Holomento
- April 27, 2022
- Sean Weech
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Holomento is an Indie Permadeath Action-RPG with exceptional graphics and good music, focused on the dangerous quest of passing through the cursed Eventide Hollow. As generations of Travelers, players open shortcuts, reveal secrets, locate relics, and build improvements, or invest in the Hollow's Stonk Market. The Holomento, a cursed book, traps the souls of all who possess it, creating a new Traveler with each death. Write your own story in this desperate land."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Holomento offers a vast, beautiful world to explore with a satisfying sense of discovery and adventure.
- The game features a unique blend of RPG and roguelike elements, allowing for diverse gameplay and character progression.
- The developer is actively working on updates and improvements, showing a commitment to enhancing the game experience.
- The combat system feels clunky and lacks depth, with issues such as vague hitboxes and inconsistent enemy AI.
- As an early access title, the game suffers from numerous bugs and unfinished features, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- The overall game design can feel vague and unstructured, leaving players unsure of objectives and how to progress effectively.
- graphics60 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received largely positive feedback, with many praising its beautiful and unique art style reminiscent of "Risk of Rain 2." While the visuals are described as stunning and custom-made, some players have noted issues with graphical bugs and performance, indicating that the game is still in early access and requires further polish. Overall, the art style and graphics are seen as a strong point, contributing to an engaging atmosphere despite some technical shortcomings.
“The graphics are beautiful, and the art style feels very refreshing and unique.”
“Amazing graphics for a small dev team indie game at this price point.”
“Visuals are beautiful and the soundtrack perfectly complements it all.”
“I don't recommend this game until the graphical bugs are fixed.”
“Now, much as I am a fan of the direction the game is headed as well as the visuals, it would be wrong not to address the current amount of bugs/glitches.”
“Sadly, the game requires a better graphics card than I own, and I don't want to pay $300 just so that I can play it.”
- gameplay46 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is currently a mixed bag, with many players noting that it feels unpolished and clunky, particularly in its mechanics and combat systems. While there are interesting elements and a satisfying core experience, the game suffers from a lack of diversity, balance issues, and a confusing progression system, especially in its early access state. Despite these shortcomings, the art style and overall atmosphere are praised, suggesting potential for improvement as the game develops.
“Very zen gameplay loop.”
“The gameplay here is quite fun and interesting.”
“But the surrounding package is really great, the ideas are there, the style is great, and the general flow of gameplay is satisfying.”
“Poor mechanics like picking up an axe for the first time to mine rocks; the game requires you to time your hits to a window to mine but doesn’t offer players a heads-up or tutorial, so you end up missing the entire mechanic and failing.”
“Even with the early access issues, you would expect there to be something at the core of the game that feels dull, unbalanced, a little confusing, and as if there are no real shining gameplay moments.”
“From a trailer, it looked promising; however, the gameplay is incredibly clunky, the enemies seem to not hit me for some reason, and there are stuck spots.”
- story35 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is currently minimal and primarily conveyed through scattered notes and collectibles, with players often feeling lost due to a lack of clear direction. While the early access status allows for exploration and small quests, numerous bugs and poorly implemented quest mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the environment is described as enchanting, and there is potential for future story development as the game evolves.
“The soundtrack is pleasant, and the environment feels almost storybook-like with what I've been introduced to.”
“Of course, the game is still in early access, and that means there isn't much story yet, but that's okay, at least for me.”
“There isn't much of a story; items are fairly limited, it's easy to get stuck on terrain (hence the dedicated 'get unstuck' option), and it can feel a bit clunky.”
“The story is there but is mainly scattered around the world with notes and collectible items named relics.”
“Just sloppy quest implementations in general.”
- music34 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as pleasant and relaxing, with an indie vibe that complements the beautiful art style. While the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, some players feel it lacks intensity during combat, particularly outside of boss fights, suggesting room for improvement. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, with many players expressing a fondness for the soundtracks.
“The art style feels very refreshing and unique, the combat exists in a Goldilocks zone, where it's not too challenging but it still punishes unwise decisions (like not stocking up on health potions), and I can't help but find myself humming to the soundtrack, especially traversing the different regions.”
“The soundtrack is pleasant, the environment feels almost storybook-like with what I've been introduced to.”
“Visuals are beautiful and the soundtrack perfectly complements it all.”
“You can hear when enemies spawn but no intense music when you're actually fighting unless it's a boss, but that could use a bit of improvement too.”
“A few soundtracks in each zone.”
“The art style, music, and core gameplay is all there - the gameplay is really just what's rough around the edges for right now.”
- stability20 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The game is currently in early access and is criticized for its instability, with numerous bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, particularly in combat and dodging mechanics. While some players find it enjoyable despite these issues, others deem it unplayable due to the frequency and severity of the bugs, especially given the game's permadeath feature. Overall, many users express a desire to revisit the game once it is more polished and feature-complete.
“Too buggy at the moment, not playable.”
“I enjoy it, it's fun and has cool features, but a game with permadeath can't have so many glitches that make you die.”
“Now, much as I am a fan of the direction the game is headed as well as the visuals, it would be wrong not to address the current amount of bugs/glitches.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game's janky mechanics, which can be both amusing and frustrating. The empty spaces in the world are noted, but the increased speed later in the game adds a comedic element to traversing the environment. Overall, the amateurish feel of combat and gameplay contributes to a lighthearted, fun experience.
“Overall, it's a fun game, and the jankiness is funny and frustrating at the same time.”
“The world could be smaller since a lot of space is empty, but with a 200% speed buff later on, it becomes funny again to run from one enemy group to the next.”
“Combat and general gameplay feel so amateur that it's almost hilarious.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game excels in creating a unique and tranquil atmosphere, particularly in its single-player experience, which many users find captivating and immersive.
“I think what this game does really well is capture a truly unique atmosphere in a tranquil single-player game.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the late-game grinding in the game to be tedious, indicating that it may become a chore as they progress, although some have not fully explored this aspect yet.
“Late game progression still feels pretty tedious, but I haven't really gotten into it yet.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for its inconsistency, with users noting a lack of cohesion in art, character design, and lore, which detracts from the overall experience.
“How about a world that is wildly inconsistent in its art, character design, and lore?”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the reviews, which focus more on gameplay mechanics and minor issues. However, the acknowledgment of the game's beta status suggests an understanding and patience from players, indicating a potential emotional investment in the game's development and future improvements.
