HELLGATE: London

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In the action RPG Hellgate: London, players fight to save humanity from demonic invasion in a post-apocalyptic world. With 6 character classes, randomized levels and enemies, and various game modes, the game offers infinite playability and a blend of first-person and third-person perspectives. Premium support items and optimized scenario contents are included in the latest version on Steam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

53%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,035 reviews

story28 positive mentions

graphics23 negative mentions

Nostalgic experience for fans of the original game.
Fun gameplay with a mix of action RPG and shooter mechanics.
Includes all DLC content and some quality of life improvements.

Severe 1 FPS bug that makes the game unplayable for many users.
Graphics and performance issues, including low resolution textures.
No multiplayer support, which was a significant aspect of the original game.

graphics
173 mentions
12 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for being outdated and lacking significant improvements from the original release, with many users noting issues such as low resolution textures, frame rate drops, and various bugs that hinder performance. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and have found ways to enhance visuals through mods, the overall consensus is that the graphics do not meet modern standards and can detract from the gameplay experience. Despite these shortcomings, the game remains enjoyable for those willing to overlook its visual flaws.
- “Great graphics.”
- “The graphics, while still dated, have been improved from the original run.”
- “I'm so happy to see this still playable with decent graphics nearly 20 years later!”
- “The graphics are, and have always been, the biggest issue with this game.”
- “The graphics are extremely outdated, there are some visual glitches, and the game does get boring.”
- “It only features DirectX 9 graphics; the original disc from 2007 still featured DirectX 10 support.”
story
148 mentions
19 % positive mentions
75 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging themes and immersive world, while others criticize it for being convoluted, repetitive, and poorly executed. Many noted that the quest system feels generic and lacks variety, often reducing gameplay to simple fetch quests or monster kills. Additionally, technical issues and translation errors have detracted from the overall narrative experience, leaving some players feeling frustrated and disconnected from the story.
- “The story, the concept, the design are awesome!”
- “The story is really great; the action is pretty fun as well as the classes. For a game as old as this one, it still has a storyline better than most games these days by keeping you interested to keep going to find out more, even on the predictable parts.”
- “When Hellgate: London was first released back in 2007, I was enthralled by the story and captivated by the cinematics.”
- “The main story, the little bit of it there is, is non-interesting and needlessly complicated for the sake of it being complicated without there being a payoff of any sort.”
- “This is not what you expect after watching the amazing intro movie which is supposed to set up a tone for the story which is then not followed at all.”
- “They took a game I loved when it first came out and reduxed it to a convoluted mess with no apparent plot left and broken quests.”
gameplay
125 mentions
26 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Hellgate: London combines first-person shooter mechanics with RPG elements, offering a unique experience that some players find engaging and nostalgic. However, many reviews highlight issues such as repetitive gameplay, technical bugs, and a lack of polish, which can detract from enjoyment. While the game retains its core mechanics and offers a variety of character classes, it suffers from performance problems and outdated graphics, leading to mixed feelings among players about its overall execution.
- “Combining first-person shooter mechanics with RPG elements, the game offers a unique and immersive experience.”
- “I’ve loved the gameplay and atmosphere, especially the customization for gear.”
- “The loot collection gameplay is satisfying and deeply scratches the ARPG itch like no other game really has.”
- “However, the game suffers from repetitive gameplay and technical issues that can detract from the overall enjoyment.”
- “This version has managed to significantly ruin the gameplay to a point where it simply does not engage me, which is fairly shocking considering I purchased this through pure nostalgia when I learned it was a Hellgate Global port.”
- “Gameplay is cramped and hitchy and not quite fluid, and between the textures and framerates, it is a bit rough to deal with.”
stability
69 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the player experience. Many users describe it as a "buggy mess," with frequent freezing, frame rate drops, and unresponsive elements, making it difficult to recommend in its current state. While some players find humor in the glitches, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization and fixes to be enjoyable.
- “No freezes for whatever hours I've spent on this grindfest.”
- “Instead of feeling older than it is, it feels exactly its age and runs great!”
- “The game was riddled with bugs, glitches, and optimization issues, which eroded the player experience and discouraged long-term engagement.”
- “This game is a heap of glitches and outdated half-assed production.”
- “The game is a buggy mess, and as far as I know, it is not going to be fixed by its current maintainers.”
optimization
55 mentions
5 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame rate drops, and bugs that significantly detract from the experience. Despite some users experiencing smoother gameplay on certain systems, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, especially for newer hardware, leading to frustration and disappointment among players. Many recommend caution before purchasing, as the technical shortcomings overshadow the game's potential enjoyment.
- “At any rate, it's not an 'avoid at all costs' situation; just figure out if performance issues will outweigh the rest of the package.”
- “Apparently there are some performance issues with specific Intel CPUs, but on my Ryzen, the game runs very smoothly in all situations.”
- “Anyway, to my delight, not only is the bug nonexistent in the flagship version, but overall performance is much better.”
- “The game was riddled with bugs, glitches, and optimization issues, which eroded the player experience and discouraged long-term engagement.”
- “The game is poorly optimized to run on newer systems, the devs are silent, and the 1 fps bugs that can take up to 1 minute per instance will ruin your experience.”
- “In the current state it is in, I do not advise putting your money into this game until the devs or those who ported this to digital retail fix the blatant performance issues.”
monetization
47 mentions
6 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
81 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment over its lack of effort in development and persistent performance issues. While some noted the removal of microtransactions, the overall sentiment is that the game exploits nostalgia without delivering a quality experience, leading to frustration among fans. Many recommend avoiding the game altogether, viewing it as a desperate attempt to profit from the original's legacy.
- “To their credit, they stripped out all the microtransactions, which is good, but the game itself was almost untouched.”
- “It's cheap, there are no microtransactions.”
- “+ no microtransactions!”
- “This version is just a shameless cash grab - just do yourself a favor and get the non-Steam version.”
- “This is a cash grab as a desperate ploy to squeeze a bit more income out of this game on the part of a free-to-play MMO developer whose MMO conversion of the game failed.”
- “The fact that they released this on Steam and never even bothered to fix the performance problems (let's not even talk about the hundreds of other bugs) tells me that this is nothing but a lazy cash grab.”
atmosphere
20 mentions
60 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Hellgate: London" is widely praised for its immersive and evocative settings, particularly the dark, post-apocalyptic London and the atmospheric charm of its environments. While the game features detailed level design and a compelling ambiance, some players note that the sound design falls short, detracting from the overall experience. Despite mixed opinions on gameplay mechanics, the atmospheric elements remain a highlight, contributing to the game's replay value and unique charm.
- “At its core, Hellgate: London boasted an enticing premise that blended the atmospheric charm of a desolate London with the fast-paced action of a shooter and the deep character progression of an RPG.”
- “The game's atmosphere is immersive, and I immediately got sucked into the post-apocalyptic world of the game.”
- “The environments in which you move are exquisitely detailed and atmospheric, extremely convincing and evocative of the location in which the action is set.”
- “The sound is underwhelming and really detracts from the atmosphere.”
- “Even without the glitches and censorship of the Steam version, Hellgate: London just doesn't hold up as a great memorable game. Melee combat feels like mashing potatoes and guns feel like firing big toys meant for kids, which is a shame because the overall atmosphere of the destroyed and crumbling London is awesome.”
- “This version is unstable, unplayable, and really boring. It lost atmosphere somewhere along the way and is more like some generic Asian MMORPG than Hellgate.”
grinding
16 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed perspective on grinding in the game. While some players find the grinding repetitive and tedious, others appreciate it as a core aspect of the gameplay, especially for those who enjoy ARPGs and loot collection. Overall, the grinding experience is described as manageable and less frustrating than typical free-to-play MMOs, with some players recommending the game for its enjoyable mechanics despite the grind.
- “Do not play this game, all your grinding will amount to nothing. The developer NCSoft has not delivered a satisfying experience.”
- “It's still the same old graphics and mindless grinding with almost no plot.”
- “Drop rates for nanos are the same as they were in global, so good luck farming these for hundreds of hours per character.”
music
11 mentions
55 % positive mentions
18 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its fantastic sound design and atmospheric qualities that enhance the creepy and immersive experience. Others find the original soundtrack to be unmemorable, yet many agree that the dynamic music system effectively complements the gameplay, creating a memorable and engaging environment. Overall, while opinions vary, the music is often highlighted as a significant contributor to the game's atmosphere.
- “Fantastic music and sound design.”
- “The music/soundscape, on the other hand, is killer; when it kicks in, it gives me goosebumps.”
- “The story, music, and world-building is still unchallenged in my opinion.”
- “Extremely creepy, but dreamy landscapes accompanied by unsettling, but strangely familiar music.”
- “The dynamic music system designed by Sonic Mayhem still holds up... it's heavy, fast, and can be dark and foreboding at times.”
- “The music/soundscape, on the other hand, is killer; when it kicks in, goosebumps.”
humor
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its awkward placements and hilarious glitches, such as absurd weapon modifications and amusing bugs that lead to comical situations. Players appreciate the game's sly humor and the unintentionally funny translations, which contribute to a lighthearted experience. Despite its flaws, the game offers a nostalgic charm that elicits laughter, making it enjoyable for those who embrace its quirks.
- “I love this game, even the funny glitches and bugs. It's good to have a laugh at a demon stuck on a pixel and shove a sword up their ass, and they either die or make weird noises. lol.”
- “The hilariously bad Engrish is still here (one quest literally sends you to kill 'the fat bully', others start with station defenses being too low).”
- “They obviously didn't use the original English files, but rather re-translated the Korean version back into English, which makes for hilarious gibberish.”
replayability
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its dark atmosphere, diverse classes, and innovative procedural generation that randomizes levels and loot, ensuring each playthrough feels unique. While single-player experiences are enjoyable, the absence of multiplayer options may hinder long-term replay value for some players. Additional features like Steam achievements and trading cards further enhance the game's replayability potential.
- “The dark, atmospheric setting and varied classes provide plenty of replay value.”
- “The game's innovative approach to procedural generation, randomizing levels and loot, aims to provide endless replayability, making every playthrough a fresh and unpredictable experience.”
- “The game runs without any major issues, and the addition of Steam achievements and trading cards adds an extra layer of replayability.”
- “I've played 82 hours only because I love this game, and have attempted many fixes to make it more playable than the base.”
- “Single player is fun, and this version (so far) seems like it will be fine, but the lack of multiplayer will severely limit replayability for me.”
- “The game's innovative approach to procedural generation, randomizing levels and loot, aimed to provide endless replayability, making every playthrough a fresh and unpredictable experience.”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a poignant opening scene that resonates with fans of the original, though it may not evoke a strong sense of heroism for all players. While some modifications have been made, the overall emotional impact remains largely unchanged, appealing primarily to dedicated fans.
- “The opening scene is still emotional.”
- “It never really made me feel like a 'hero'.”