HROT
- January 28, 2021
- Spytihněv
- 6h median play time
Hrot's very final boss was a joke that didn't land for me after an unbroken string of ones that did, but otherwise it's pure boomer shooter excellence.
Get on Steam"HROT is a single-player horror shooter game set in a socialist Czechoslovakia after a 1986 disaster, with classic gameplay and vibe of 90s romeric shooters. Players start in a civil defense shelter, armed with a gas mask and vz. 52 pistol, protecting their homeland from strange intruders. Handcrafted levels, exceptional music, dense atmosphere, and plenty of humor are combined with soviet-inspired weapons and historical details."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- HROT offers a unique blend of retro FPS gameplay with a dark, atmospheric setting reminiscent of Czechoslovakia in the 1980s.
- The game features excellent level design, filled with secrets and interactive elements that enhance exploration and engagement.
- The humor and surrealism throughout the game, including quirky enemy designs and unexpected moments, add a delightful charm to the experience.
- The color palette is overwhelmingly brown, which can make navigation and visual variety feel monotonous.
- Some weapons lack impactful sound design, making them feel less satisfying to use compared to other retro shooters.
- The game can feel short, with some players wishing for more content and variety in enemy encounters and level design.
- atmosphere407 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Hrot" is widely praised for its immersive and oppressive qualities, effectively capturing a bleak, post-Soviet aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the game's unique blend of dark humor and horror elements, complemented by a fittingly minimalistic soundtrack and detailed level design that evoke a sense of nostalgia reminiscent of classic FPS titles like Quake. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as both eerie and engaging, making it a standout feature that draws players into its unsettling world.
“The atmosphere is immense.”
“Hrot is a fun, surprisingly funny, atmospheric game.”
“The atmosphere tells the story of sorrow, pestilence, perseverance, and humility, a lovingly crafted, if low poly recreation of many Czech landmarks and sights, sprinkled with culture and love.”
“The atmosphere is constantly oppressive and at the same time alienating.”
“The atmosphere is so strong that Hrot could probably be considered even too oppressive and alienating to actually enjoy.”
“The atmosphere is bleak and grim; the enemies are creepy and dangerous, and the game's art style is really good.”
- gameplay270 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Hrot* is characterized by its fast-paced, smooth mechanics reminiscent of classic first-person shooters like *Quake*, combined with a unique Eastern European aesthetic and atmosphere. Players appreciate the solid level design, diverse enemy encounters, and the balance between challenge and fun, although some note that the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks groundbreaking mechanics. Overall, it offers an engaging experience with a nostalgic feel, enhanced by clever details and humor throughout.
“The gameplay is tight and refined.”
“Hrot is a thrilling homage to old first-person shooters, skillfully blending retro aesthetics with modern gameplay.”
“The gameplay is buttery smooth and pretty much bug-free (which I find really impressive considering it runs on a custom Pascal engine written from scratch).”
“I really wanted to like Hrot, but the gameplay loop feels incredibly shallow and frustrating for a boomer shooter.”
“The gameplay is standard for your typical shooter, but the game just oozes charm and personality.”
“The sound design is a huge disappointment and the gameplay and level design are very standard and repetitive.”
- graphics254 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a distinctive retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic titles like Quake, featuring a predominantly brown and pixelated color palette that effectively conveys a bleak, oppressive atmosphere reflective of the Soviet era. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm and artistic intent behind the visuals, others find the muted colors and simplistic design detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics successfully complement the game's unique setting and gameplay, appealing to fans of retro shooters.
“The visuals, the style, the sounds, the animations, the enemies, the simplicity, and finding easter eggs and secrets were great.”
“Hrot has nailed every bit of 90s shooter aesthetic and the custom engine handles it so well.”
“The graphics capture the era quite well, and the soundtrack is fantastic so far.”
“The visual style is dreary and takes place in a Soviet-era nation, which is why everything looks so bland and depressing, a common theme and art style among Slavic developers or games inspired by Slavic cultures.”
“The graphics are an obvious homage to the shooters of the 1990s, with its brown color palette.”
“The dull colors, pixelization (which can also be disabled), everything feels right and it sets an atmosphere which, in my opinion, the music of the original Quake provided, but the visuals of the game not so much.”
- music169 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by its atmospheric and ambient qualities, effectively enhancing the overall mood and tension of the gameplay. While some players appreciate the haunting and droning soundscapes that evoke a sense of dread, others feel that the soundtrack lacks memorability and punch during intense moments. Overall, the music complements the retro aesthetic and contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience, though some players desire a more dynamic and varied musical presence.
“The music is also excellent and the game does a good job of switching between atmospheric music, uptempo music, and silence depending on the situation.”
“The well-crafted level design and haunting soundtrack further contribute to its appeal.”
“The music is perfectly moody and never overbearing; certain tracks trigger during scripted events.”
“The music is mostly just basslines and drum beats, the animations are simple, the enemy designs are simple, the levels don't make large elaborate background set pieces a lot of the time and you can tell there's just an infinite void outside of the intended walls of the levels you explore, in general this game displays itself in a very minimalistic manner, but it's not a problem to me.”
“The game's music was the only aspect where it could have performed better.”
“There isn't too much music, but rather atmospheric pieces that help set the gloomy tone of the game.”
- humor142 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- -1 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a blend of dark, surreal, and quirky elements, often reflecting Czech culture and history. Players appreciate the unexpected comedic moments amidst the horror, with many finding the interactions, enemy designs, and environmental storytelling to be both funny and engaging. Overall, the game successfully balances its grim atmosphere with a lighthearted sense of humor, making it a unique and entertaining experience for fans of the genre.
“Hrot is a fun, surprisingly funny (some player deaths left me laughing out loud), atmospheric game.”
“The game is both dark and hilarious, and it is an excellent vessel of Czech culture with a surrealist twist.”
“The attention to detail, the humor, the interactable set-pieces, the ambushes, everything is handled extremely well and done in a way where you can really see the developers' love for the genre.”
“The final boss is just ridiculous (Putin riding a bear and then a pterodactyl), so I assume the overall game is supposed to be funny?”
“The jokes fall flat and often feel forced, making it hard to enjoy the humor.”
“I expected a lot more cleverness in the writing, but the humor is mostly juvenile and unoriginal.”
- story108 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is often described as minimal or vague, relying heavily on environmental storytelling and cultural references rather than a traditional narrative. Players appreciate the atmospheric setting and unique enemy designs, but many express a desire for a more coherent plot or deeper exploration of the themes presented. Overall, while the gameplay is praised, the lack of a clear story may not appeal to those seeking a narrative-driven experience.
“It is a story of survival, home, and estrangement.”
“The atmosphere tells the story of sorrow, pestilence, perseverance, and humility, a lovingly crafted, if low-poly recreation of many Czech landmarks and sights, sprinkled with culture and love.”
“The game has a very strong sense of atmosphere and a surprisingly large amount of environmental storytelling.”
“The game doesn't really have a story; instead, it focuses on delivering an atmosphere, and it does that excellently.”
“There's absolutely no story... and I know that this is not that important in a retro shooter, but even Quake had a background story.”
“The utter lack of even the slightest crumb of story means that every level is completely unpredictable.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, bolstered by features like an endless mode and an "intruder mode" that randomizes enemies and items. Players appreciate the clever level design and the challenge of discovering hidden secrets, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of old-school FPS games. Despite its short length, the variety of gameplay options ensures that players will find plenty of reasons to return.
“The weapons and enemy types are pretty standard (except visually), but the game more than makes up for it with its incredible level design and amazing replayability.”
“A big bonus for the game is that, if the game wasn't replayable enough already, it features an option to randomize enemies and items in a run, which is always gonna be fun.”
“They're playable but not very fun.”
“The first EA version has 8 levels, a lot of weapons and different enemies, hard to find but absolutely rewarding secrets, a horde mode, just really solid and replayable content, completely worth it.”
“Considering the amount of replayability and upcoming 2 episodes, I think this game deserves to be in the library of any gamer who enjoys old-school FPS games.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on the Steam Deck, including input lag and inconsistent frame rates. However, others praise the game's smooth performance and excellent configurability, highlighting its impressive engine and ability to run well on various systems. Overall, while some users report rough performance, many find it well-optimized and enjoyable.
“Shooting is good, interconnected level design allows a deep level of exploration beyond intended paths, performance and ease of configurability are superb.”
“Buttery smooth performance.”
“It is super impressive to see how optimized this game is and how much interactivity it allows through the custom engine.”
“Currently, the buttons don't react, and the performance and input lag make the game unplayable regardless.”
“Performance is atrocious on Steam Deck.”
“The game has inconsistent performance on the Steam Deck at the time of this review.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its unexpectedly heartfelt portrayal of life under communism, evoking strong feelings and even tears from players. While some found the experience moving, others felt it lacked originality compared to other retro shooters. The scarcity of ammo and health pickups added to the tension, enhancing the emotional stakes of gameplay.
“Made me cry 30 minutes in.”
“Unexpectedly heartfelt and raw representation of life under communism.”
“I shed a tear when I encountered that washing machine and got that achievement.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be challenging yet rewarding, with the humor and gameplay compensating for some visual monotony. However, the repetitive brown visuals can become tedious, and there is a desire for a more dynamic soundtrack to enhance the experience.
“All that brown gets a little tedious visually though.”
“It's challenging in the right places, and while the brownness can be a little tedious, the humor and gameplay more than make up for it.”
- stability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates excellent stability with no performance issues, freezes, or crashes reported over extensive playtime. However, some users have noted minor bugs on Linux, despite the lack of official support for that platform. The game runs smoothly on high-resolution displays, further enhancing the user experience.
“I went and bought the full version; it was very easy to set up and runs great on a 4K monitor.”
“It's a bit buggy on Linux (I know it doesn't support Linux, but it's something to mention).”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the game's monetization model, noting it avoids the pitfalls of DLCs and microtransactions, and instead delivers a well-crafted experience that feels genuine rather than exploitative.
“Before the time of DLCs and crappy microtransactions, when the future looked so bright.”
“This is a very well-made game, not a cash grab.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has been criticized for lacking creativity and inspiration in its designs, suggesting that the characters may not resonate deeply with players.
“The character designs are just not especially creative or inspired.”
“I found the character development to be shallow and lacking depth.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
