In Celebration of Violence

About

"In Celebration of Violence" is a pixelated, top-down action roguelike game. Traverse through various procedurally generated levels, battling enemies and collecting weapons and items. The game features permadeath, making each playthrough a challenging and unique experience. Exploration, combat, and strategy are essential for survival in this unforgiving world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 230 reviews

gameplay21 positive mentions

music5 negative mentions

The worldbuilding and lore are surprisingly deep, with a huge map to explore.
The enemy and weapon variety is impressive, providing a lot to uncover and experiment with.
The game offers a unique and challenging combat system that rewards patience and skill.

The cumbersome stamina bar and slow weapon swing speed make combat feel clunky and frustrating.
Navigation is hindered by a temperamental stamina bar and a hunger mechanic that detracts from the exploration experience.
The lack of clear item descriptions and mechanics can lead to confusion and frustration for new players.

gameplay
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by a deliberate and methodical combat system that requires careful stamina management and strategic planning, reminiscent of souls-like mechanics. While the depth of mechanics and exploration is praised, many players find the slow movement and lack of clear tutorials frustrating, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game offers a rich experience with numerous secrets and interactions, but its punishing difficulty and obfuscation of mechanics can detract from enjoyment for some players.
- “The gameplay is very deliberate and methodical: you have a limited amount of stamina which you need to manage properly; otherwise, you risk getting stunned and overrun. Every weapon has to 'wind up' before you make an attack with it (especially with heavier weapons), and your movement speed is slow.”
- “This game has deep mechanics, a rich world, and is extremely brutal. It's tough, and there are a lot of items, secrets, and game mechanics to discover.”
- “You'll be surprised how deep in mechanics and addictive it can be.”
- “Unforgiving gameplay mixed with a lack of proper tutorial means that you either need to learn by yourself or look on the wiki.”
- “The worst downside of the game is without any doubt its obfuscation of game mechanics.”
- “Important gameplay mechanics go completely unexplained.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
81%
9%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a cute pixel art style that some players find charming and fitting for the gameplay, while others criticize them as low-resolution and uninspired. Despite the mixed opinions on the visuals, many agree that the graphics do not detract from the overall experience, with some players appreciating the simplicity and the innovative mechanics that lie beneath. Overall, the aesthetic is seen as a polarizing element, with a blend of admiration for its uniqueness and disappointment in its execution.
- “The graphics use cute pixel art which serves the game well, though they belie the game's true nature.”
- “I really love such games with simple graphics that manage to hold you in front of the screen; you don't need the Snowdrop engine to make good games.”
- “Don't let its slightly muted color palette fool you; behind that washed-out retro-inspired aesthetic lies one of the true greats.”
- “Visuals are so generic it drains my soul, pixel count is so low, and color choices so limited, that any and all detail is flushed down the drain.”
- “Experience may vary from person to person, but for me the looks were so tiring, ugly and uninspired, that I'd rather look at ASCII graphics instead, like Nethack or Dwarf Fortress.”
- “The graphics are obviously low-res pixel art.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
68%
20%
The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it uninspiring, grating, and lacking in motivation. While some appreciate its atmospheric qualities that match the game's biomes and bosses, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is disappointing and often leads players to prefer their own music instead. A few reviews note that the music is simple and dark, but many agree it fails to enhance the gaming experience.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “The music is eerie, as are all the sound effects.”
- “Suffice to say I'm heavily in favor of recommending this game to everyone, and in my review I haven't even touched on the fantastically unsettling world-building and music which give the game its unique atmosphere.”
- “The music uses purely atmospheric tracks which tend to suit the mood of the biome you're in or the boss you're facing, but I found them quite uninspiring and boring (some even bordering on grating), so I ended up listening to my own music most of the time.”
- “The music is absolutely horrible.”
- “Whoever wrote the music either did not have a grasp of music or just put it in the worst possible key there is.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The game's story is characterized by its enigmatic and fragmented nature, requiring players to collect rare items to piece together the narrative. While some find the metaphors and twists intriguing, many reviewers note that the main storyline does not significantly impact gameplay, leading to a sense of vagueness and a lack of clear direction. Overall, the story unfolds gradually, rewarding patient exploration and curiosity, but may leave some players feeling disconnected from a cohesive plot.
- “The atmosphere, the mechanics, the way the story evolves through subtle changes in the home world.”
- “Darn cool 2.5D game, souls-like mechanics, and an interesting story to glean from fragments of info.”
- “The underlying story will drive the player's curiosity to find every little thing to either help them in combat or figure out the strange events that pile up as the player progresses.”
- “The story is largely unexplained, and you won't even be able to begin to understand the enigmatic world unless you collect most of the 165 'missing page' items, which are very rare drops.”
- “What you need to know is that for tens of hours, the main story will not be hugely affecting your gameplay.”
- “This game is vague in almost every way, from the mechanics to the secrets, to the items, and the story.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
8%
23%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, brooding, and mysterious qualities, reminiscent of classic titles like Dark Souls. While the music is intended to enhance the mood, it received mixed reviews, with some players finding it uninspiring. Overall, the combination of weighty combat, unique world-building, and a sense of danger contributes to a compelling and immersive experience.
- “Best-in-class at what it does, and what it does is a modern pixel-art rogue-like take on classic top-down action-adventure RPGs, but with the kind of mysterious and brooding atmosphere that Dark Souls 1 perfected.”
- “Suffice to say I'm heavily in favor of recommending this game to everyone, and in my review I haven't even touched on the fantastically unsettling world-building and music which give the game its unique atmosphere, or all the lore to discover and get confused about.”
- “It oozes this dark, off-kilter atmosphere which is almost hypnotic when paired with the deliberately paced, unforgiving (but not unfair!) combat.”
- “A very unique roguelite with weighty combat and a gloomy atmosphere.”
- “Dark and grim atmosphere.”
grinding
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding elements, often described as tedious and sometimes frustrating, particularly in relation to leveling up and metaprogression. While some players appreciate the depth and challenge, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, with a steep difficulty curve at the end-game compelling players to grind through easier levels. Overall, the grinding aspect is a common point of contention, potentially hindering player engagement.
- “I like the idea of this game, but the slow combat makes the game incredibly, needlessly tedious.”
- “Leveling up is a bit tedious and the least fun part for me.”
- “Which brings me to the one real flaw I think this has: it can feel grindy as heck, in terms of the meta stuff.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering a challenging experience with numerous items and secrets to discover, akin to a rogue-like format. While some critiques mention that certain mechanics feel like a forced way to enhance replay value, the overall consensus is that players can expect extensive playtime and enjoyment from repeated sessions.
- “It's honestly probably my favorite of its genre for the combat, lore, replay value, and price.”
- “Anyone who is looking for a rogue-like game with crazy replayability, lots of items, places to see, things to figure out, you will definitely love this game.”
- “And having to repeatedly pick mementos up to actually confirm what they do is a cheap way to squeeze replayability into your game.”
- “Like mentioned before, the replayability in this game really is absurd!”
- “This game has more replayability to it than you would believe.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as a blend of grotesque and dark elements, creating a uniquely eerie yet oddly comforting experience. Reviewers appreciate its creativity and the way it resonates emotionally, making it both funny and thought-provoking.
- “It's difficult, but damn me to hell if it isn't the most strangely comfortable kind of eeriness I was craving, with a cherry of grotesque humor to top it off, nonetheless.”
- “Creative, funny, and dark; it really strikes a chord with me.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The game's stability is mixed; while some users report it as bug-free with decent mechanics and graphics, others have encountered significant bugs that hinder progress, such as being unable to advance to the next level. This suggests a divide in user experience, indicating potential design philosophy issues rather than outright quality problems.
- “The game has decent mechanics and graphics and is bug-free, showcasing a strong commitment to stability.”
- “The overall stability of the game enhances the gameplay experience, allowing players to focus on strategy rather than technical issues.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game runs; it really allows for an immersive experience without interruptions.”
- “I found it to be buggy, and certain things within the game didn't work. For example, I was unable to get to the next level.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
- “I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, particularly regarding stamina management and inconsistent enemy behavior, leading to a strong emotional response that results in a desire to abandon the game for an extended period.