Hellscreen

About

Hellscreen is a single player shooter game. It was developed by Jamie D and was released on March 9, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

In "Hellscreen," after ancient gods construct a soul-sorting machine for eternal life relief, a malfunction displaces the player from the real world at death into the Hellscreen realm, instead of a peaceful afterlife. As a deposited soul in this machine's realm, the player must navigate the glitchy and dark world to find a way back to the real world or accept their new eternal fate. This game offers a unique and eerie take on afterlife exploration and machine-induced realities.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

optimization1 negative mentions

Hellscreen features a unique rear-view mirror mechanic that fundamentally enhances gameplay, allowing players to shoot behind them while maintaining fast-paced movement.
The game's art direction and atmospheric design are striking, drawing inspiration from brutalism and body horror, which creates a memorable and immersive experience.
The non-linear level progression and exploration elements encourage curiosity and reward players for revisiting areas with newly acquired abilities.

The game is currently incomplete, with only the first episode released and further episodes cancelled due to poor sales, leaving players feeling disappointed about the lack of content.
Gameplay balance issues exist, as the rear-view mechanic can become overwhelming during intense combat, and enemy variety is somewhat limited.
Performance problems and poor optimization have been reported, with some players experiencing low frame rates and a lack of graphical options.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
Hellscreen offers a unique gameplay experience by integrating a real-time rear-view mirror mechanic that enhances combat and exploration, encouraging players to think in 360 degrees. While the fast-paced, retro-inspired shooter features high-speed movement and resource management, some players find the gameplay balance lacking, with infinite ammo and less threatening enemies leading to moments of mindlessness. Overall, the innovative mechanics and striking visual design create a compelling, albeit polarizing, gameplay experience that appeals to those seeking novelty over traditional shooter elements.
- “Hellscreen, developed by Jamie D and published under the Mixtape Games UK label, is an ambitious, stylistically bold first-person shooter that merges old-school FPS design with a highly distinctive gameplay twist.”
- “Gameplay in Hellscreen revolves around high-speed movement, exploration, and resource management, but the rear-view mirror elevates these elements to something new.”
- “The rear-view mirror is great, and used not as a gimmick, but as a proper gameplay feature (it also helps with exploration, by hinting at secrets).”
- “There are also some issues with gameplay balance and polish.”
- “The rear-view mechanic, while innovative, can become overwhelming during intense firefights, as juggling forward movement and backward shooting in real time requires a level of dexterity that not all players will find enjoyable.”
- “Gameplay does become a little mindless with infinite ammo and not very threatening enemies, and generally more of the game is spent navigating levels than fighting enemies, which is fine, but not generally what I go in for; I thought it would be more shooter-oriented with the rear-view mirror.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The graphics of the game are noted for their unique and stylized visuals that enhance the gameplay experience, with many praising the retro aesthetic and high contrast art style. However, some users report significant performance issues and poor optimization, detracting from the overall enjoyment despite the appealing design. Overall, while the visuals are compelling and well-received, technical shortcomings have left some players frustrated.
- “It’s not just an aesthetic exercise either; the visual design ties directly into the gameplay.”
- “Awesome retro aesthetic and a banging score.”
- “Love the high contrast graphic style.”
- “This game hurt my eyes so much and somehow performs worse than Doom Eternal despite its simplistic graphics.”
- “I never believed in 'badly optimized' games because maybe there were just bugs in the code that could cause this or a lot of unnecessary things to be processed, but this game really made me believe in that. I really feel that it is very poorly optimized; besides that, it has no graphical options to at least mitigate this.”
- “The graphics are low key, but they fit with this style of game.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the disorienting, lo-fi sci-fi atmosphere, with a nostalgic feel reminiscent of retro hardware. While the soundtrack is described as fantastic and atmospheric, some users noted a desire for more variety in the music. Overall, the sound design complements the game's visuals and gameplay, creating an engaging experience for retro-style FPS enthusiasts.
- “Using a limited palette to weave masterful and abstract level design, wrapping it up in delicious sound and music with a symphony of bullets, this game is sure to please any retro-style FPS enthusiast!”
- “I love the atmosphere, the music has given me the perfect balance of gameplay, shooting stuff all over the place, and the challenge of figuring out the next step.”
- “Even the soundtrack, composed using retro hardware like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 1, amplifies the disorienting, lo-fi sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “Could have more music variety.”
- “Cons: could have a bit more music variety, weapon-type variety, enemy projectile variety, movement upgrade variety.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The atmosphere of hellscreen is characterized by its bleak, surreal visuals and a haunting soundtrack that enhances its lo-fi sci-fi identity, reminiscent of old-school FPS games. While the intricate levels and unique retro-inspired aesthetics create a compelling environment, some players note that the visual sameness can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game is praised for its atmospheric experimentation, appealing to those who appreciate a strong atmospheric identity over content quantity.
- “From the moment you enter hellscreen's bleak, surreal world, it’s clear this is a game with a strong visual and atmospheric identity.”
- “Even the soundtrack, composed using retro hardware like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 1, amplifies the disorienting, lo-fi sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “Hellscreen is wonderfully reminiscent of old school FPS games, with an extremely high pace and a creepy and haunting atmosphere, further emphasized by the alien design clearly inspired by Giger's art.”
- “I love the atmosphere; the music so far has given me the perfect balance of gameplay, shooting stuff all over the place, to the challenge of figuring out the next step.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game has been criticized for its poor optimization, with players experiencing significant performance issues and a lack of graphical options to improve the situation. This has contributed to negative perceptions, especially in light of the game's cancellation due to poor sales.
- “I never believed in 'badly optimized' games because maybe there were just bugs in the code that could cause this or a lot of unnecessary things to be processed, but this game really made me believe in that. I really feel that it is very poorly optimized; besides that, it has no graphical options to at least mitigate this.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and challenging due to its color palette, which can hinder gameplay. While some appreciate the concept, many feel it lacks sufficient content to keep them engaged.
- “It's cool, but it's tedious, hard to play because of the color palette, and has very little to offer.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is relatively short but offers high replayability due to its focus on secrets and completionist challenges, reminiscent of classic 3D collectathon platformers. Players are encouraged to explore thoroughly to achieve 100% completion.
- “The game is on the shorter side at the moment, but it's extremely replayable, with a big emphasis on secrets and achieving 100%, reminiscent of a 3D collectathon platformer.”
- “Every playthrough feels fresh due to the variety of choices and paths available, making it a game you can return to time and again.”
- “The dynamic events and random elements ensure that no two runs are the same, keeping the experience engaging and encouraging multiple playthroughs.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game currently suffers from numerous glitches and flaws, indicating a need for further refinement; however, the developers are actively addressing these stability issues.
- “In its current state, there are a lot of glitches and flaws that need ironing out, which the developer is clearly hard at work on.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is described as vague and enigmatic, evoking a sense of cosmic horror that resonates with players, reminiscent of the dread experienced in the game "Scorn."
- “While the story is opaque at best, it hints at something cosmic and horrifying, a dread I haven't felt since Scorn.”