Hammerfight
- October 28, 2009
- Konstantin Koshutin
Get on Steam"Hammerfight" is a single-player historical hack and slash game with an interesting plot and outstanding game mechanics, centered around realistic physics simulation in its 2D battles of flying machines. The game features high-quality art, breakable objects, and over 5
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Reviews
- The game features a unique and satisfying physics-based combat system that allows players to swing various weapons using mouse movements, creating a visceral and engaging experience.
- The art style and world-building are praised for their creativity, with a steampunk aesthetic that adds depth to the gameplay.
- Despite its flaws, the game offers a lot of replayability with multiple weapons, upgrades, and game modes, making it a fun experience for those who enjoy challenging gameplay.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with AI behavior and occasional crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.
- Many players find the controls to be unintuitive and frustrating, particularly with mouse sensitivity settings that require adjustment for optimal gameplay.
- The story is often described as confusing and poorly translated, making it difficult for players to engage with the narrative.
- story91 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and immersive, while others struggle with its incoherence and complexity, often attributing these issues to its translation from Russian. Set in a visually appealing pseudo-Arabic world, the narrative features branching paths and decision-making that can affect gameplay, but many reviewers noted that the story can feel disjointed and difficult to follow. Overall, while the story may not be the main draw for everyone, it adds a layer of depth to the otherwise enjoyable combat and gameplay experience.
“Years later and I still keep coming back to this incredibly fun, story-rich, immersive game.”
“The lush backstory slowly unfolds across the campaign and presents a deep, fascinating universe to swing maces in.”
“The combat and character advancement are both very well done, and the story is well written—with a few branching paths for replay value.”
“A smaller gripe is that I couldn't follow the story at all, as it was entirely tell-don't-show and used names in an unfamiliar style that I found impossible to remember.”
“The story is equal parts impossible to follow, disjointed, full of strange unexplained terms, fascinating, atmospheric, and moving.”
“The story basically feels like someone translated Dune into Russian and then back into English while drunk, but people who play games for the story are stupid and bad and should read a fucking book instead.”
- gameplay71 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its unique and satisfying mechanics, particularly the physics-driven combat that allows players to wield oversized weapons in a creative and engaging manner. While some users noted technical issues and a confusing story, the core gameplay remains addictive and challenging, with a variety of weapons and upgrades that enhance the experience. Overall, it stands out as a fun and innovative title that encourages players to master its mechanics despite initial difficulties.
“The gameplay is phenomenal with an excellent soundtrack to boot.”
“The combat mechanic is absolutely solid and completely satisfying.”
“Gameplay is where Hammerfight really shines.”
“The sensitivity of the movement controls is poor, which is very bad when they're heavily involved in its single core mechanic.”
“The game does very little to explain useful mechanics, the useless HUD takes up large portions of the screen, and the camera often fails to follow you properly.”
“If they had put just a little effort into polishing the gameplay, tweaking the mouse settings, or working on the AI, this could be a truly unique gem of a game.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising its unique art style and aesthetic appeal, while others criticize the outdated resolution and lack of graphical options. Many players appreciate the clean visuals and immersive environments, but note that the graphics can appear blurry or pixelated at times. Overall, while the visuals may not meet modern standards, they still contribute to an enjoyable gaming experience for some players.
“The aesthetics of the game are great.”
“It's got a decent story, fantastic visuals, great music, and a fantastic game feel.”
“A fun game, robust engine, charming and beautiful graphics, and fun level design.”
“There is no cash upgrade system, the combat is a clunky mess, and the graphics are sorely outdated, with no option for higher resolutions.”
“Whatever I do, the graphics still seem blurry.”
“The graphical options are only half developed.”
- music12 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise, with many reviewers highlighting its fantastic quality and how well it complements the gameplay and visuals. The soundtrack enhances the unique steampunk atmosphere, contributing to an immersive experience that stands out in a sea of medieval-themed games. Overall, the music is described as beautiful and fitting, adding depth to the game's engaging combat and artistic design.
“The gameplay is phenomenal with an excellent soundtrack to boot.”
“It's got a decent story, fantastic visuals, great music, and a fantastic game feel.”
“The music and effects work well.”
“Steampunk, whirling dervish imagery, zeppelins, robots, sand worms, gladiators, intrigue, and a kickass soundtrack.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences. Despite these issues, many players find the overall gameplay enjoyable and entertaining, suggesting that the fun factor can sometimes outweigh the stability problems. However, the persistent technical issues have left some players feeling that the game is poorly designed and difficult to fully appreciate.
“Horrible glitches ruining the flow and pacing of entire levels.”
“I say frustration because without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the most buggy and janky games I have ever played, filled with small and large annoyances and questionable design decisions that plague me even after I have become familiar with each and every eccentricity.”
“It is extremely buggy and has a variety of issues that I doubt will ever be resolved.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its intriguing world, unique combat mechanics, and various game modes, including an engaging arena mode. Players appreciate the dynamic story with branching paths, diverse weapons, and challenging boss fights, all contributing to a compelling experience that encourages multiple playthroughs. Overall, the combination of well-crafted gameplay elements and a destructible environment enhances the game's replay value.
“Intriguing mysterious world, unique physics-based mouse-controlled melee combat, beautiful retro graphics, and a massive amount of potential replayability if you like the arena mode.”
“Tons of replayability, and it has a habit of instilling a crazy adrenaline rush whenever you land a good hit on an enemy.”
“The combat and character advancement are both very well done, and the story is well written—with a few branching paths for replay value.”
“The combat and 'character' advancement are both very well done, and the story is well written--with a few branching paths for replay value.”
“Intriguing mysterious world, unique physics-based mouse-controlled melee combat, beautiful retro graphics and a massive amount of potential replayability if you like the arena mode.”
“Dynamic story, cool weapons, proper difficulty, fun boss fights, different game modes, destroyable environment and replayable.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating setting and original gameplay, creating a fascinating and immersive experience. However, some players find the story disjointed and difficult to follow, which can detract from the overall atmosphere. Despite this, the combination of art, challenges, and emotional depth contributes to a compelling ambiance.
“The story is equal parts impossible to follow, disjointed, full of strange unexplained terms, fascinating, atmospheric, and moving.”
“Original gameplay, cool atmosphere, great challenges.”
“The atmosphere, setting, and central mechanics are very good though, this game really deserves to be fixed.”
“I enjoyed everything about it - art, story, atmosphere, and especially gameplay.”
