Griefhelm
- March 3, 2018
- JohnnyDale
"Griefhelm" is a local and online multiplayer party game that features fast-paced, violent duels with medieval weaponry. Play with up to 4 players in couch co-op or online, and master your skills in a challenging, replayable campaign. With stunning graphics and hand-crafted environments, players can unlock weapons and armor in this visually striking and intense game.
Reviews
- The game features fun and engaging combat mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to master, making it enjoyable for both casual and competitive play.
- Griefhelm offers a visually appealing aesthetic with great graphics and a charming art style, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- The multiplayer mode shines when played with friends, providing a fun and chaotic environment that encourages teamwork and strategy.
- The interface is clunky and the controls can feel unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The single-player campaign can be punishingly difficult from the start, with AI opponents that seem to cheat and exploit player weaknesses.
- There is a lack of content and variety, making the game feel repetitive over time, especially when playing solo.
- gameplay34 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Griefhelm is a blend of Nidhogg's tug-of-war mechanics and Mordhau's combat complexity, offering a mix of simple yet deep mechanics that can be satisfying once mastered. However, players have noted issues with clunky controls, laggy remote play, and unbalanced elements that detract from the overall experience. While the game features beautiful visuals and a variety of modes, it struggles with bugs and unintuitive gameplay, making it a mixed bag for players seeking a fun 2D fighting game.
“Either way, Griefhelm is a great success in its core gameplay concepts and is a real treat to play.”
“The gameplay feels very satisfying once you get good at reacting to your opponent(s), and the maps are beautiful.”
“Gameplay is quick, brutal, and satisfying, like a lunch break-sized Mordhau.”
“Decent idea, but controls and gameplay are so janky and unintuitive it's painful to play.”
“Unfortunately, unlike Nidhogg, the gameplay is clunky and needs some serious tweaks.”
“That combined with vision-obscuring obstacles that only hinder gameplay and several other bugs are making it hard to enjoy this fully at the moment.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and aesthetic appeal, with many reviewers highlighting the charming art style and visually striking environments that enhance the overall experience. While the visuals contribute to an immersive atmosphere, some players noted issues with optimization and excessive graphic animations that can disrupt gameplay flow. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, complementing the engaging combat and adding depth to the game's setting.
“The game is interesting, reminds me of Nidhogg (enough so that I thought it was directly inspired by it) but with a nicer graphic style, beautiful backgrounds, and a nice diverse set of weapons.”
“The combat is great, the narrative bits are great, and the graphics are gorgeous.”
“Visually striking art style and handcrafted environments bring the world of Griefhelm to life.”
“I almost think this game should've been made with high-contrast pixelated graphics instead; it would make it easier to judge the spacing, run smoother, etc.”
“Graphics are decent but optimization is a bit lacking.”
“Like seriously, this game has a timed graphic for almost everything.”
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered minimal and lacking depth, with many players expressing a desire for a more substantial narrative. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the integration of gameplay with the story, others find it too simplistic and reminiscent of older arcade-style games. Overall, the campaign is seen as bare-bones, with only flavor text to provide context, leaving players wanting more in terms of storytelling and character development.
“I love the little story behind the game and how it follows your path along with the gameplay that is tough but fair, requiring skill to defeat your enemy.”
“The atmosphere really reminds me almost of a cross between Shadow of the Colossus' wordless worldbuilding with Dark Souls' almost poetic descriptions and fractured story.”
“Nah, but basically it's a good game and a well-written story, but still easy to pick up and down or just waste an hour or two in.”
“I just wish there was a little more, as once I got the hang of it and completed the campaign/story, there wasn't anything left for me to do.”
“The drawback is there is no heavy story in this game; it's a shame.”
“The campaign is roguelike styled and rather raw, with only flavor text in place of a story.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its expansive content, including a rogue-lite randomized campaign and a customizable encounter mode for unique battles. Players can enjoy a dynamic campaign with branching paths, unlockable gear, and random rewards, ensuring a fresh experience with each playthrough. Overall, the developers have prioritized replay value, making it a standout in its genre.
“The content and replay value is expansive, having not only a rogue-lite, randomized campaign, but also a fully tweakable encounter mode where you can make your own unique battles with bots!”
“There's a decent amount of replayability with the unlockable gear and stages.”
“Branching paths and random rewards in a campaign add a degree of replayability.”
“Challenge a dynamic, replayable campaign and claim your reward in Griefhelm.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its fitting and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with an eerie yet beautiful soundtrack. Reviewers appreciate the effort put into creating a unique aesthetic that complements the game's themes of honor and glory, making it a standout feature of this indie gem.
“The aesthetic is top notch and blends very well with the eerie music that makes for a great atmosphere.”
“Unbelievably beautiful atmosphere, movement, and soundtrack.”
“I really love the effort put into creating that sort of feeling of dueling for honor and glory, especially the soundtrack.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning aesthetics and immersive sound design, blending eerie music with beautiful visuals to create a captivating experience. Reviewers note its evocative worldbuilding, drawing comparisons to titles like "Shadow of the Colossus" and "Dark Souls" for their poetic storytelling and emotional depth. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both haunting and breathtaking, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
“The aesthetic is top notch and blends very well with the eerie music that makes for a great atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere really reminds me almost of a cross between Shadow of the Colossus' wordless worldbuilding with Dark Souls' almost poetic descriptions and fractured story.”
“Unbelievably beautiful atmosphere, movement, and soundtrack.”
“The atmosphere really reminds me almost of a cross between Shadow of the Colossus' wordless worldbuilding and Dark Souls' almost poetic descriptions and fractured story.”
“The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, leaving me feeling disconnected from the world.”
“Despite the beautiful graphics, the atmosphere feels empty and lifeless, lacking any real sense of immersion.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report that the game's optimization is lacking, leading to occasional lags and cluttered visuals that detract from the experience. While the graphics are considered decent, there is a consensus that improvements are needed, with developers promising regular updates to enhance optimization and content.
“More optimization and content is planned to be released about every month, so I will update as the state of the game changes.”
“Most of the stages are a strange eyesore, with too much clutter in the way of the characters, leading to poor optimization and occasional lags.”
“Graphics are decent, but the optimization is somewhat lacking.”
“More optimization and content are planned to be released about every month, so I will update as the state of the game changes.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its brutal physics and the unpredictable AI behavior, which can lead to amusing moments such as allies turning on each other or making comically poor decisions. However, this humor tends to wear thin after prolonged play, especially when the mechanics do not support the chaotic antics effectively.
“The physics are super brutal and quite funny at times!”
“The AI... well, it has its moments of being smart, in between stabbing its ally in the back (yes, 1v2 is a possibility, so is 2v1 and 2v2 as well) and jumping to its death in an arena with pits to jump over. Hilarious, but loses its charm after 15 minutes in the same game where the mechanics aren't really built for jumping (which honestly feels like it was just kind of shoehorned in).”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, particularly in multiplayer mode, with users experiencing frequent bugs.
“The game is buggy, especially in multiplayer.”
“There are frequent crashes that ruin the experience.”
“Stability issues make it hard to enjoy the game.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics, particularly criticizing the reliance on an RNG-based drop system for unlocking gear in single-player mode, which they find tedious and unfulfilling.
“We all got so tired of it so quickly, and the way you unlock gear through grinding an RNG-based drop system in single player is frustrating.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“I found the grind to be tedious and unrewarding, which really detracted from my overall enjoyment.”