illWill

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"IllWill is a highly anticipated old-school shooter game, built on Unreal Engine 4, bringing the classic styles of Doom, Quake, Blood, and Serious Sam. Prepare for a bloody, comedically brutal experience, battling hordes of monsters with a variety of weapons, across breathtaking locations. Look forward to striking visuals, polished gameplay, and a stellar soundtrack that gets into your very soul."

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Play Modes

Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 109 reviews

music30 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Satisfying combat with a variety of well-designed weapons and enemies, each providing a unique challenge.
Visually stunning with a unique art style and excellent sound design, including a fitting soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
Simple yet engaging gameplay reminiscent of classic boomer shooters, making it a fun and enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.

The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks depth and replayability.
Some technical issues, such as occasional bugs and performance drops, can detract from the overall experience.
Enemy variety and level design may feel simplistic or repetitive to some players, leading to a less engaging experience over time.

music
45 mentions
67 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its excellent sound design, fitting seamlessly with the fast-paced combat and surreal environments. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as creative, engaging, and a refreshing departure from typical heavy metal scores. However, a few players noted that some tracks felt out of place or lacked the intensity needed during battles, suggesting room for improvement in certain areas.
- “Sound design is excellent, with satisfying sound effects and a solid soundtrack that fits the fast-paced combat and surreal levels.”
- “The soundtrack is so good that I listen to some of the tracks while I'm working.”
- “The music perfectly complements the spooky and downright terrifying environments.”
- “The only thing that I didn't like was the music; to me, it felt out of place and disconnected from the game, so I had to reduce the music volume.”
- “I think music and boss fights are probably two aspects of it that I wish were better, but other than those, the game is fun. If you are looking to just shoot enemies for a couple of hours, I suggest playing it.”
- “The 3D sound positioning seemed weak, making it hard to tell where monsters were from sound alone, and the music seemed bland in places, desperately needing to up the tempo when in battle to get the blood pumping.”
graphics
34 mentions
59 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and surreal art style, which complements the comedic dark setting and enhances the overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the vibrant environments, excellent lighting, and well-designed enemies, all rendered in a modern Unreal Engine 5 framework. The visuals are described as top-notch, with a variety of distinct aesthetics across levels that keep the experience engaging and visually appealing.
- “The graphics are beautiful with excellent lighting.”
- “Graphically, this game is top notch.”
- “The art style is so unique, and every level is different, with so many varied environments that have tons of artistry put into them.”
- “Only other thing I can complain about is there is a severe lack of graphical options.”
- “The art style reminded me of this game Nightmare Ned from way back in the day, mixed with Disney's Mr. Toad's Wild Ride while tripping on mushrooms.”
- “Simple campaign with next to nothing in the way of story, but high in atmosphere, and a unique art style and a different aesthetic to each level with a different music track to match the tone.”
gameplay
21 mentions
43 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its addictive and straightforward mechanics, drawing inspiration from classic FPS titles like Doom, Quake, and Serious Sam. Players enjoy imaginative level design, a satisfying core loop, and a vibrant art style, though some note a lack of variety in enemy types and mechanics as the game progresses. Overall, it offers a fun and challenging experience with a strong emphasis on combat and exploration, complemented by an outstanding soundtrack.
- “Great gameplay, level design is filled with imagination, and the music is also quite good.”
- “The gameplay is addictive, the art style is fantastic, the levels are well thought-out, and the music is outstanding.”
- “Amazing soundtrack, simple yet challenging and satisfying core gameplay loop, and a beautiful art style all in one package.”
- “Shooting is very basic and turning enemies into gore is always fun, but the gunplay and enemy variety is probably the weakest part of the game, especially since by the halfway point you've seen everything and the game never throws new mechanics at you.”
- “The gameplay is pretty simple.”
- “Very simple game mechanics, but waves of enemies sometimes feel extremely hard.”
atmosphere
9 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique and surreal design, characterized by impeccable level layouts and a distinct art style that varies across levels, complemented by fitting music tracks. Reviewers highlight the dynamic and immersive experience, likening it to a blend of classic inspirations with a fresh, captivating aesthetic. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both engaging and memorable, significantly enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “This is one of the most atmospheric and bad-ass games I've ever played.”
- “Simple campaign with next to nothing in the way of story, but high in atmosphere, and a unique art style and a different aesthetic to each level with a different music track to match the tone.”
- “The level design is impeccable, the atmosphere oozes character, and if I could summarize crudely, if Tim Burton smoked a bunch of crack and decided to develop a FPS, Illwill is what that game would look like.”
- “Crazy atmosphere and dynamic.”
- “The atmosphere and audio accompaniment deserve a separate kudos.”
story
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, with players noting that it lacks a traditional narrative and instead relies on visual storytelling and atmospheric design to create a connected experience. While some appreciate the absence of a forced story, others feel that the simple campaign and level progression detract from depth. Overall, the unique art style and environmental storytelling contribute positively to the game's immersive quality.
- “I do like that what little story there is, is told entirely visually.”
- “With that said, the little set pieces and environmental storytelling do create this sense of a connected experience I quite enjoy.”
- “Simple campaign with next to nothing in the way of story, but high in atmosphere, and a unique art style and a different aesthetic to each level with a different music track to match the tone.”
- “There is no real story to this game.”
- “There is no story; you just progress through different levels, each with a very unique design.”
- “I...kinda hate that John Carmack's quote 'story in video games is like story in porn,' but I do like how little is elaborated on here.”
optimization
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is highly praised, with users reporting smooth performance and no stuttering or shader issues. The graphics effectively complement the comedic dark setting, and the distinct weapon mechanics and well-designed enemies enhance the overall experience.
- “Movement is fun, weapons are punchy and distinct, the graphics are perfect for the setting (kind of comedic dark, but you can see everything), performance is buttery, enemies are well-designed.”
- “Performance is quite good.”
- “It's a UE4 game and I have perfect performance with no stutters whatsoever or shader issues, so that is pretty cool.”
replayability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
While some users find the game enjoyable and recommend it for its fun shooter mechanics, others note a lack of depth that may limit its overall replayability, though there are mentions of good replay value.
- “+ good replay value.”
- “I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun shooter to play, just don't expect too much depth or replayability.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized as simple yet effective, providing an engaging and often hilarious experience that showcases the creativity of indie developers in a way that rivals larger AAA titles.
- “Simple but funny game.”
- “This game is a compelling, engaging, and at times, hilarious look at how an indie developer can put the AAA market to shame.”
stability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, indicating strong stability and performance on that platform.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck for those who are interested.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the review, which primarily focuses on technical performance issues and solutions. However, the mention of achieving a smooth gameplay experience after resolving the CPU bottleneck suggests a potential for a more immersive and enjoyable emotional experience once technical hurdles are overcome.
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the game incorporates jumping mechanics, puzzles, and secrets, which help to alleviate the monotony of grinding and keep the gameplay engaging.
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious, making it hard to enjoy the other aspects of the game.”
- “I found myself spending more time grinding than actually engaging with the story or characters.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding quickly became a chore, overshadowing any fun I was having.”