Hands of Necromancy II

About

Hands of Necromancy II is a single player action game. It was developed by HON Team and was released on September 16, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Hands of Necromancy II lets you choose between the original Necromancer and a powerful new female protagonist, each with unique weapons, spells, and transformations. Traverse diverse, dangerous landscapes—from ancient castles to desert wastelands—while battling enemies and raising undead servants. Classic fan-favorite spells return alongside exciting new abilities for intense, strategic combat.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 62 reviews

music13 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game improves on its predecessor with clearer level design and a more linear progression, making navigation easier and less confusing.
Combat mechanics are enjoyable, with fun transformations and a variety of spells that enhance gameplay, alongside a charming soundtrack.
The addition of a second playable character with unique abilities adds depth and variety to the gameplay experience.

Controls are poorly designed, leading to confusion and frustration, especially with item selection and character movement during the tutorial.
The game suffers from dark environments that make it difficult to see enemies, and some level designs feel simplistic and lacking in creativity.
Technical issues, such as high CPU usage and problems with alt-tabbing, detract from the overall experience and can lead to crashes.

music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
24%
14%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its emotional depth and atmospheric quality. The soundtrack features a diverse range of styles, from eerie vocal passages to beautiful instrumental pieces, effectively enhancing the game's dark and colorful world. Overall, it is considered one of the standout elements of the game, with some calling it the best soundtrack they've heard all year.
- “The first game had some solid themes, but here the composer has pushed the chips all-in; individual songs wander between strange eerie vocal passages to moments of quiet beauty, with guitar and flute used to particularly great effect.”
- “The one element of the game that has really taken me by surprise is the excellent music, it just amps up the atmosphere and vibe a ton, it's so flipping good.”
- “The music is gorgeous, I had to stop playing and just listen to it.”
- “And then there's the music.”
- “The music is also kind of random, but the songs themselves are phenomenal.”
- “The main thing I noticed big time was the music.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The gameplay in "Hands of Necromancy 2" is generally well-received, with improvements over its predecessor, including better mechanics, a new playable character, and more focused level design that enhances pacing. While some players find the magic and enemy mechanics lacking in innovation, the overall experience is enjoyable, especially for fans of retro shooters, thanks to its strong gameplay flow and resource management elements. Despite some criticisms regarding visuals and audio, many agree that the gameplay is the standout feature, making it worth a play.
- “Basically, for the price and gameplay offered, it's well worth a play even for a few hours.”
- “Gameplay is the main dish of Hands of Necromancy 2, and together with level design, it's its strongest aspect.”
- “Among many retro shooters on Steam, Hands of Necromancy 2 stands out as one of the best, and despite its low-fi aesthetic and the engine that is getting a bit long in the tooth, its strong gameplay and level design shine through.”
- “However, the enemies are not that interesting mechanically.”
- “Seems like a waste of the transformation mechanic to not give us more to explore and find.”
- “Bad sprites, bad audio, bad AI, bad controls and mechanics.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of "Hands of Necromancy II" evoke a nostalgic retro aesthetic reminiscent of 90s games, featuring colorful environments and billboard sprites that may hinder visibility. While some players find the visuals dated and janky compared to modern standards, others appreciate the impressive level design and the game's ability to capture the charm of classic shooters. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose within the context of the gameplay, contributing to a unique fantasy atmosphere despite their limitations.
- “The level designs and textures sent me back to childhood and a lot of the simple yet beautiful aesthetics I loved growing up in the 90s.”
- “Graphics and most of all the level design is very impressive, but it can be sometimes difficult to find the next step.”
- “This game has more of a fantasy feel, with bright colorful graphics with crystals and mushrooms dotting the landscape.”
- “Hands of Necromancy II is one of those old-timey games, with dated graphics, a bit weird controls (despite the control overhaul), and the very typical kind of map.”
- “The graphics are very bad, like worse than the original Doom, and the controls are a bit janky.”
- “The game uses the same engine and graphics from the first Hands of Necromancy game, but the environments are more disjointed.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its expansive levels, unique magical weaponry, and excellent music, which significantly enhance the overall experience. However, some reviewers note that it lacks the eerie, brooding quality of its predecessor and is more linear, leading to mixed feelings about its atmospheric depth. Overall, while it may not fully capture the essence of the original, it still delivers a strong and engaging atmosphere.
- “An atmospheric first-person shooter with an emphasis on large sprawling levels, exploration, and unique magical weaponry.”
- “It's all fantastic and massively elevates the atmosphere of the game, feeling more befitting of a grander project.”
- “The one element of the game that has really taken me by surprise is the excellent music; it just amps up the atmosphere and vibe a ton, it's so flipping good.”
- “It's unfortunately a very linear game that doesn't have the eerie, brooding atmosphere of the original game.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The story in "Hands of Necromancy Two" is minimal, primarily consisting of a few cutscenes and lacking significant context or plot development. While the gameplay has improved with new characters and power-ups, the narrative remains secondary to the action, with players mostly engaging in wandering and shooting without a strong storyline.
- “There is not much story to tell, just wandering and shooting in random areas without much context or plot.”
- “Hands of Necromancy Two is basically like the first one, but way better gameplay, another playable character, more power-ups, not so much story (if you don't count the three cutscenes, or six, if we consider the other character's story), smaller but more 'focused' maps (which is good, it improves the pace a lot).”
- “-story layout”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have reported issues with optimization, noting that the game can feel stuttery or unresponsive, particularly during the tutorial, where control over the character is intermittently removed.
- “I thought the game was stuttering or crashing, but it's just the tutorial randomly removing your control over the character.”
- “The optimization is so poor that even on high-end hardware, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- “Frequent lag spikes and long loading times make the experience frustrating, especially during critical moments.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's replayability is limited due to the presence of only two playable characters, whose similar arsenals fail to provide a distinct gaming experience, making it less engaging compared to other titles like the Hexen series.
- “There are only two playable characters to choose from, and their arsenals are too similar to each other to provide a different gaming experience or replay value, unlike the Hexen games.”
- “The lack of diverse gameplay options makes it hard to find reasons to replay the game after finishing it once.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there isn't much incentive to go back, as the story and mechanics don't change.”