Hellbound

Overall Hellbound meets expectations as a retro style 90’s Shooter. Whilst it does not innovate as much as some people would like, this game has enough about it to be worth the pickup.

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"Hellbound" is a single-player action-packed First Person Shooter set in Hell, featuring grotesque enemies, metal music, and big guns. With fabulous 90s-inspired game mechanics, good graphics, and a hilarious tone, players assume the role of Hellgore, seeking vengeance atmosphere composed by David Levill, Zardonic, and Christian Fernando Perucchi. Despite its few bugs, it offers a fast-paced, gory experience for true warriors.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 869 reviews

music62 positive mentions

optimization15 negative mentions

Fast-paced, action-packed gameplay reminiscent of classic 90s FPS games.
Satisfying gunplay with a variety of weapons, particularly the triple-barrel shotgun.
Good graphics and a heavy metal soundtrack that fits the game's aesthetic.

Extremely short campaign, taking only about 2-3 hours to complete.
Limited enemy and weapon variety, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Numerous bugs and performance issues, including unresponsive controls and crashes.

music
193 mentions
32 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The music in "Hellbound" is characterized by a heavy metal soundtrack that complements the game's fast-paced action, though many players find it repetitive and generic. While some appreciate the intensity and fitting nature of the music, others criticize its lack of variety and memorability, often suggesting that it becomes tiresome over time. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for some, but it fails to elevate the game significantly due to its repetitive nature.
- “The soundtrack of 'Hellbound' is one of its most impactful features.”
- “With a combination of heavy and atmospheric sounds, the music perfectly complements the game's frenetic action.”
- “The music is fantastic and similar to Doom 2016; you could say you got a free game after buying the soundtrack.”
- “The music is generic (apart from one track which was alright), the enemies are dumb and uninteresting.”
- “The soundtrack is bland as bread, especially coming off of Metal: Hellsinger's soundtrack which I just ended up playing in the background.”
- “The music is forgettable.”
gameplay
175 mentions
25 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Hellbound is characterized by fast-paced, fluid mechanics reminiscent of classic FPS titles like Doom and Quake, appealing to both nostalgic players and newcomers. While the core shooting and movement mechanics are generally praised for their simplicity and enjoyment, many reviewers note the campaign's brevity and lack of depth, with some expressing disappointment in the limited variety of enemies and weapons. Overall, the game delivers a solid, if short, experience that captures the essence of retro shooters, though it may not fully meet the expectations set by its inspirations.
- “With a retro aesthetic and frenetic gameplay, the game pays homage to the FPS era, offering a unique experience that captivates both nostalgic and new players.”
- “The gameplay is fast and fluid, capturing the essence of old FPS games.”
- “Fast-paced run and gun gameplay.”
- “It's hard to take the game seriously when it so consistently tries to grab you by the shoulder and say 'remember when games used to be about the gameplay?' while also having less than a single afternoon's worth of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay itself is decent, but the design choices (such as enemies and weapons) are particularly stale, and the game has little replay value once you've completed the main campaign.”
- “The gameplay is bland as mashed potatoes, and the presentation gives me second-hand embarrassment.”
graphics
170 mentions
32 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the modern aesthetic and vibrant visuals that evoke nostalgia for classic FPS titles, while others criticize the overall execution as lacking depth and originality. Many reviewers noted that while the graphics are generally appealing, they often feel dated or uninspired, failing to fully capture the essence of the 90s shooters they aim to emulate. Performance issues, such as frame drops and poor optimization, were also highlighted, detracting from the visual experience.
- “One of the most notable aspects of 'Hellbound' is its graphical style.”
- “The graphics are awesome, the weapons are awesome, the enemies look great, the gore is great, and this game is just fun to play.”
- “Graphically, it does look really nice, so it definitely gets points for that.”
- “The graphics... visually this game says it's 'trying to recreate the 1990s', but it actually looks like a game from the early 00s where it doesn't have the pixel aesthetic nor has it quite gotten comfortable with pixel shaders.”
- “The graphics are lackluster, and do not make any sense for the frame rate that is given.”
- “Graphics are terrible, everything looks blurry and washed out no matter what settings you choose; it's nauseous.”
story
71 mentions
10 % positive mentions
80 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The story in this game is minimal and largely serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, with most narrative elements presented as brief text snippets before missions. Players generally find the plot shallow and unengaging, reminiscent of 90s shooters, focusing more on action than storytelling. While some appreciate the nostalgic simplicity, many express a desire for a more developed narrative and longer campaign.
- “The story is tongue-in-cheek and can be summarized like this: an angry badass enjoys killing demons.”
- “Hellbound has a story - but it doesn't really matter, not when you have a gun the size of a jackhammer.”
- “In short, the story gives you the environment to start blasting away at hell's minions.”
- “The minimal story sets up that this dude really dislikes the enemy, but that really isn't conveyed other than during the pre-level texts and snippets of rare dialogue.”
- “There is basically no story, there is no real explanation as to what on earth is going on, just 'go kill stuff with meat gun' and you, like the massive idiot you are that bought this, are supposed to nod and go 'okay daddy.'”
- “The game is all about gameplay - and that isn't bad in itself, but something seems amiss - there is no background story on the character you play or the demons that appear, which takes the immersion away and makes it feel like just another sandbox.”
optimization
60 mentions
12 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, particularly during intense combat scenarios and boss fights. Despite some users experiencing smooth gameplay on lower settings, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, even for higher-end systems, leading to a frustrating experience. While a few players noted decent performance, the majority agree that substantial optimization improvements are necessary.
- “The game’s performance is solid, with few bugs or technical issues.”
- “It's fast old school shooting and it's very well optimized.”
- “The game does have a decent amount of polish to it in that it runs smoothly, the enemies and the environment look good enough.”
- “Also, it's optimized like complete ass; the final 2 levels stutter on low settings (which looks worse than any Xbox 360 era game), on a 1660-ti, i7-10, and 32 GB RAM.”
- “The only bad thing about this game is optimization; on the last level, my PC had trouble and froze like 3-6 times for 1-2 seconds, and my PC could run Witcher 3 on ultra.”
- “Hellbound is an unoptimized, poorly designed, and short mess of a game.”
stability
28 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which can lead to game-breaking issues and a frustrating experience for players. Many users report problems such as clipping, crashes, and erratic enemy behavior, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some find it fun despite these issues, the consensus suggests waiting for a sale due to its lack of polish and stability.
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck too.”
- “There’s a large number of bugs and game-breaking glitches to be experienced, all of which tarnish what is otherwise an incredible experience.”
- “Full price may be a little too high for how buggy it is, so wait for a sale.”
- “Really a buggy mess.”
replayability
27 mentions
30 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players finding value in completing challenges, discovering secrets, and engaging in survival modes, while others criticize its limited content and lack of variety. Although it offers nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic shooters, many reviewers feel that once the main campaign is completed, there is little incentive to return. The addition of modes like arena and survival provides some replay potential, but overall, the consensus leans towards a low replay value.
- “There are the arena levels that last as long as you can survive, which are completely replayable.”
- “Replay value for those who want to beat the par for each level, find all secrets, and play the arena/horde mode, which I did enjoy.”
- “There's a lot of replay value since it will be fun to replay the levels faster and faster, or to look for all the secrets.”
- “The gameplay itself is decent, but the design choices (such as enemies & weapons) are particularly stale, and the game has little replay value once you've completed the main campaign.”
- “Honestly, there isn't much for replay value and I probably beat this in 2 hours tops.”
- “Replay value is basically zero, and no achievements as well.”
humor
21 mentions
90 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its tongue-in-cheek style and hilarious voice lines, while others find it forced or lacking in genuine wit. Many enjoy the absurdity and self-awareness reminiscent of classic boomer shooters, but some criticize the main character and jokes as tedious or unfunny. Overall, the humor can be entertaining, but it often feels inconsistent and may not resonate with all players.
- “It was fun, didn't feel long, was pretty interesting to progress through, and had some hilarious voice lines.”
- “The map layouts are appropriate, each level has secrets, has a good soundtrack, and the art style and humor are spot on.”
- “It offers a great challenge, some fun enemy designs, great gunplay and satisfying weapons topped off with a funny as hell protagonist that makes fun of every single thing that's dumb about the old school FPS and boomer shooter genre as a whole.”
- “I came purely for the boomer shooter gameplay, not Manly McManlington spouting out manly lines about how manly he is and making unfunny jokes every other minute.”
- “The gameplay is bare bones, the level design is uninspired, the enemies are unimaginative, the weapons look bad and handle poorly, the main character is unfunny, the graphics look horrible, the AI frequently breaks, and the mandatory parkour sections are awful.”
atmosphere
17 mentions
41 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is characterized by rich, detailed environments that evoke a dark and intimidating yet fascinating experience. The combination of heavy sound design and a fitting soundtrack enhances the immersive quality, although some critiques mention issues with color palettes and humor that detract from the overall tension. Overall, the game successfully captures a nostalgic, doom-like ambiance that resonates with players.
- “The environments are rich in detail and dark atmospheres, creating an environment that is both intimidating and fascinating.”
- “Visually, you'd think an Unreal/Unity-based game would look nice, and Hellbound doesn't disappoint mostly - but the unimaginative reddish hues everywhere feel more like a cliché than anything else, and the dark lighting everywhere isn't done tastefully enough to create a sense of atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is apocalyptic and frantic as in the old days!”
- “The visuals look alright, even though I think the color palette is a bit too bright to create a tense atmosphere.”
- “It's not difficult either, but for example, having to mindlessly roam around a level in order to find out that one has to tap on a column that turns out to be an elevator, ruins the atmosphere.”
- “Visually, you'd think an Unreal/Unity based game would look nice, and Hellbound doesn't disappoint mostly - but the unimaginative reddish hues everywhere feel more like a cliché than anything else, and the dark lighting everywhere isn't done tastefully enough to create a sense of atmosphere.”
monetization
12 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn criticism for its heavy reliance on ads integrated into the gameplay, which many players feel detracts from the overall experience and authenticity of the genre. At a price point of $15, the presence of ads and additional paid DLC is perceived as a cynical cash grab rather than a genuine homage to classic FPS games. Overall, the monetization approach has left players feeling disappointed and frustrated, undermining the game's potential enjoyment.
- “From the moment you start, you have a checkpoint system and the starter weapon has ads.”
- “If this were $5 normally or something, I wouldn't be so harsh, but for $15, this doesn't really feel like something made with true love and passion for this subgenre of FPS - more like a quick and kind of cynical cash grab wearing the aesthetic without actually understanding it.”
- “The fact that the developer is now selling a $5 DLC just makes this game feel like a bit of a nostalgia cash grab.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
83 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is largely viewed as tedious and predictable, with players expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of enemy encounters and the reliance on teleportation mechanics. While some appreciate the fast-paced action and the game's short story mode, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a chore rather than an engaging experience.
- “The action is fast-paced, as wave after wave of relentless demonic hordes are encountered, but the game seems to rely far too much on the tedious mechanism of teleporting them in, right in front of you, that becomes entirely predictable far too soon, even for a game with a relatively short play time.”
- “It's just not fun... but tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is criticized for being lackluster, with comparisons to Serious Sam highlighting a lack of engagement and creativity in both graphics and level design, resulting in a dull experience.
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
- “Characters lack depth and their arcs are predictable, leaving little room for emotional investment.”
- “The game offers minimal character progression, resulting in a stagnant experience that fails to engage players.”