Hellpoint: The Thespian Feast

About

This is a standalone story in Hellpoint universe, a dark and challenging action RPG set in the world where the line between science and occultism is blurred. The Thespian Feast tells the story of an investigator arriving at Irid Novo station 50 years after the Hellpoint events.

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
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Hellpoint: The Thespian Feast screenshot

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 440 reviews

gameplay33 positive mentions

stability24 negative mentions

The game features a unique sci-fi horror atmosphere that combines elements of Dark Souls and Dead Space, creating an engaging and eerie experience.
Combat mechanics, while needing some polish, offer a satisfying feel with the ability to stagger enemies and a healing system that rewards aggressive play.
The level design encourages exploration with hidden paths and secrets, making the gameplay rewarding for players who enjoy discovering new areas.

The controls feel clunky and unresponsive, with issues such as delayed attacks and awkward camera angles that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Enemy AI can be inconsistent, with some enemies feeling overly aggressive or poorly placed, leading to cheap deaths and a lack of fair challenge.
The game suffers from various bugs and glitches, including issues with hit detection, invisible walls, and problems with the lock-on system, which detracts from the overall experience.

gameplay
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The gameplay of this title has drawn mixed reviews, with many players noting its strong similarities to Dark Souls but criticizing its lack of polish and clarity in mechanics. While some appreciate the unique elements like the health regeneration tied to damage dealt and light platforming, others find the controls choppy, combat mechanics underwhelming, and overall gameplay lacking the precision expected from a souls-like experience. Despite its potential and engaging atmosphere, significant improvements are needed in mechanics, enemy design, and tutorial explanations to elevate the gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay is pretty solid.”
- “Light platforming gameplay is a welcome feature, and having to damage enemies in order to refill your health items (estus flasks) is a great mechanic because it keeps players aggressive and engaged in the combat.”
- “Great gameplay and great setting.”
- “Some of the concepts built into the mechanics or gameplay just didn't feel like they were fully fleshed out and left me feeling a bit frustrated.”
- “Gameplay is a bit choppy, not as fluid as FromSoftware games.”
- “Looks generic, gameplay is pretty bad because you lose control of your character for way too long when initiating an attack, combat feels worse than in Dark Souls 2 or The Surge.”
graphics
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique aesthetic and atmosphere, often likening it to a blend of horror and sci-fi influences. However, criticisms arise regarding outdated visuals, poor animations, and technical issues, with some reviewers noting that the graphics feel reminiscent of older generation games. Overall, while the art style is praised, there is a consensus that significant improvements are needed to elevate the graphical quality to match contemporary standards.
- “Although this demo leans more towards the body horror aspects of the game instead of the beautifully haunting Giger-esque aesthetics from the full version, it does a good job of leaving you intrigued enough with this game's world and atmosphere.”
- “The artwork is good, codework is generally acceptable... there is also some coop and even split-screen options!”
- “The visuals are interesting, the decor has a grimy, future-meat aesthetic that I enjoyed, and I genuinely want to know more about what's happening here, or why everyone is a crazy meat thespian.”
- “If you like delayed attack responses (which look ugly by the way), poor controls and graphics from 2010, this is for you!”
- “Graphics are like PS3 era.”
- “Graphically speaking, a demo like this should put the best foot forward, but instead the protagonist and early areas look like a mid-2000s shooter.”
atmosphere
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
33%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie, immersive quality, drawing comparisons to iconic titles like "Dead Space" and "Event Horizon." Reviewers highlight the unique art direction, ambient sound design, and the overall creepy vibe that effectively enhances the gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding combat mechanics and visual consistency. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered its strongest asset, captivating players and leaving them eager to explore its world further.
- “Although this demo leans more towards the body horror aspects of the game instead of the beautifully haunting Giger-esque aesthetics from the full version, it does a good job of leaving you intrigued enough with this game's world and atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is amazing.”
- “The atmosphere, which falls somewhere between Dead Space and the movie Event Horizon, more than makes up for the slightly janky movement and combat.”
- “Took me a while to spot a handprint telling me how to access hidden wall-doors... but the enemies were tension-inducing to fight and the atmosphere likewise nerve-rending to walk through.”
- “The atmosphere and design warrant some serious potential; however, I hope this is an old build of the game featuring a B-grade area that's either getting omitted or spruced up majorly, along with the rest of the game's features.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
8%
The story in the demo of Hellpoint is described as cryptic and minimal, with many players finding it difficult to grasp due to its fragmented nature and reliance on environmental storytelling typical of souls-like games. While some appreciate the intriguing atmosphere and potential for deeper lore, others criticize the lack of substantial narrative content, feeling that the demo fails to provide meaningful insights into the overarching story. Overall, the narrative appears to be a mix of vague hints and flavor text, leaving players wanting more clarity and depth.
- “A pretty decent soulslike sci-fi ARPG with exquisite graphics and a riveting story.”
- “Like in traditional Dark Souls fashion, the story and world building is hidden behind hints in the environment, vague dialogue, and item descriptions.”
- “I'm personally a fan of this kind of storytelling and it really adds to the experience of playing a game.”
- “If you've already played Hellpoint, don't bother with the demo as it doesn't add anything new to the story, despite being described as a 'sequel' to the actual game.”
- “But for anyone who played Hellpoint, you only get flavor texts that all say 'OMG what the hell happened here', which is absolutely nothing worthwhile story-wise.”
- “That's it, there is no story attached which deserves words to write it.”
stability
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The stability of the game demo has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting a significant number of bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in enemy interactions and graphical fidelity. While some users experienced a relatively smooth gameplay without major problems, the overall consensus highlights that the demo is quite buggy, which detracts from the experience. Despite these issues, some players found the core gameplay enjoyable and expressed hope for improvements in the final release.
- “I can happily report that at least on my system (Ryzen 3600, 5700 XT), it runs great!”
- “I played an hour and got 2 critical bugs, 2 normal bugs, and 6 glitches.”
- “When it works, it's fine, but it's buggy as hell.”
- “Everything is buggy, frame drops, AI aggro before you can even read controls info, getting stuck on small environment objects.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance and commendable optimization for an indie title, others experience significant issues such as frame drops, stuttering, and combat timing problems. Overall, the game's performance varies widely depending on the hardware, with some users enjoying a stable experience on higher-end systems, while others struggle with noticeable optimization flaws.
- “It seems well optimized, which, again, is commendable for an indie title; it looks good graphics-wise too.”
- “I didn't experience any glitches, bugs, screen tears, or performance issues while playing on max settings.”
- “Performance seems to be great too: my rig is a tad old school (i5, 1060, 16GB RAM), but on 1080p, even when the whole room was filled with enemies, I never had as much as a frame dip (everything maxed out in-game and on the card).”
- “Not even close to a finished product; performance is bad, frames drop constantly in empty spaces, character slides as it attacks, no sense of timing and pressure in combat.”
- “- lots of stuttering and fps drops throughout the demo.”
- “The graphics themselves were at least quite serviceable and it didn't seem to have any obvious optimization problems, which is, sad to say, a big plus in this day and age.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as mostly ambient and atmospheric, effectively complementing the game's theme and enhancing the overall experience. While some users noted that the boss music could be inconsistent, the sound design is praised for fitting the game's atmosphere nicely. Overall, it contributes positively to the gameplay, earning a mixed but favorable rating.
- “The sound and music is great and it fits the theme of this game perfectly.”
- “They nailed the sound, music, and atmosphere.”
- “Game looks great and sound and music is pretty nice.”
- “The boss music stopped once.”
- “Music: ★★★☆☆ 3/5 (mostly ambient, atmospheric)”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its glitchy mechanics, particularly the ragdoll physics that result in comical character deaths and exaggerated animations. Players find moments like being chewed and spat out by enemies to be hilariously entertaining, often eliciting laughter from both players and onlookers. However, some express concern that the humor may not resonate with everyone, suggesting a need for refinement in the final version.
- “Not too bad to be honest. Of course, it has a lot of glitches for a free demo, but the combat feels fine. The enemies were kind of interesting, and seeing your body go haywire after dying is always funny.”
- “This was still funny to play for the 'lolz!', but I hope they fix it in the actual game since not all people have my same sense of humor.”
- “When the bald monster near the checkpoint catches me, chews, and spits me out from its mouth-stomach, my character slides like crazy, launching me into space for a few seconds before I die. My nephew was laughing his butt off.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted by unique and appealing character designs, impressive animations, and a well-crafted atmosphere. However, some players feel that the world initially feels empty, and while the lore is intriguing, it remains cryptic. Overall, the character design and environmental aesthetics are well-received, contributing positively to the game's immersive experience.
- “The lore is cryptic but interesting, the atmosphere and character design are pretty well done, and the game controls literally like any souls game you have played before.”
- “Great atmosphere, character design, animations, loving it.”
- “Unique and interesting character design.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the grinding in Hellpoint is perceived as user-unfriendly and tedious, detracting from the game's overall experience. Many feel it lacks the engaging challenge found in original Souls games, making the grind feel more like a chore than an integral part of gameplay.
- “It's user-unfriendly, it's tedious, it's not the original Souls game, but only one more shadow of it.”
- “All in all, Hellpoint presents an interesting conceptual blend in the most boring and tedious way possible.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect has received mixed feedback, with some users feeling that the demo level does not deliver on the promised insights into the main game's story, as advertised.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the flexibility of controls, as the game can be played using either a keyboard or a controller, enhancing its replayability by accommodating different play styles.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight that the game's atmosphere effectively immerses players in a desolate spaceship setting, evoking strong emotional responses and a sense of isolation.
- “The atmosphere was on point and really made me feel like I was in a derelict spaceship.”