Heidelberg 1693

About

In "Heidelberg 1693," players must carve their way through hordes of monsters and the undead in a ravaged 17th-century city, using a single-shot musket and rapier in tactical combat. The game features over 20 detailed levels and deadly bosses inspired by real historical figures, all in a nightmarish world of black magic and dark science. Only traditional action platforming gameplay is offered here, with no inventory or backtracking.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that effectively captures the dark, historical setting.
Gameplay is challenging yet rewarding, with mechanics that allow for strategic enemy interactions, such as friendly fire.
The soundtrack is engaging and complements the atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.

The game lacks a comprehensive tutorial, leaving players to figure out controls and mechanics on their own.
Respawning with only one health point can be frustrating, especially in chaotic environments filled with enemies.
The controls can feel imprecise and janky, particularly when using a controller, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.

gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
52%
12%
The gameplay is a blend of classic platforming and tactical combat, drawing inspiration from titles like Castlevania and Super Meat Boy, featuring challenging levels with diverse enemy encounters and unique weapon mechanics. While the art direction and sound design are praised, some players find the combat mechanics cumbersome and the gameplay overly simplistic or linear, leading to mixed feelings about its overall depth and design. Despite these criticisms, the game offers a visually engaging experience with opportunities for exploration and replayability.
- “The gameplay is something like a cross between Ghosts and Goblins, Castlevania, Abe's Odyssey, and Super Meat Boy.”
- “Gameplay is smooth but challenging; levels offer diversity and multiple exits, making multiple playthroughs worth your time.”
- “Clearly inspired by the Castlevania games of old, this game features its own unique set of weaponry and mechanics that will challenge you both during the level progression and the well-done boss fights.”
- “But combat mechanics are burdensome.”
- “I am sincerely disgusted by the gameplay and what the game offers in combat, weird patterns for bosses, bad game design, weird movement, starting with one HP!”
- “Unfortunately outside of the presentation and gameplay there isn't a lot of meat on the bones; an average playthrough should take 3 hours and potentially even less if you're not looking for unique weapons or secret levels.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning pixel art and unique aesthetic that blends comical and horrific elements, creating a visually striking experience. However, some players have reported performance issues, including lag and a lack of graphic options, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite these concerns, the game's artistic style and atmosphere are considered exceptional, contributing to its appeal as a challenging platformer.
- “This is a very unique and incredibly challenging platformer, with striking visuals, great music, and lots of secrets to discover.”
- “The first thing you'll notice are the aesthetics: pixel art that perfectly walks the line between comical and horrific, while still being totally clear and readable.”
- “The aesthetic for this game is simply outstanding and I love, love, love the mood the game presents--it's dark and bleak but it doesn't take itself too seriously and isn't afraid to have a little fun a la gallows humor in the enemy animations and types.”
- “For starters, the visuals.”
- “0 graphic options, including VSync.”
- “The game looks amazing, beautiful art, but the FPS when playing it on any graphics setting doesn't seem to change, and it lags a lot. I really hope this game gets optimization options in the future. When I first joined, I could only make it to the first checkpoint because of the immense lag, but this game is surely worth the money if you have a good PC.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and engaging qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the chilling synth tracks that enhance the gameplay experience. While some find certain pieces forgettable, others appreciate the catchy melodies that linger in their minds, contributing to the overall aesthetic and emotional impact of the game. The soundtrack is noted for elevating the action, particularly during boss fights, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The first level's music really got me hooked.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing, too - lots of chilling, atmospheric synth music.”
- “And the soundtrack--I wasn't expecting to really enjoy that so much; more often than not, a soundtrack becomes background noise for me, but the dark synth and hints of harpsichord elevate the whole experience.”
- “Aesthetically, I'll voice no complaint, save perhaps for the fact that the music is pretty forgettable droning synth stuff.”
- “The soundtrack is decent, but some tracks are so catchy that I sometimes find myself replaying them in my head unconsciously.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The story of the game revolves around a musketeer's mission to confront the Moon King and address familial issues in France, but many players find it confusing and lacking depth. While the setting and artwork are praised, the narrative is often described as unimportant or muddled, leaving players unclear about the plot's details. Overall, the story fails to resonate, overshadowed by gameplay and visual elements.
- “A musketeer's quest to settle French family matters, that the Germans in Heidelberg and the surrounding area had to pay for in flesh and blood.”
- “Gameplay: spreading across 20 unique levels full of blood and supernatural resistance, Heidelberg 1693 lets you take control of a brave musketeer in his daring quest to stop the Moon King and his army of the dead and demonic.”
- “As to the story, I didn't really understand what was happening or what led to all this madness, just that the king of France sent me to kill the Moon King, but narrative isn't as important as just how evocative the setting is.”
- “The story, on the other hand, is kind of confusing.”
- “You can get the general gist of the story but might be a little confused about the details until the end of the game.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of nostalgic references, such as a 90's style menu in a historical setting, and comedic gameplay moments, like the absurdity of ricocheting bullets and health drops from kissing a damsel in distress. Players appreciate the dark yet playful tone, with gallows humor evident in enemy designs and animations, contributing to an overall entertaining experience.
- “After the game installs a virus into your PC, you are introduced to the main menu of the game, which seems to replicate the menu of games from the 90s. It's really funny because there were no computers back in 1693.”
- “I say useful, as in, 'it made me laugh when the shield that I had placed ricocheted a bullet from an enemy back at me.'”
- “There are health drops spread around every scene and some hilarious moments, like when you rescue a damsel in distress and kiss her; she will drop health points.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is richly crafted, drawing inspiration from the decadent imagery of Louis XIV's court, complemented by a chilling synth soundtrack that enhances the experience. While the aesthetic and level design are praised, some reviewers note that the lack of exploration and progression elements detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “Setting a punishing action platformer in the era of Louis XIV is an inspired choice, because the imagery and costume of his court has a bizarre, decadent quality that suits the atmosphere of this game perfectly.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing, too - lots of chilling, atmospheric synth music.”
- “It's reminiscent of Blasphemous with its artistic, dark, pseudo-historical horror atmosphere.”
- “It's reminiscent of Blasphemous with its artistic, dark, pseudo-historical horror atmosphere, but it's not a metroidvania type game—there's no exploration, leveling up, gaining equipment, upgrading weapons, or crafting.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant lag and poor frame rate performance across all graphics settings, making it difficult to progress past early checkpoints. While the art design is praised, players hope for future updates to improve optimization, especially for those with less powerful PCs.
- “The game looks amazing, beautiful art, but the FPS when playing it on any graphics setting doesn't seem to change, and it lags a lot. I really hope this game gets optimization options in the future. When I first joined, I could only make it to the first checkpoint because of the immense lag, but this game is surely worth the money if you have a good PC.”
- “The game tries to pay homage to Castlevania, but I feel it pays more homage to Hotline Miami, where pretty much everything kills you in one hit, and your performance is based on dying several times until you understand the best strategy to face the challenges until you get to the next checkpoint, or get lucky.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Replayability is considered strong due to the presence of alternate paths, allowing players to experience different outcomes and choices in the game.
- “Replayability is excellent due to the alternate paths you can take.”
- “The game offers a variety of choices that make each playthrough feel unique.”
- “With multiple endings and different character interactions, I find myself coming back for more.”