HellEscape

About

"HellEscape" is a 2D bullet hell roguelike game with auto-fire, featuring 9 stages, 55 missions, and 27 heroes to uncover. With over 100 weapons and abilities, 55 artifacts, and 60 unique power-ups, players face 100 monster types across various missions. The game boasts 362 achievements, 46 on Steam, and 13 daily challenge modes, with 20 mounts to unlock, although it's not yet compatible with Steam Deck.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+12

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

story6 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

HellEscape offers a unique take on the bullet hell genre with engaging mechanics, character variety, and a responsive developer who actively incorporates player feedback.
The game features a solid progression system with a variety of missions and unlockable content, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy grinding and character customization.
Players appreciate the game's challenging nature, which requires strategic thinking and preparation, making each run feel rewarding despite the difficulty.

The game suffers from frustrating mechanics, such as fast enemy spawns and a steep initial grind, which can lead to a sense of unfairness and discouragement for some players.
Many players find the lack of clarity in upgrade effects and the slow gold gain to be significant drawbacks, making it difficult to progress and enjoy the game fully.
Technical issues, such as problems with controller support and the absence of cloud saves, detract from the overall experience and can lead to frustration.

story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
65%
12%
The game's story is enhanced by a variety of interesting missions, unique character classes, and engaging boss fights, providing a solid foundation for gameplay. Players appreciate the randomization of maps and missions, which adds depth and replayability, although some levels, like the obelisk stage, have been criticized for their design challenges. Overall, the narrative elements contribute to a fun and challenging experience, with room for further improvement.
- “The game is awesome now and improves on the original in every way with interesting missions, boss fights, and character classes with unique abilities.”
- “I love that the creator gives you multiple types of missions to spice things up.”
- “There is some decent potential here with the missions, level design, and classes.”
- “The obelisk level is just a terrible design; you can't even see what's directly north of it, and if you don't have a specific build, you're out of luck. The enemies just sit inside the obelisk and attack you, which is frustrating.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to engage with the characters and their motivations.”
- “While there is some decent potential with the missions and level design, the overall narrative fails to captivate, leaving players wanting a more cohesive and immersive experience.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
10%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for being enjoyable and well-integrated with the overall experience, enhancing the fun and colorful atmosphere. However, some players express frustration with the volume control options, suggesting that the increments could be improved. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's appeal, complementing its responsive gameplay and vibrant visuals.
- “It has great music and effects too.”
- “The game is just plain fun, it's colorful, responsive, has good music and good sprites and animation.”
- “The music is nice and the characters have very different skills.”
- “There's a problem with new games where developers look at things like music volume and say to themselves, why don't we do it in 25% increments?”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay of Hellescape is praised for its engaging and innovative mechanics, which enhance the experience beyond its apparent similarities to Vampire Survivors. Players appreciate the inclusion of secrets that can significantly influence gameplay, contributing to a fun and dynamic environment. Overall, the game successfully builds upon established formulas while introducing unique elements.
- “This game has a lot of fun, interesting mechanics.”
- “There are some secrets in the game, with interesting ways they can impact your gameplay.”
- “Hellescape is a game that seems like a clone of Vampire Survivors on its surface, but I think it executes the formula well and does a good job adding its own mechanics.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are highly praised for their quality, enhancing the engaging and interactive levels that offer more than just survival gameplay.
- “The graphics are great; it has fun levels with actual things to do in them besides just staying alive.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding mechanics frustrating, as unlocking mounts requires significant investment in gold and gems, and these mounts only last for a single run. This design limits farming opportunities and can lead to a maddening experience, as players feel they cannot fully utilize their efforts.
- “Unlocked mounts require a gold-purchased class and multiple mounts of a single enemy type. They cost gold and gems when unlocked and only persist for one run. If you exit the run, you can't farm up to your upper limits. This system is silly and maddening.”
- “The grinding in this game feels excessive and frustrating. It often seems like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the gameplay.”
- “I find the grinding mechanics to be tedious. It takes away from the fun and makes the game feel more like a job than a hobby.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users consistently highlight a significant level of replayability, indicating that the game offers ample opportunities for players to engage with it multiple times.
- “There's a huge amount of replayability, of course.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is reported to run smoothly, indicating effective optimization that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- “The game runs smoothly.”
- “The game runs smoothly.”