibrant visuals and responsive controls that enhance the immersive experience. The compelling story and well-developed characters create a strong emotional attachment, keeping players invested throughout their journey.

    • “The game is full of beautiful vibrant colors, it has amazing responsive controls that never fail during combat, and the story will have you on the edge of your seat and emotionally attached to the amazing characters in the game.”
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40%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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11h Median play time
10h Average play time
6-15h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Dolmen is a role playing game with science fiction theme.

Dolmen is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 10 hours playing Dolmen.

Dolmen was released on May 20, 2022.

Dolmen was developed by Massive Work Studio.

Dolmen has received negative reviews from players and negative reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Dolmen is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Hellpoint, Enotria: The Last Song, Immortal: Unchained, Mortal Shell, The Surge and others.