Malebolgia
- May 6, 2015
- DascuMaru
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Malebolgia is a single-player Horror Action game with a deep story and atmospheric visuals, set in a changing demonic palace from Dante's Inferno. As battle-weary Leopold, players face macabre ghouls and fiendish devils in a deliberate combat system, with new threats emerging as day turns to night. With its soundtrack and European historical influences, Malebolgia offers a chilling journey through the ranks of Hell."
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a fantastic atmosphere and art style, creating a compelling and eerie experience.
- The story is intriguing, with elements of mystery and a unique narrative that draws players in.
- Despite its flaws, the game is considered a hidden gem by some, offering a nostalgic feel reminiscent of older games.
- The combat system is clunky and slow, making it frustrating for players who expect responsive mechanics.
- Many players found the level design confusing and repetitive, leading to a lack of direction and immersion.
- Technical issues, such as bugs and poor performance, detract from the overall experience and polish of the game.
- story64 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of Malebolgia is characterized by its cryptic and vague nature, revolving around themes of guilt and redemption through the backstory of the character Leopold. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and haunting setting, along with meaningful NPC interactions, others find the execution lacking depth and coherence, making it a mixed experience overall. The game’s narrative, influenced by dark aesthetics and riddles, invites exploration but can leave players feeling disconnected from the plot.
“It's the atmosphere and story that this game has in spades.”
“The castle truly feels haunted, with paintings of religious and mythology motifs hanging everywhere, giving you subtext and subconscious details about the story, and you are forced to use a torch in this pitch-black place.”
“Anyways, moving on, this game has a beautiful backstory and a really dark atmosphere.”
“The story, a fairly simple tale of guilt and redemption that never really gets around to either, follows the backstory of your character Leopold.”
“The story is vague and very unintrusive, but it gives you just enough details to make you search for the answers and get a full picture of what exactly is going on in this castle.”
“No real sense of story or direction (to start with, at least).”
- atmosphere56 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised, with reviewers highlighting its dark, immersive qualities, striking visuals, and effective sound design that enhance the overall experience. Many players feel that the atmosphere is the standout feature, compensating for other gameplay shortcomings and drawing them into the story and exploration. Overall, the combination of art style, music, and environmental design creates a compelling and memorable ambiance that resonates with players.
“It's the atmosphere and story that this game has in spades.”
“I loved the use of light and the torchlight really lent itself to the atmosphere.”
“The gameplay is fairly poor but the excellent atmosphere drives me to keep exploring.”
“It certainly added to the atmosphere, but it meant that events had less impact than they should have.”
“The atmosphere and layout really are what compelled me to try it, and even though there's no experience points or weapon/armor discovery (there are instant upgrades when discovered), that simplicity actually makes the immersive element shine in contrast.”
“- Ambience and music are well-done, amplifying the somber atmosphere of the game.”
- graphics50 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a minimalist art style characterized by simplified polygons and cel-shaded visuals, which many players find charming and atmospheric. While the aesthetic resonates well with fans of older games and dark souls-like titles, opinions are mixed regarding the overall quality, with some praising the visuals as clever and beautiful, while others criticize them as lacking depth or being poorly executed. Overall, the art style is a highlight for many, despite some concerns about the game's performance and gameplay mechanics.
“Great art style and great atmosphere.”
“The visuals are beautiful and very clever.”
“For what I assume is a low-budget indie game, the visuals and art took a smart direction and did what it could with less, and did it well.”
“The graphics are terrible.”
“While the art style of the game is minimalist with characters and architecture being simplified polygons, I at least assumed the gameplay would be more of the late 2000's RPG game or battles would include more intricacies.”
“Graphical style might not appeal to all.”
- gameplay44 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Malebolgia has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its lack of fluidity and responsiveness compared to the Dark Souls series, which it attempts to emulate. Combat mechanics are described as rudimentary and sometimes awkward, leading to frustration, while the pacing of movement feels sluggish. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the game's atmosphere and clever mechanics, suggesting that improvements could enhance the overall experience.
“Malebolgia cribs heavily off of the Dark Souls series, high risk high reward gameplay where death is going to be common.”
“I am really impressed that an indie game company has been able to develop a game with mechanics similar to Dark Souls.”
“Malebolgia is larger and better constructed than I imagined, by far, but it is also a very rich and interesting game full of clever mechanics and a real sense of... 'itself'.”
“The animations and gameplay of the combat itself are as rudimentary as you could possibly have in a 3D application.”
“From the gameplay to plain walking, just getting from A to B takes longer than it should.”
“It was easily the poorest part of the game in terms of pacing and mechanics.”
- music20 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, featuring a blend of sparse piano melodies and unsettling drone-like sounds that enhance the overall eerie ambiance. While the soundtrack complements the game's striking visuals and narrative effectively, some players noted the lack of an option to adjust music volume independently from sound effects, which could detract from the experience. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's somber tone and enjoyment during gameplay.
“The haunting and beautiful music is the perfect pairing to this look -- sparse and finely played piano and low, grinding melodies that echo throughout.”
“It's got a very eerie atmosphere, good music and an interesting plot.”
“Ambience and music are well-done, amplifying the somber atmosphere of the game.”
“I will also note that there is no option to turn down the music volume, only the master volume.”
“The drone-like music was unobtrusive but unsettling.”
“-ambience and music are well-done, amplifying the somber atmosphere of the game.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game somewhat tedious, particularly during traversal between larger areas, despite the presence of a decent map to assist navigation. The accompanying music, characterized by haunting piano and low, grinding melodies, enhances the overall atmosphere but does not mitigate the repetitive nature of the grinding experience.
“There is a decent map to alleviate that, but it still makes traversal a bit tedious in-between bigger areas.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report that the stability of the game is compromised by buggy achievements, particularly for those who place importance on them.
“Achievements can be buggy if you care about them.”
