Heretical

About

Heretical is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Three Swords Studio and was released on October 30, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

Heretical is a punishing single-player Rogue-lite Action RPG with deep RPG mechanics and Soulslike influences. Players unlock new characters, master powerful abilities, and adapt their strategies through challenging, grind-heavy runs as they ascend Sanctora Mountain to confront a relentless demigod. Sensational graphics and engaging gameplay offer a unique experience with every attempt.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 462 reviews

gameplay44 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that combines elements of roguelites and souls-like mechanics, providing a unique experience with each run.
Strong sense of progression through the prophecy system, which unlocks new skills, items, and characters, keeping players motivated.
Atmospheric art style and level design reminiscent of Dark Souls, enhancing the overall immersion and enjoyment.

Bugs and glitches can disrupt gameplay, including issues with camera angles and character control during critical moments.
Some mechanics, like the darkness system, can feel punishing and may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
Balancing issues exist, particularly with melee characters being at a disadvantage compared to ranged builds, leading to frustration.

gameplay
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a blend of roguelike and souls-like mechanics, offering a diverse and engaging experience with a strong emphasis on progression and build variety. While many players appreciate the addictive gameplay loop and unique mechanics, some express concerns about slow progression and balancing issues, particularly with the darkness mechanic that can hinder player advancement. Overall, the game is praised for its fun combat, intricate level design, and replayability, making it appealing to fans of challenging action RPGs.
- “The gameplay feels fantastic, and the progression as you unlock new items and powers feels really good as well.”
- “The gameplay is very engaging and also very addictive - it gets better with each run.”
- “Addicting gameplay loop, fantastic level design, and a satisfying sense of progression and meta-progression allow this game to hit well above its weight class.”
- “A roguelike with slow gameplay and slow progression is not fun.”
- “Controls are too floaty and gameplay is too boring.”
- “The 'hate' mechanic or whatever it's called - the more mobs you kill, the more they get buffed - seems cool, until you realize what it means is unless you have some infinitely scaling build, otherwise you'd eventually die to some mob because you can't outscale their damage increase.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
48%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their dark, atmospheric art style reminiscent of the Dark Souls series, effectively enhancing the immersive experience. While some users note that the graphics are not cutting-edge, they appreciate the optimization and cohesive aesthetic that complements the gameplay. Overall, the visuals are described as charming and well-executed, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The stunning visuals: the dark, atmospheric art style is reminiscent of Dark Souls, adding depth and immersion to the game.”
- “Beautiful art style.”
- “I really like the game, and the graphics in this game are amazing!”
- “My only real complaint is the use of AI art assets that really don't match the style of the rest of the game. The maximalist, overly-detailed card art for the prophecies system just doesn't fit with what otherwise feels like a cohesive aesthetic. I understand the dev team consists of three people and I admire the work they've put into Heretical so far, but I hope the AI assets are purely placeholder and not intended for release.”
- “Graphics are not the best, but it suits the style of the game perfectly.”
- “Graphics is not a priority here and controls are to be optimized slightly, but I still give it a 9/10.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
31%
19%
Overall, the game's replayability is highly praised, with many players noting the enjoyment of experimenting with different builds and the potential for endless runs due to ongoing content updates. However, some users mention limitations, such as a single map and repetitive elements, which can affect the replay value. Despite these concerns, the core gameplay and meta progression systems contribute to a generally positive replayability experience.
- “Great replayability and your builds just keep getting better as you start new runs.”
- “Pretty much endless replayability and the game isn't even finished yet, nor have I unlocked all the areas, abilities, and skills.”
- “Great replayability thanks to smart meta progress & endless build combinations.”
- “Replayability is kind of mid because there is only one map and it's similar every time.”
- “This is a rogue-lite but replayability isn't that great at the moment, to be honest.”
- “Replay value: the roguelite elements ensure that no two runs are the same, keeping the gameplay fresh and exciting.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The story in "Heretical" is praised for its immersive world-building and engaging low fantasy art direction, reminiscent of FromSoftware's Soulslike games. However, players feel that character interactions and backstories could be more developed to enhance the narrative experience, as many quests and prophecies often feel tedious and lack meaningful dialogue. Overall, while the game has a gripping storyline and a variety of quests, there is a desire for deeper character engagement and storytelling.
- “There's a lot I like about Heretical, from the density and variety of the environment and its native storytelling, progression systems, and grungy low fantasy art direction.”
- “Guys, keep doing this amazing work, this game is a love story; one can feel the dedication put into it.”
- “From the moment you start your journey up the Sanctora Mountain, you're immersed in a world filled with challenging enemies, intricate mechanics, and a gripping storyline.”
- “I would strengthen the storytelling through the various characters around the map; this is actually nice but maybe more interaction or more relevance to the world-building.”
- “It's got about 4 hours of gameplay if you search every corner; so far there is no story or dialogue...”
- “90% of the good items or skills are blocked behind these terribly optimized quests; it's an incredibly frustrating experience to play the game with an intent to complete a quest when you aren't given even the correct choices for skills or items.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
9%
27%
The atmosphere of the game is heavily praised for its dark, immersive art style reminiscent of Dark Souls, creating an unsettling yet captivating environment that enhances gameplay. Reviewers highlight the game's beautiful world design, which encourages exploration and strategic play, while also noting that the atmosphere is complemented by solid sound design and tight controls. Overall, the atmospheric depth significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a standout experience.
- “They've built a beautiful atmospheric world around the game, and it's nice to see one of these horde-survivor games that brings more to the table from other genres, rather than just plopping you into a circular arena with endless blobs that walk toward you. This rewards exploration and different strategies through a hand-made world.”
- “Stunning visuals: the dark, atmospheric art style is reminiscent of Dark Souls, adding depth and immersion to the game.”
- “Reminds me a lot of the first Dark Souls, with the same kind of dark art style and unsettling atmosphere; it’s unforgiving where every move and decision demands careful planning.”
- “It has a dark atmosphere that really adds to the overall vibe of the game.”
- “There are bugs and some frustrating moments, but the atmosphere and level design are great, along with the potential to create builds that play quite differently.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in the game; while some players appreciate the shortcuts and unlockable content that mitigate the tedium, others find the overall experience slow and frustrating. The balance between engaging encounters and grindy elements can lead to a sense of monotony, particularly in navigating the world and facing boss battles. Ultimately, the game offers enjoyable mechanics, but they are often overshadowed by the grind.
- “Encounters and balance go from interesting and brutally fair to boring and grindy.”
- “Tedious is an understatement; it was brutal.”
- “There is a fun game here, but it's stuck behind a tedious, impossible to navigate world.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Overall, the music in the game receives mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the existing tracks and their vibe, many feel that the soundtrack is sparse and could benefit from more variety and depth. There is a desire for a more immersive audio experience to enhance gameplay, suggesting that a fuller soundtrack could significantly elevate the game's atmosphere.
- “Music is very good; characters could have more of a backstory, but the design is unique and good.”
- “This is already in a great and very playable state, so I'm psyched to see it grow and reach its 1.0 release. I played through with a little metal music in the background, and it's a solid vibe!”
- “While the music accompanying the journey is somewhat sparse, the existing tracks suggest that a fuller soundtrack could beautifully complement the game's aesthetics.”
- “Also, we need music in this thing; I want to cry while making my coma stunlock bonk and conk character build.”
- “Between the mechanics, character designs, animations, sound effects, NPC interactions, the music, the UI - everything!”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with users reporting various bugs and glitches, particularly on the Steam Deck. While some players experienced issues with controls and minor glitches, most noted that these problems did not significantly detract from their overall enjoyment.
- “It's a cool game, but it is very buggy on Steam Deck.”
- “Bad controls and super buggy.”
- “Some glitches, but nothing game-breaking.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find humor in the game's minor bugs, such as clipping through walls, which can lead to amusing yet frustrating deaths. While these quirks add a comedic element to gameplay, they also highlight ongoing issues that the development team is addressing. Overall, the humor derived from these glitches contributes to a unique gaming experience.
- “I’ve clipped through walls and floors a couple of times, leading to hilarious yet frustrating deaths as I plummet into the void.”
- “It’s completely understandable that there are some minor bugs; I personally consider them to be funny little quirks and oftentimes make for an op run, but the development team is hard at work to improve upon this already wonderful game experience.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Reviewers praise the character development in this soulslike game for its refreshing approach, highlighting the impressive character and enemy designs, as well as engaging NPC interactions. The overall presentation, including animations and sound effects, contributes to a rich and immersive experience that enhances player investment in the characters.
- “This is a refreshing take on a soulslike game with great level design, character design, and enemy design. I'm looking forward to playing more of it.”
- “Between the mechanics, character designs, animations, sound effects, NPC interactions, the music, and the UI - everything contributes to an immersive experience!”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by how one-dimensional the characters are; they don't evolve or change in any significant way.”
- “The lack of depth in character backstories makes it hard to connect with them on any emotional level.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while graphics are not a focus and controls could use some refinement, many players find the quest design frustratingly restrictive, hindering access to essential skills and items. Despite these issues, some still rate the game highly, indicating that the overall experience may outweigh the optimization shortcomings.
- “Graphics are not a priority here, and the controls could be optimized slightly, but I still give it a 9/10.”
- “90% of the good items or skills are blocked behind these poorly optimized quests. It's an incredibly frustrating experience to play the game with the intent to complete a quest when you aren't given the correct choices for skills or items.”
- “90% of the good items or skills are blocked behind these terribly optimized quests. It's an incredibly frustrating experience to play the game with the intent to complete a quest when you aren't given the correct choices for skills or items.”
- “The optimization in this game is a mess. Many quests feel like they were designed without considering player choices, leading to a lack of meaningful progression.”
- “I often find myself stuck in poorly optimized quests that don't provide the necessary resources or options to succeed, making the gameplay feel tedious and unbalanced.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players feel that the emotional impact of the game could be significantly enhanced with the addition of music, as it would deepen the atmosphere and evoke stronger feelings during gameplay. The desire for a more immersive emotional experience highlights the importance of sound in creating memorable moments.
- “More tunes would undoubtedly enhance the emotional and atmospheric depth, making each moment in the game even more compelling.”