Skip to main content

Hands of Necromancy

Hands of Necromancy II feels like a classic FPS that has you using magic to battle enemies and bring the fallen ones back to life to fight with you; it’s so much fun to play!
Hands of Necromancy Game Cover
82%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
story, optimization
83% User Score Based on 270 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCMac OSWindows
Buy Nowfrom $0.99
Buy NowGet on Steam $0.99Buy NowGet on itch.io Store $4.99
Hands of Necromancy Game Cover

About

Hands of Necromancy is a single player shooter game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by frechou_games and was released on June 20, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Hands of Necromancy" is a dark fantasy action RPG where you play as a necromancer with the power to raise the dead. Use your abilities to control undead minions, cast powerful spells, and defeat evil foes in this immersive, atmospheric world. With diverse character customization options and challenging combat, players will need to strategize and adapt to survive.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
Hands of Necromancy screenshot
+3
Skip User Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 270 reviews
gameplay20 positive mentions
optimization4 negative mentions
  • Great level design with intricate and interconnected maps that encourage exploration.
  • Fun transformation mechanics that allow players to change into various creatures, adding depth to gameplay.
  • Solid combat system with a diverse arsenal of weapons and spells, providing a satisfying experience.
  • Some weapons feel underwhelming and lack impact, making combat less satisfying.
  • The game can be overly dark and confusing at times, leading to frustration in navigation.
  • Boss fights can be challenging to the point of frustration, detracting from the overall experience.
  • gameplay
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a blend of fast-paced first-person combat and strategic magical abilities, featuring unique mechanics like shapeshifting and necromancy that enhance exploration and combat. While the level design is praised for its complexity without confusion, some players find the pacing slow and the lack of direction frustrating. Overall, the game offers a refreshing take on retro-inspired shooters, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking deeper mechanics or lore.

    • “Gameplay is a blend of fast-paced first-person combat and strategic magical abilities.”
    • “Its combination of retro-inspired shooter mechanics, exploration-driven level design, and magical transformation abilities offers a unique and refreshing take on dark fantasy gameplay.”
    • “Amazing retro-shooter with creative mechanics, such as transforming, amazing maps and fun encounters.”
    • “The shapeshifting mechanic and the ability to raise enemies are nice ideas, but they aren't enough to carry this game.”
    • “Game is great, music and SFX are cool, if you like boomer shooters, doomlikes you should definitely give it a shot, but mind that the game gives almost 0 direction to you so 30 mins of gameplay probably went to aimlessly wandering around figuring out what to do or just looking for secrets.”
    • “It's an exercise in frustration more than actual gameplay.”
  • music
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game, composed by Luke Jansen, is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the dark fantasy setting, with many reviewers noting its suitability for both gameplay and boss fights. While some found it catchy and evocative, others felt it lacked emotional impact or was occasionally generic. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The soundtrack, composed by Luke Jansen, reinforces the dark fantasy atmosphere, while sound effects provide satisfying feedback for combat actions and environmental interactions.”
    • “The music is fantastic as well.”
    • “Fantastic, atmospheric music from Luke Jansen that's very reminiscent of Kevin Schilder's work.”
    • “Overall, aside from the music and a couple levels I wasn't too big a fan of, the only real gripe was the feeling of the game kinda dragging along near the end.”
    • “Music is very bland and generic, it doesn't really match the action and atmosphere of this game.”
    • “Ultimately, it's just a big sprawling Hexen clone with pastiche music and graphics and fresh gameplay that stays true to the spirit of the original.”
  • graphics
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are a blend of retro aesthetics and dark fantasy elements, reminiscent of 1990s titles like Heretic and Hexen. While some players appreciate the nostalgic pixel art and cohesive visual style, others criticize the graphics for being inconsistent, sterile, or overly simplistic, with a lack of modern polish. Overall, the visuals evoke a classic feel but may not impress those seeking contemporary graphical fidelity.

    • “Together, the visuals and audio create a cohesive experience that draws players into the game’s ominous and magical universe.”
    • “The art style and level design are superb as well.”
    • “Aesthetically, the game sticks very close to its inspirations, keeping a very basic old-school feel to the sprites, environments, animations, and sound effects.”
    • “We're playing with 1990s graphics.”
    • “The graphics look sterile and cartoony (nothing like the gloomy, misty environment of Hexen).”
    • “The texture quality is all over the place no matter the graphical settings.”
  • story
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game is generally perceived as weak and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting a minimal narrative presence and a reliance on environmental storytelling. While some titles incorporate RPG elements and offer a basic plot, the gameplay often overshadows the story, leading to a disjointed experience where exposition is quickly forgotten in favor of action. Overall, players find the narrative to be simplistic and underdeveloped, with many expressing disappointment in the lack of engaging lore or meaningful goals.

    • “The story unfolds across three large hub worlds, each comprised of interconnected maps that encourage thorough exploration.”
    • “There is a story and the map layouts are deep, complex, and realistic in the fantasy world context.”
    • “Featuring a medieval fantasy theme from games such as Heretic and Hexen, you follow a necromancer on his quest to defeat the three undead kings who are, as they do, wreaking havoc over the land.”
    • “Levels are boring, weapons are mostly lame, no real story.”
    • “This is aggravated due to the lack of story or goal; instead, it plays more along the lines of 'walk in, kill dudes, walk back to where you were'.”
    • “The story is given as an exposition dump between chapters, and they're just totally tossed aside when you actually get into the gameplay.”
  • atmosphere
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its richly detailed pixel art, atmospheric lighting, and a compelling soundtrack that enhances the dark fantasy theme. Players appreciate the immersive environments, dynamic combat, and the game's ability to evoke a sense of medieval and dark magic, with some noting a colorful yet serious tone reminiscent of classic shooters. Overall, the combination of art, music, and level design creates a captivating and atmospheric experience that resonates well with fans of the genre.

    • “Visually, Hands of Necromancy impresses with its richly detailed pixel art and atmospheric lighting.”
    • “The soundtrack, composed by Luke Jansen, reinforces the dark fantasy atmosphere, while sound effects provide satisfying feedback for combat actions and environmental interactions.”
    • “The atmosphere is spot on; the transformations into snake, golem, devil, and wyvern are awesome and contribute to the medieval and dark magic theme of this game.”
    • “The atmosphere is a little less serious (maybe closer to Doom/Heretic) and the art is fairly colorful, but the arsenal and progression through the levels (structured around hubs) have the kind of complexity that you'd expect from something inspired by Raven's classic.”
    • “Music is very bland and generic, it doesn't really match the action and atmosphere of this game.”
    • “Great hub-based level design with some truly massive levels and creative atmosphere (dungeons and castles abound, but there are also neat volcanic and woodland areas).”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly during boss fights and in large areas, leading to poor performance and frame drops even on capable hardware. While the aesthetics and some gameplay elements are appreciated, the overall experience is hindered by these performance problems.

    • “This game has a few small problems with performance.”
    • “No crashes, but there are performance issues in large areas.”
    • “Performance is terrible; a GZDoom game should not drop to 20fps on hardware that runs 2016 Doom with better framerates.”
    • “Everyone will have poor performance on this level.”
    • “The other instances of poor performance are in the boss fights.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users frequently encountering bugs that affect gameplay.

    • “The game can be quite buggy.”
    • “I frequently encounter crashes that disrupt my gameplay.”
    • “There are numerous glitches that make it hard to enjoy the experience.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky details, such as amusing enemy interactions and playful mechanics like squishing vipers and kicking zombie heads. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone and the fun, engaging elements that enhance the overall experience.

    • “Kickass weapons, big open maps connected by portals, some nice level design, really fun enemies, secrets, and a lot of funny little details.”
    • “I think it would be cool if you could just run over vipers and instantly squish them, with a funny final screech for confirmation.”
    • “Talking about funny features like kicking zombie heads in blood.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and lacking creativity, with some encounters feeling repetitive. However, they note that the overall level design remains strong despite these shortcomings.

    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “The repetitive nature of the grinding takes away from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “I found the grinding to be a chore, overshadowing the otherwise enjoyable gameplay.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong sense of nostalgia, highlighting how the game's authenticity to its era evokes feelings of youth and fond memories, making the experience emotionally resonant.

    • “Made me feel nostalgic.”
    • “Everything about it felt true to that era and made me feel 20 years younger playing it!”
Skip Critic Reviews

80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Hands of Necromancy

19h Median play time
14h Average play time
2-25h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Hands of Necromancy

Games Like Hands of Necromancy

Hedon Bloodrite Image
95%2.6kreviews

Hedon Bloodrite

2019Role Playing Shooter
LinuxPCWindows
AMID EVIL Image
92%10kreviews

AMID EVIL

2019Shooter
PCSteam DeckWindows
Vomitoreum Image
91%773reviews

Vomitoreum

2021Shooter
LinuxPCWindows
WRATH: Aeon of Ruin Image
74%2.5kreviews

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin

2024Open World Shooter
Nintendo SwitchLinuxXbox Series X|S+9
Selaco Image
93%4.7kreviews

Selaco

2024Action Adventure
LinuxPCSteam Deck+1
More games like Hands of Necromancy
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Hands of Necromancy is a shooter game with fantasy theme.

Hands of Necromancy is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing Hands of Necromancy.

Hands of Necromancy was released on June 20, 2022.

Hands of Necromancy was developed by frechou_games.

Hands of Necromancy has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Hands of Necromancy is a single player game.

Similar games include Hedon Bloodrite, AMID EVIL, Vomitoreum, WRATH: Aeon of Ruin, Selaco and others.