Hellish Quart

About

"Hellish Quart" is a sword-fighting game set in the 17th century, focusing on historical fencing techniques. Players engage in duels using real-life sword fighting mechanics, with careful attention to detail in animations and collision detection. The game also features a unique slow-motion system, allowing for strategic planning and precise strikes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

+21

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,537 reviews

gameplay145 positive mentions

stability36 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and realistic sword fighting experience, capturing the essence of historical European martial arts.
The physics-based combat system is engaging and rewarding, allowing for strategic play and quick, intense duels.
The developers are actively updating the game, showing dedication to improving gameplay and adding new content.

The game currently lacks a proper online multiplayer mode, relying instead on cumbersome third-party solutions.
There are issues with hit detection and auto-blocking mechanics, leading to frustrating and inconsistent combat experiences.
The game feels somewhat barebones in its current state, with limited content and character variety.

gameplay
362 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
2%
The gameplay of this early access title is characterized by its unique and realistic sword fighting mechanics, which are both engaging and challenging, offering a high skill ceiling. While many players appreciate the depth and potential for mastery, some criticize the current lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and issues with controls and mechanics, particularly the blocking system. Overall, the core gameplay is seen as fun and promising, with hopes for further development and refinement as the game progresses.
- “The core gameplay is extremely fun and more than justifies the price tag in my opinion.”
- “The mechanics are unique and provide an exciting challenge.”
- “The gameplay is fun yet still very realistic and unforgiving.”
- “The gameplay is very limited, and a little bit buggy.”
- “There's some different modes you can play, but it doesn't change the fact that the gameplay cycle is just the same thing every time, especially because there's no online multiplayer or progression.”
- “The gameplay itself is repetitive as there are few characters added, and each and every new one of them feels like more of the same.”
story
227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
78%
9%
The game's story mode is currently in early development, with players expressing a mix of excitement and disappointment regarding its limited content. While some find the initial chapters engaging and appreciate the potential for deeper storytelling, many reviewers note that the story mode is sparse, often feeling like a demo rather than a fully fleshed-out experience. Overall, there is hope for future updates to enhance the narrative and character development, but as it stands, the story mode lacks depth and variety.
- “I was surprised by the quality of the story in the first chapter.”
- “The story is kind of cool considering that it's still in an early stage of development and arcade mode is really fun, especially for the morale system.”
- “The game also features a story mode with historical context and character backgrounds, adding depth to the duels.”
- “The story mode is non-existent other than a 30-minute 'demo' which was mostly cutscenes.”
- “Yeah, the story mode is a joke, massive waste of time on the developer's part.”
- “The story, game loop, and any character development or personalization just doesn't exist.”
graphics
145 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the high-quality visuals and attention to detail, particularly in combat scenes, while others criticize them as inconsistent or reminiscent of older titles. Many players appreciate the realistic art style and smooth animations, though some note performance issues and a need for optimization, especially on lower-end hardware. Overall, the graphics are generally considered good for an indie title, with potential for further improvement as development continues.
- “Insanely good graphics for a small game - runs great on 32:9 on max resolution with the 57" super ultrawide.”
- “The graphics in the game are of high quality, which allows the player to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and details of the characters.”
- “Stunning graphics and sound design.”
- “The graphics are poor; the textures are actually scanned models, but frankly I think they just look really ugly.”
- “I've seen PS2 games with better graphics, and a round can end in one poke to the shoulder.”
- “While the graphics during actual combat scenes are immaculate, the UI is irredeemably terrible.”
music
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
47%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, often drawing comparisons to the soundtrack of The Witcher 3. Players appreciate the blend of period-appropriate tunes and intense battle themes that enhance the overall experience, although some have noted a lack of variety in tracks during combat. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's historical ambiance and emotional engagement.
- “The music deserves a shout out, it's gorgeous and epic while making use of energetic Polish folk vocals and historically accurate instruments.”
- “The soundtrack creates a realistic atmosphere that completely immerses the player in the game world.”
- “The music is just...ahh...I could listen to that menu theme all day.”
- “The music is boring and repetitive, and it plays very loud - for a reason though, because if you turn it down you can clearly hear the unimpressive sounds for footsteps and little grunts the characters express when fighting.”
- “This has a circumstance however as, with the music off - this unfortunately leads to the majority of sound effects being cut out entirely/footsteps/breaths - combat to a certain degree is muted because I turned the music off.”
- “The only issue is the same one song playing during fights.”
humor
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players highlighting its blend of intentional and unintentional comedic moments, such as exaggerated ragdoll physics and quirky character interactions. The script and dialogue are noted for their cleverness, while the absurdity of certain gameplay mechanics, like instant deaths and amusing animations, contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to deliver laughter alongside strategic sword fighting, making it a fun experience, especially in multiplayer settings.
- “The exaggerated ragdoll physics can lead to some unintentionally hilarious outcomes, and the game isn’t afraid to have a little fun with its historical setting.”
- “Seeing your character get all sassy after they just deflected someone's blade and cut their hand off is surprisingly funny.”
- “The way characters react to said damage is Monty Python level of hilarious, as the developer has clearly never witnessed how a human, or any animal for that matter, reacts to damage during a fight.”
stability
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability is notably affected by its early access status, leading to frequent bugs and glitches, particularly during multiplayer and boss fights. While some players find the issues amusing and manageable, others report significant frustration with unresponsive controls and menu problems. Overall, the game shows promise with fluid gameplay and regular updates, but it still requires considerable refinement to enhance stability.
- “The game runs great on Linux via Wine/Proton, and I regret not having a Steam Deck (or similar handheld Linux device) so I could play on the go.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck, very minimal jank (I swear that hit should have connected or I hit that opponent before they hit me), and receptive to the modding community; shame the mods are few.”
- “Really big thank you, this is all near perfect for a game like this, even in early access. It also runs great under Linux with Proton 4.x.”
- “When I got the game, the controls and everything didn't work. I downloaded the game again and it was still buggy. This might be worse than EA because at least it's a Cyberpunk level playable, but this, nah not it dude, can't move and the menu barely worked for me.”
- “Players are forced to use a buggy, unstable, and unresponsive third-party program with known security issues in order to stream their game if they want to play with another player.”
- “The multiplayer and remote play is a bit buggy due to the second player just not being able to select a character, resulting in both players staring at the same menu until the game is restarted.”
optimization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some users report smooth gameplay on higher-end systems, others find it poorly optimized, leading to lag and stuttering, especially in demanding scenarios. There is hope for future improvements as the game continues to receive updates during its early access phase.
- “Consistent updates while in early access have improved stability and performance.”
- “Game is well optimized, it looks good visually although it can be demanding for older hardware and GPUs.”
- “The environments and overall performance are stellar so far.”
- “And while I do have a dedicated gaming rig, I solely wanted this game to be played exclusively on the Steam Deck, but the performance, at least from my personal experience, was horrendous even with FSR 3.”
- “Unfortunately at this early stage, the game is too poorly optimized.”
- “Too unoptimized, lagging even though I have an RTX 2070 and Ryzen 7 5800X and 16GB of RAM.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to its complex combat mechanics, unique weapon styles, and engaging multiplayer experience, which many players find endlessly enjoyable. However, some users express concerns about the current lack of content, such as additional characters and arenas, which could further enhance replay value. While many praise its replayability, a few reviewers note that it may be limited without a partner or additional content.
- “It's easy to learn the basics, but similar to a game of chess, there are so many possible variations and outcomes, which gives it huge replay value.”
- “Absolutely brilliant, unlimited replayability so you never get bored. The developers really put a lot of effort into this, and we should expect more content in the future!”
- “Each weapon style is unique, which - along with the characters, music, and settings - helps provide a lot of flavor and good replayability.”
- “However, a few more characters and arenas wouldn’t go amiss to further enhance replayability.”
- “I'm gonna say not recommend for now due to lack of content and very low replay value.”
- “I don't like to review things based on potential, so the game in its current state is remarkably polished and well-executed, albeit lacking in long-term replayability.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The game's atmosphere is deeply rooted in its historical context, featuring authentic 17th-century Polish elements, from character design to music, which enhances immersion and emotional weight. Players appreciate the realistic physics-based sword fights, atmospheric sound design, and well-crafted environments that evoke both beauty and brutality, creating a rich and engaging experience reminiscent of titles like The Witcher and Bushido Blade. Overall, the art direction and varied settings contribute to a captivating and gritty early modern European ambiance.
- “The atmosphere of the game is moored to its historicity and adds some sort of contextual weight to what could otherwise be just two dudes killing each other: half the characters are Western Slavic and fence with sabers, taunt you in Polish, their dress and stage backgrounds are appropriate to the game's era. The music is put together well and adds ambience.”
- “The sound design adds to the immersion, with the clash of steel, the grunts of effort, and the occasional cry of pain all contributing to the atmosphere.”
- “The game creates an unsurpassed atmosphere through which you can experience the beauty and brutality of the battle in the medieval world.”
- “The soundtrack creates a realistic atmosphere that completely immerses the player in the game world.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
Character development in the game is noted for its meticulous design and realism, with varied and authentic character appearances that enhance the overall aesthetic. However, there is a significant lack of personal growth or customization options for the characters, which detracts from the depth of their development. While the fighting styles and animations add personality, the overall character progression feels minimal.
- “The backgrounds, dress, and character design are meticulously crafted and true to life and setting.”
- “The look of the game isn't flashy, but it suits the theme perfectly, and character designs are varied without looking inauthentic.”
- “Beautiful animation, character design with motions that give them personality, and awesome gameplay.”
- “The story, game loop... any character development or personalization just doesn't exist.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
- “There is a noticeable absence of depth in the characters' backstories and motivations.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly those with a background in fencing, as it evokes nostalgia and a sense of returning to the sport despite physical limitations. The game's mechanics resonate deeply, capturing the intensity and authenticity of fencing while balancing the need for enjoyable gameplay. Overall, it successfully bridges the gap between hardcore enthusiasts and casual players, fostering a unique emotional experience.
- “I've fenced for years before I was injured and couldn't do it anymore. This game really made me feel like I was back on the piste.”
- “I only have experience fencing Olympic foil from years ago, but it helped me understand Marie's style and made me feel nostalgic for my days on the piste.”
- “It finds a way to do the impossible and bridge the gap between the absolutely insufferable HEMA crowd's demand for authenticity and emotionally healthy people's demand for a fighting game that's fun.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the introduction of a grindy currency and a disappointing game mode replacement, which detracts from the overall experience. While solo grinding can feel tedious, the game shines when played with others, making cooperative play essential for enjoyment.
- “Unfortunately, the devs pushed through an update that adds a grindy currency, replaced a game mode I loved with a really arcane high score game, and wrecked the physics engine the experience is based on.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “If you don't have someone to play with, it may get a bit tedious.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the games is criticized for featuring numerous cash grabs and poorly executed clones that exploit the "early access" model. Additionally, some titles prioritize realism over enjoyment, leading to a less engaging experience, while aggressive promotion and advertising tactics are also noted.
- “So many blatant cash grabs, broken clones hiding behind 'early access'.”
- “Promo and ads on stages!”