Heartless & Dreadful : Return By 72 Hours
- August 20, 2023
- Kirillian
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Storehttps://store.steampowered.com/app/1701890 Wishlist on Steam! In the world of darkness. There is an interesting being. A being who holds a tournament for the strong. They call him the Master of Darkness. Why does he hold a tournament? No one knows. Some say it enjoys the sight of young blood being spilled. Some say it is for other, unknown motives. The Master of Darkness knew that no one would jus…
Reviews
- The game offers fun, engaging combat reminiscent of classic DMC titles, with a variety of moves and weapons that provide depth and creativity.
- The art style and character design are charming, with a well-written story and humorous dialogue that adds to the overall experience.
- As a one-man project, the developer has shown impressive dedication, regularly updating the game and responding to player feedback.
- Boss fights are often criticized for being unengaging and repetitive, lacking challenge and excitement.
- Some controls and mechanics, such as dodging and menu navigation, can be finicky and lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The game suffers from bugs and glitches, including soft locks and issues with combat encounters that can disrupt the flow of play.
- story32 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is described as quirky and enjoyable, with a mix of simple yet engaging elements that come together nicely, especially towards the end. Players appreciate the humor in the dialogue and the charming characters, despite some clichés in the plot. Overall, the narrative is seen as a fun and digestible experience that complements the game's art style and gameplay.
“The art design is very surreal and cool, the story is simple but fun, and the dialogue actually got regular chuckles out of me.”
“It's fun, campy, and silly moments are well balanced with more serious story elements and moments when it calls for it.”
“You can simply use a commonly used trope and give it your own twist followed with tons of effort and create yourself just as captivating of a story.”
“The story is a little weird, but more or less what you would expect.”
“You can simply use a commonly used trope and give it your own twist followed with tons of effort and create yourself just as captivating of a story.”
“Like most games of this style, I really haven't scratched the surface of what the game offers despite finishing the story.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its unique combat mechanics and a variety of customizable options, including different weapons and styles that add depth and replayability. Players appreciate the fast-paced, challenging nature reminiscent of classic action games, though some note that the core gameplay loop can feel repetitive despite the diverse environments. Overall, while the gameplay is engaging and fun, it could benefit from further polishing and refinement.
“The way the game's combat is done is a bit different, but once you get a groove of things, you'll start to like some of the unique mechanics.”
“Fun DMC-style gameplay with interesting characters and story.”
“Not only that, there are some gameplay-changing settings that you can play around with to further change how you play (turbo mode, hardcore gravity, style mode, etc).”
“The gameplay loop remains mostly the same, despite traveling to a variety of different environments.”
“It almost makes me sad that every melee combat focused game seems to go for the same, sluggish gameplay that got old long, long ago.”
“Now the gameplay... goddamn, the gameplay.”
- music11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many tracks fitting seamlessly into their respective environments. While some players desire more adrenaline-pumping tracks for combat, the overall composition is considered unique and memorable, contributing significantly to the game's melancholic yet cozy vibe. Many reviewers expressed a willingness to listen to the soundtrack outside of gameplay, highlighting its appeal.
“The atmosphere and environments were aesthetically pleasing and fitting for the game's setting, but the real highlight for me was the music.”
“Each music piece fits neatly in the environment it plays in and the combat music is also good.”
“Music: great it really helps set the mood for areas, and so far it all sounds great!”
“Long platforming sections with slow music in the background and a dying world on the horizon just don't work well together.”
“The city of Wattar, while known to be an absolute dumpster fire of a place to live in, feels very cozy with all the calm rain, the neon streets, and the theme song I honestly couldn't stop humming to myself for days.”
“Definitely would listen to the OST outside of playing the game.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their cute art style and aesthetically pleasing environments, with a notable cel-shaded aesthetic that enhances the atmosphere. While some players appreciate the low-poly visuals, others feel they can be somewhat lacking at times. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's engaging world and complement its edgy yet lighthearted tone.
“The art style is super cute, the music is good, and the story is easily digestible, which is nice.”
“Also has a cute art style and a fleshed-out world.”
“The cel-shaded aesthetic feels really fitting to this kind of universe, and it enhances the atmosphere perfectly.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of modern memes, funny dialogues, and developer commentary that adds a unique charm and personality. While many players find the humor entertaining and memorable, it may not appeal to everyone, particularly those who are not fans of quirky, JRPG-style dialogue. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's appeal, despite some mixed feelings about the story.
“The sense of humor is also lovely so far; it's mixed with nods to modern memes, and I like that :)”
“There are a lot of fun moments as well as a bunch of references, which all around makes for a good time!”
“It's an entertaining, funny, and memorable game with its own brand of personality and edgy charm, and the fact that it was done by mostly one person is really impressive.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers substantial replayability with six difficulty levels, unlockable costumes, and additional content such as the Tower of Blood and custom levels, providing players with a variety of experiences. While some refinement in combat is needed, the overall amount of content and humorous dialogues enhance its replay value, making it a worthwhile investment.
“Having 6 difficulties, 6 unlockable costumes, Tower of Blood, Huntress extra mission, Realm of the Rogue (WIP), and custom levels (WIP) is quite a good amount of content.”
“The game does need some refinement and polish in terms of combat, but at its core it’s a solid game that is worth the money, especially with the funny dialogues and the amounts of extra content and replayability it offers.”
“The game does need some refinement and polish in terms of combat, but at its core it’s a solid game that is worth the money, especially with the funny dialogues and amounts of extra content and replayability it offers.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by aesthetically pleasing environments and a fitting cel-shaded art style, which complements the setting well. Additionally, the music is highlighted as a standout element that further enriches the overall ambiance.
“The atmosphere and environments were aesthetically pleasing and fitting for the game's setting, but the real highlight for me was the music.”
“The cel-shaded aesthetic feels really fitting to this kind of universe and it enhances the atmosphere perfectly.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report experiencing significant stability issues, particularly softlocks caused by premature combat encounters. These glitches often require players to reload checkpoints, indicating a need for improved encounter management within the game.
“I experienced two frustrating softlocks, both caused by the game triggering a combat encounter too early. In one instance, I was stuck outside the combat area, and in the other, I activated the encounter from the wrong side. By the time I reached the arena, all the enemies had despawned, leaving me softlocked and forcing me to reload a checkpoint. These issues are not that uncommon.”
“The game frequently crashes, making it nearly impossible to progress without saving every few minutes. It's incredibly frustrating to lose progress due to stability issues.”
“I encountered several bugs that disrupted my gameplay experience. The game would freeze at random moments, and I often had to restart it to continue playing.”
