HellSign
- February 24, 2021
- Ballistic Interactive
- 8h median play time
A tense, atmospheric game tangled in the tendrils of poor pacing and grind.
Get on SteamHellSign is an investigative action RPG that pits you against the horrors of the afterlife, let loose on a small town. As a hunter, you’ll plan, hunt, and kill to pay the bills and piece together the fragments to your past. Just remember - a smart hunter is always prepared.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Unique concept of hunting supernatural beings while investigating their weaknesses.
- Atmospheric gameplay that keeps players on edge with a mix of horror and action elements.
- Engaging mechanics that require strategic planning and preparation before encounters.
- Limited content with only a few maps and enemy types, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- Game feels unfinished with a lack of story progression and unresolved plot points.
- Combat mechanics can be clunky and frustrating, especially with dodging and hit detection issues.
- story627 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as underdeveloped and incomplete, with many players noting its abrupt ending and lack of depth. While the atmosphere and initial premise are intriguing, the narrative suffers from repetitive mission structures and limited character development, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction among players. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative, leaving many feeling unfulfilled and hoping for future expansions or updates to enhance the experience.
“The story is driven by text dialogue and comic panels in a dark, grim style (the comics remind me of Constantine).”
“The atmosphere is done really well and keeps being eerie and spooky even after clocking in dozens of missions.”
“Hellsign captures a very unique experience, even if it has shortcomings (short story, lopsided content curve, abrupt ending); I wish the devs would continue to develop content for the game.”
“The story is very short and ends very abruptly, making it feel like an incomplete game.”
“The story ends abruptly, concepts introduced go nowhere, overall the game is an extreme let down.”
“The story itself wasn't egregious in any manner, but the current state of the story is definitely incomplete.”
- gameplay351 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Hellsign" is characterized by a solid core loop of investigation, combat, and monster summoning, which many players find engaging and fun initially. However, it quickly becomes repetitive due to limited mission variety and environments, leading to a grindy experience that can detract from overall enjoyment. While the mechanics and atmosphere show potential, the game suffers from unfinished elements and a lack of depth, leaving players wanting more content and refinement.
“The gameplay loop is fun and engaging.”
“The core gameplay loop is 'go to location > search for clues/kill monsters > deduce what the big monster is > summon and kill the big monster' which is, on paper, pretty fun.”
“The gameplay is quite good and requires good pre-planning before heading into an area; it would also be nice and spooky for a good chunk of the game.”
“The gameplay gets repetitive extremely fast; you keep doing the same mission over and over to gain levels and new weapons and armor.”
“This is a video game having a primary gameplay that is not fun and is merely tedious cookie clicking on bugs that skitter in and out of sight and are hard to click on.”
“The core gameplay loop is 'go to location > search for clues/kill monsters > deduce what the big monster is > summon and kill the big monster,' which is, on paper, pretty fun.”
- atmosphere180 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, effectively creating a tense and spooky environment that enhances the gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the combination of sound design, visual aesthetics, and thematic elements that contribute to a sense of dread and excitement, although some note that the repetitiveness of gameplay can detract from the overall impact. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the game's standout feature, successfully capturing the essence of a paranormal investigation.
“The atmosphere is done really well and keeps being eerie and spooky even after clocking in dozens of missions already.”
“The atmosphere is top notch and the idea behind it is really good, but is overshadowed by the repetitiveness of the gameplay.”
“The atmosphere created by the music, the old school graphics, and the hilarious dialogues make it fun.”
“My one problem with the game is that its atmosphere is overly edgy; sure, they present a hardcore Australian supernatural hunter vibe, but they go too far with it to the point it feels cartoonish.”
“However, I cannot give a thumbs up due to the atmosphere ruining the background story, setting, context (writing), and the character's interpersonal dialogue.”
“Furthermore, the atmosphere doesn't mesh well with the action-based combat; again, its style and substance don't gel.”
- graphics94 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the unique art style and atmospheric visuals, while others criticize performance issues, flat textures, and frame rate drops. Many players appreciate the comic-style cutscenes and overall aesthetic, but note that optimization could be significantly improved. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good for an indie title, they fall short of expectations in terms of stability and detail.
“The graphics are clear, clean, and nice to look at; the lighting effects are good, the demons are scary, and the sound effects and audio are well done.”
“The comic style cutscenes are absolutely amazing; the graphic and disturbing visuals are beautiful, and I seriously can't wait to see more.”
“The atmosphere created by the music, the old school graphics, and the hilarious dialogues make it fun.”
“Graphics are colorless and flat.”
“You cannot rotate the camera and movement feels choppy with constant frame rate drops no matter what you select from the very few graphic options.”
“The game graphics and game performances are very unstable, below 40 fps at times (on low settings...)”
- grinding89 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in the early stages where resource gathering and mission completion can feel like a chore. While some enjoy the grind as a means to progress and unlock better equipment, others criticize the lack of variety in missions and environments, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate grinding, but it may deter casual players due to its demanding nature and potential for monotony.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Games are supposed to be fun, not tedious and annoying because of bad controls.”
“The game is too grindy just to be capable of doing missions to completion because you're only making like 5 bucks for 20 minutes of real time, which defeats the purpose of playing any game; after all, don't we all have real jobs?”
“Grinding sucks when you can't even kill anything for XP or gain any signs to sell for money before you have to run away or get sucked into the shadow realm, meaning you've just wasted your time completely on a mission.”
“The lack of missions and the amount of grinding you need to do makes the game very stale very quickly.”
- optimization50 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, even on capable hardware. Reviewers suggest that the game feels unfinished and poorly optimized, indicating a need for more polish and adjustments to improve gameplay stability. While some players find enjoyment in the game, the consensus is that optimization should be a priority for future updates.
“If the devs make another game, or come back to this one, my advice to them would be to focus on optimization and maybe shrink the scope of the game unless they have more funding.”
“The game is really good, it's interesting, it has a good difficulty and a learning curve, but it needs to be optimized. If it gets multiplayer, a bigger and more varied skill tree, character customization, and weapon modding, it's going to be pure gold.”
“There's also a lot of room for optimization, but the game looks absolutely stunning.”
“The game is so badly optimized that it's nearly unplayable with certain bosses.”
“Poorly optimized, runs terribly even on systems that should handle it no problem.”
“The optimization for faster or slower computers is in shambles, the combat is clunky and severely broken, the bugs glitch out, and the glitches bug in.”
- music41 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the atmosphere, particularly during boss fights, where it effectively builds tension and excitement. While many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to create a spooky ambiance, some express a desire for more variety and originality, suggesting that the current music feels repetitive or reliant on stock sounds. Overall, the combination of music and sound effects significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience, though there are calls for improvements and additional content.
“Excellent music and sounds from multiple sources to absorb you into the atmosphere.”
“The music shifts dramatically when enemies are encountered and only ups the ante.”
“The atmosphere created by the music, the old school graphics, and the hilarious dialogues make it fun.”
“With a bigger budget and a soundtrack that isn't full of stock music, plus some online co-op, this could be one of my favorite games easily.”
“The soundtrack is loud and most of the time out of place.”
“- general audio issues: music is loud, gun sounds are very flat.”
- stability17 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent freezes, soft locks, and significant bugs that hinder gameplay progression. Many users express frustration over unresponsive support for reported issues, leading to a perception of the game as unpolished and riddled with glitches. While some acknowledge the game's potential, the overwhelming consensus is that its stability issues severely detract from the overall experience.
“These aren't small bugs you can ignore; rather, my whole game freezes and I have to force close the game.”
“No one has even bothered to respond to bug reports since November 2020, and if there's one thing this game has plenty of... it's bugs and glitches; many of which will softlock your progress or prevent the game from booting at all.”
“The game might be fun, but I have no idea why it does not want to work for me. Whenever I play cards, I get soft-locked and have to restart. When I try to continue, the game never loads, so I need to create a new save. The worst part is in the tutorial; whenever I go to buy the mysterious box, it says I bought it, but it never gives it to me, so I can never get past the tutorial. I really would like this game if it was not a buggy mess.”
- replayability15 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is seen as moderate, with some players appreciating the different character classes and gameplay variations, while others feel that the lack of new content and repetitive elements diminish its long-term appeal. Suggestions for improvement include adding more procedural generation and unique story elements to enhance replay value. While the current content is limited, the potential for future updates could significantly increase replayability.
“Originally this game had a lot of appeal and replay value because character building was a thing: you couldn't be great at everything.”
“Also it is highly replayable because depending on the class your walkthrough will be different.”
“Can see this game having massive replay value even once you beat the story as it uses the mission screen Payday 2 uses (missions with a difficulty ranked in stars pop up and fade on a city map in real time).”
“The game has no replay value apart from a mildly harder difficulty that just slows down progression.”
“My only real big complaint is that replayability is just starting over; there is nothing new, just how you start over.”
“I think adding more procedural generation to the levels will really improve the replayability of the game.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a mix of absurd animations, quirky sound effects, and amusing dialogues, creating a lighthearted atmosphere amidst its horror elements. While many players appreciate the comedic aspects, some feel that the humor can be distracting and suggest a more balanced approach could enhance the overall experience. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm, though it may benefit from refinement.
“Some enemies (ghouls come to mind) have hilariously bad animations, and many of the bosses have wibbly-wobbly effects on the camera and are little more than shaped clouds or shadows.”
“Very funny game, also challenging in some situations.”
“The atmosphere created by the music, the old school graphics, and the hilarious bogan dialogues make it fun.”
- character development6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be both in-depth and gradual, allowing for a nuanced experience without overwhelming players. However, some reviews highlight a lack of engaging activities and a need for refinement in character establishment, suggesting that while the potential is there, it requires further enhancement to fully realize its impact. Additionally, the graphic novel-style scenes contribute positively to the storytelling aspect.
“Character development is in-depth, but not so far that it's confusing.”
“Of note are also the character designs and graphic novel-esque scenes that help move the story along; they add quite a bit of character to the game.”
“Tl;dr good game, just needs refinement in character development/establishment and possible mechanic reworks.”
“Character development is slow, so you don't get to feel too much of an upgrade from one mission to another.”
“Hopefully unfinished character design and animations.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game has appealing features and unique gameplay, players feel frustrated by its monetization strategies, which are perceived as cash grabs. The presence of aggressive advertising and the ability to access high-level content prematurely without adequate preparation further contribute to this negative sentiment.
“Every time I see an early access game that looks fun, unique, and definitely worth the investment, they pull this cash grab tactic.”
“You can summon the final boss of a mission pretty early on without any preparation, although (understandably) you will suffer the consequences of rushing in blind, which the game certainly does not encourage with its gameplay, story, or even advertisement.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the tutorial's unclear instructions, which detracted from their emotional engagement with the game. The confusion caused by the tutorial's wording led to a significant waste of time, impacting the overall experience.
