Halls of Torment: Prelude

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Halls of Torment PRELUDE is a casual roguelite action RPG with a pre-rendered retro look reminiscent of RPGs from the late 90s. Choose one of three hero characters and descend into the deadly Halls of Torment. Fight unholy horrors from beyond and survive wave after wave of enemies until you face one of the tormented Lords. Strengthen your hero with character traits, abilities, and items. Create a …

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,646 reviews

graphics74 positive mentions

grinding38 negative mentions

The game combines the addictive gameplay of Vampire Survivors with the nostalgic aesthetics of Diablo, creating a fun and engaging experience.
The demo offers a surprising amount of content, allowing players to explore various mechanics and unlocks, making it a worthwhile experience.
The graphics and sound design evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of classic 90s RPGs, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.

The game suffers from balance issues, with certain classes feeling significantly more powerful than others, leading to a lack of variety in gameplay.
Crashes and performance issues, especially during intense gameplay moments, can be frustrating and disrupt the overall experience.
The upgrades and abilities often feel underwhelming, lacking the impactful changes that players expect from similar games in the genre.

graphics
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
The graphics of the game draw heavily from the nostalgic aesthetics of the original Diablo series, featuring a gritty, low-resolution style that evokes the 1990s isometric RPGs. While many players appreciate the retro visuals and find them immersive, some criticize the graphics for being blurry or lacking polish. Overall, the art style is seen as a strong point, contributing to the game's charm and appeal within the crowded genre of survivor-like games.
- “The graphics accurately re-create the retro look of the 1990s isometric RPGs that were popular at the time, to the point where the game looks a little low-res and you can make out the polygonal shapes.”
- “With its impressive combination of Diablo 2-style graphics and a bullet hell survival game, this rogue-like masterpiece is guaranteed to keep you engaged and entertained for hours on end.”
- “The graphics are reminiscent of the classic Diablo 2, with dark, foreboding dungeons and beautifully designed enemies that really bring the game to life.”
- “The graphics of this game are still bad in absolute terms.”
- “Graphically messy, no creativity in the power-ups, boring maps, and above all just tedious instead of a tactical power fantasy.”
- “Something is very wrong with this game if my rig can run Diablo III at max graphics but chokes on something that should be way less demanding.”
gameplay
170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
The gameplay is a blend of addictive mechanics reminiscent of "Vampire Survivors" and the aesthetic of "Diablo," offering a satisfying loop of progression through upgrades and quests. While many players appreciate the engaging combat and unique systems, some criticize the repetitiveness of upgrades and certain boss mechanics that can detract from the experience. Overall, the game is seen as a solid entry in the horde survival genre, with potential for further improvement as it develops.
- “With gameplay that's both simple and complex, exploring the numerous methods of eliminating entire armies is more fun than it has any right to be.”
- “It has an addicting gameplay loop that makes you want to play just one more hour.”
- “Even in its alpha release it has addicting gameplay, fun bosses, and delivers upon the concept well.”
- “Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of that gameplay; this particular vampire survivor-inspired game hues much closer to a traditional RPG in terms of the earned upgrades within a run.”
- “You will never feel as if you have any upper hand at any point, so it takes away from the gameplay.”
- “It looked cool, but overall it's circle strafing a horde with no real tension to its gameplay.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
82%
6%
The game's story is largely criticized for being non-existent, with players noting a lack of narrative depth both in-game and in promotional materials. While the quest system offers engaging gameplay and progression, some quests can feel tedious, and the overall story experience is minimal, leaving players hoping for future updates that might enhance the narrative elements. Despite the absence of a compelling story, the game captures a nostalgic vibe reminiscent of classic titles like Diablo, with a focus on quest-driven gameplay.
- “Promising start, I hope more story and characters get added using the old Diablo animations.”
- “I think Halls of Torment could actually become a great game if the devs go more in depth with the RPG elements and include stuff like dungeons, skill trees for characters, and possibly story progress.”
- “The story is completely non-existent and there isn't anything in-game or even on the Steam store page, which is odd because sometimes developers at least put some sort of backstory in the description on the store page if there's nothing in the game.”
- “There is no story whatsoever.”
- “The story follows our courageous protagonist, you, who decides to vacation in a torture chamber, because let's face it, lying on a beach with a cocktail is so last season.”
atmosphere
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
50%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, eerie, and nostalgic qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like Diablo. Reviewers appreciate the combination of evocative art style, sound design, and gameplay that creates a tense and immersive experience. While some suggest that map design could be improved, the overall aesthetic and atmosphere are considered a strong point, enhancing the enjoyment and replayability of the game.
- “The dark and eerie atmosphere sets the mood perfectly, reminiscent of that one time you thought you heard a noise in your house but were too scared to investigate.”
- “Fantastic aesthetic and atmosphere; I see a lot of potential in this.”
- “While I do think that the design of the currently available maps could be more exciting and that the game's atmosphere could be improved by a lot, Halls of Torment Prelude is a nice addition to the libraries for not only fans of the Diablo franchise.”
- “Yes, it is, but I can't help but feel that it adds nothing except Diablo 2 graphics and atmosphere.”
- “There is an underlying tenseness in its dark atmosphere which adds some kind of seriousness to the game; I just love it.”
grinding
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and unfulfilling, with many players feeling that progress lacks excitement and clarity. While some appreciate the unique quest system that provides milestones, others find the overall experience repetitive and uninspired, leading to a sense of frustration rather than enjoyment. Despite this, a few players enjoy the grind as a relaxing element, indicating that the appeal may vary depending on individual preferences for grind-heavy gameplay.
- “There's nothing to feel particularly excited about and progress feels tedious and pointless, which does not help with the repetitive nature of the game.”
- “While the pre-rendered, Diablo 1 style visuals are a nice throwback, this game fails to offer any sort of novelty or at least match the satisfying gameplay of Vampire Survivors - the skills here are uninspiring, the progress too, and killing stuff becomes tedious after a while.”
- “There are certain pacing issues that I'd like to see resolved, like the suboptimal experience gain combined with the obnoxiously short pick-up distance that makes leveling extremely tedious as you herd the monsters around so you can position yourself closer to the gems.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric dark fantasy compositions that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it generic and forgettable. Comparisons to the soundtracks of classic titles like Diablo highlight its charm, but many agree that it lacks the memorable quality found in other games, such as Vampire Survivors. Overall, the sound effects and voice acting are noted as strong points, contributing to an engaging atmosphere.
- “They have a battle pass system that integrates perfectly with the smooth gameplay, reactive controls, and hypnotic musical score. This game could be a Diablo 4 killer.”
- “But what I like most about it is that it has big Diablo 1 vibes, not only in how it looks, but also the music and sound effects. This combo makes the game very pleasing to play, and listening to it, combined with the atmosphere and gameplay, creates a fun experience that makes you want to play more.”
- “Addicting, super fun, great visuals and soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is composed of generic atmospheric dark fantasy songs.”
- “The soundtrack is made up of dark fantasy songs that suit the area they play in but are otherwise forgettable; the sound effects are sonorous, and the voice acting for the one character is surprisingly good.”
- “I do think Vampire Survivors has better music, but with that said, the gameplay is comparable.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
55%
36%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users reporting crashes, stuttering, and performance issues, particularly on older computers and during intense gameplay moments. While some players have noted improvements in certain areas, many are hopeful for future patches to enhance overall performance, as the game's potential is overshadowed by its current technical shortcomings.
- “If performance in late-game improves and more content is added, it's going to be super awesome.”
- “One note: in the end-game shortly before 30 minutes, the performance sometimes goes a bit down, but I know that the devs are working on this, and I'm certain that with more patches at some point it will be fluent.”
- “There are small gaps here and there - like linear mob spawns, some performance issues and ways to easily kill bosses.”
- “Hopefully they do a performance patch, and when they do I will happily change my review. I think it's a really good game, but it doesn't matter how good it is if it runs badly.”
- “When in fullscreen, there is significant stuttering on the character selection screen.”
replayability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its solid mechanics and potential for variety with additional classes and environments, others feel it may be limited in scope. The challenging stages and nostalgic elements contribute positively to replay value, but there are concerns about its long-term engagement. Ultimately, it shows promise for improvement in future updates.
- “With its beautiful graphics, intense action, and endless replayability, it is a must-play for anyone looking for a thrilling gaming experience.”
- “The grind and loot search from Diablo with the easy replayability of any good swarm survival game, plus twin stick.”
- “Fun game, but feels like it might be very limited from a replay value perspective.”
- “Although I had fun playing it, it lacks replayability, but also has a lot of potential, so I hope the release is better.”
- “Another great feature of Halls of Torment is its replayability.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report experiencing crashes and bugs, others have enjoyed extended play sessions without any issues. Despite these inconsistencies, many players find the game enjoyable and consider it a more stable alternative to similar titles like Diablo IV.
- “Still a bit buggy (2 crashes) but so much fun!”
- “The morally superior, less buggy, more fun alternative to Diablo IV”
- “No crashes or glitches in my first 6 hrs on the prelude.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's ability to evoke deep emotions, describing it as an "emotional rollercoaster" that immerses them in feelings of despair rather than offering straightforward victories. This intensity adds a compelling layer to the gaming experience, making it memorable and impactful.
- “Who needs easy wins when you can have an emotional rollercoaster of despair?”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as straightforward yet effective, consistently eliciting laughter from players.
- “Simple, but funny.”

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11h Median play time

13h Average play time

10-21h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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