HellSinker
- July 19, 2019
- Ruminant’s Whimper
Get on Steam"HellSinker" is a single-player shooter game with compelling gameplay and an exceptional soundtrack. The game takes place in a world split in two, where a band of people called "GRAVEYARD" study the remains of a lost civilization, while "EXECUTORS" are obsessed with severing their fate. Players can expect intense boss battles and fragmented lore, allowing them to piece together the story as they progress.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Hellsinker features a unique and complex gameplay system with multiple characters, each offering distinct mechanics and playstyles, making it a deep and rewarding experience.
- The game boasts excellent visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere, creating a memorable and immersive experience.
- Despite its steep learning curve, Hellsinker provides a sense of accomplishment and discovery as players master its intricate mechanics and uncover its secrets.
- The tutorial is overly complicated and lengthy, making it difficult for new players to grasp the game's mechanics, which can lead to frustration.
- The user interface and font choices are often criticized for being confusing and hard to read, detracting from the overall experience.
- Hellsinker is punishingly difficult, with limited continues and a lack of beginner-friendly options, which may discourage less experienced players from enjoying the game.
- gameplay110 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Hellsinker is characterized by its complex and deep mechanics, offering a unique experience that challenges players to master a variety of systems and character abilities. While the initial learning curve can be steep and the mechanics may feel overwhelming, many players find the intricate gameplay rewarding and engaging once they acclimate. The game stands out in the shmup genre for its diverse character mechanics and unconventional level design, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a rich and strategic gaming experience.
“Hellsinker is a game that would go beyond miles by having a very unique gameplay; all characters have their own mechanics, different weapons, and others. It is such a massive blast to play once you learn many things in the game, such as scoring and grazing.”
“Once you wrap your head around the controls and gameplay mechanics, especially defensive moves like rechargeable bombs and a bullet-canceling force field, the real beauty of Hellsinker shines through.”
“It evokes a constant sense of exploration and discovery through the complex stages, enemies, mechanics, and most importantly, its playable characters, which total 7, a ridiculous number when you consider all of them are pretty much completely unique.”
“The gameplay is too complex while simultaneously being super boring.”
“The amount of mechanics this game has will feel overwhelming at first, but it quite quickly becomes second nature.”
“Too many mechanics for a shmup.”
- music58 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its exceptional quality and its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, often syncing perfectly with gameplay elements and stage design. Reviewers highlight the melancholic and intense soundtracks, which contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience, making it feel almost choreographed. While some opinions vary, the consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature that elevates the game to a remarkable level.
“The music is excellent, honing in on melancholy and bringing intensity when necessary.”
“Even as a lifelong Touhou fan, I can't think of a shooter with a more perfect soundtrack than Hellsinker; it's a lot of wonderful trance music synced perfectly with the stages and enemy formations, and it knows when to get aggressive.”
“By this I refer to how the flow of stages, or the timing of the entrance of enemies/bosses, or even the attacks of bosses themselves are often arranged to match the music, practically making the game into a musical with beautiful choreography, and creating more of that cohesiveness.”
“I only made it about 3/4 of the way through the tutorial before the CIA interrogation music and barely readable font had my brain crying 'uncle'.”
“Despite the variability of what can go on in the game, the stages are still synced to the music.”
“It has this strange techno look to it with this cryptic and esoteric, psychedelic, sometimes even religious feel that pervades its entirety, with a weird techno soundtrack to match each stage and unify the game into a cohesive whole.”
- story32 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of Hellsinker is described as convoluted yet deeply engaging, featuring a rich tapestry of lore and text snippets that players must piece together to fully appreciate. While the narrative can be incoherent at times, it rewards exploration and perseverance, encouraging players to unlock new segments and theories as they progress. Many reviewers highlight the game's unique storytelling approach, comparing it favorably to renowned titles like Cave Story and Hollow Knight, and emphasizing its intricate design and emotional impact.
“To think that a bullet hell game’s story content could be so compelling!”
“Designed with care and love for the genre while trusting the player’s intelligence to unravel its unique challenges and story.”
“This game also features some quite complex story and lore, of which I honestly don't know much about, but it's the kind of stuff where you have to spend some time looking into all the pieces of dialogue spread around everywhere and then come up with your own theories as to what it all means.”
“Hellsinker's story is told vaguely, through text snippets that will begin to show up as you play.”
“The story is also appropriately incoherent, at least unless you have someone explain it to you.”
“This game also features some quite complex story and lore, of which I honestly don't know much about, but it's the kind of stuff where you have to spend some time looking into all the pieces of dialogue spread around everywhere and then come up with your own theories as to what the hell it all means.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as visually stunning and unique, with a captivating aesthetic that stands out in the indie game landscape. While some elements, like character and item sprites, may appear inconsistent, the overall design is praised for its intricate detail and rich audio, contributing to an unforgettable gaming experience. However, there are mixed opinions, with some reviewers criticizing certain aspects as low-quality or convoluted.
“This game means everything to me. I don't have enough linguistic abilities to articulate what I love and how much I love it, but I hope the sentiment comes across. Whether it's the intricate and complex gameplay, absolutely eye-catching visuals, extremely complex story and lore, or the rich music, everything about this game, even the little manual it comes with, is masterfully crafted. I love it so much; please give it all the time in the world. Even if it seems scary at first, learning the game slowly but surely is a genuinely unforgettable and enchanting experience. There is nothing like this game out there.”
“Beautiful visuals and soundtrack.”
“Some things like the character, bullet, or item sprites might look kind of wonky and too game-like and break that cohesiveness, but overall it has a very unique aesthetic that you probably have never seen before, and likely never will again.”
“The actual design of the game (art style, sound, animations, enemy design, boss design, level layout, pacing, background design, attack types and patterns, etc.) is mobile-tier garbage.”
“Some things like the character, bullet, or item sprites might look kind of wonky and too game-like and break that cohesiveness.”
“Now going back to actually reviewing the game itself, let me talk about the aesthetic.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive and melancholic qualities, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack that complements the dark, sci-fi adventure theme. Reviewers note a unique sense of exploration and an ominous, creepy vibe that sets it apart from typical shoot 'em ups, making it a standout experience. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the game's challenge and realism.
“OST does sell a lot of scenes with memorable tunes that ooze atmosphere of dark, sci-fi adventure.”
“The sense of exploration is truly unmatched, with a very special atmosphere enhanced by the game's melancholic soundtrack.”
“It also seems to have a more ominous and creepy atmosphere, which isn't common for shmups, but Hellsinker does it perfectly.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players initially found the grinding aspect enjoyable, but it quickly turned tedious and repetitive, diminishing their overall experience.
“While the challenge was fun at first, it has now become nothing short of tedious.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features three distinct scoring metrics that require players to optimize their strategies in unique ways, catering to those seeking a challenging experience.
“For those who really want to push themselves, the game offers three separate scoring metrics, which must all be optimized differently.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users consistently highlight that the game offers high replayability, suggesting that its features or mechanics encourage players to return for multiple playthroughs.
“That alone makes the game super replayable.”
