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."
Reviews
- The game has a fantastic atmosphere and art style, creating a compelling and eerie experience.
- The story is intriguing and adds depth to the gameplay, with a sense of mystery that keeps players engaged.
- Despite its flaws, the game is seen as a hidden gem with potential, especially for fans of the Souls-like genre.
- The combat system is clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to engage with enemies effectively.
- The game suffers from poor map design and navigation issues, leading to confusion and aimless wandering.
- Many players experienced bugs, including issues with achievements and controls, detracting from the overall experience.
- story32 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of Malebolgia is characterized by its cryptic and vague narrative, revolving around themes of guilt and redemption, primarily focusing on the character Leopold's backstory. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and haunting setting, along with meaningful dialogue from NPCs, others find the execution lacking depth and coherence, making it a chore to engage with. Overall, the game offers a mix of intriguing storytelling elements and frustrating design choices that leave players with a sense of both investment and disappointment.
“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.”
“Got very invested in the story and found the atmosphere and sound to be perfect for the setting.”
“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).”
- atmosphere28 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its dark, immersive qualities, enhanced by striking visuals and effective sound design. Many reviewers highlight the passion evident in the game's art style and narrative, which contribute significantly to the overall experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and level design. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a compelling aspect that keeps players engaged and invested in the game.
“It's the atmosphere and story that this game has in spades.”
“Dark, atmospheric, and it's clear that the dev had passion for this.”
“I went into this game hoping for, at least a decent 'souls' like experience, both in combat and atmosphere.”
“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, that simplicity actually makes the immersive element shine in contrast.”
- graphics25 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a minimalist art style featuring simplified polygons, which many players appreciate for its charm and atmospheric quality. While some find the visuals beautiful and fitting for the game's aesthetic, others criticize them as lacking depth, comparing them unfavorably to more polished titles. Overall, the art style resonates well with fans of retro and soulslike games, though opinions on the execution vary significantly.
“Great art style and great atmosphere.”
“The graphic and art style suit the game.”
“The visuals are beautiful and very clever.”
“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 games or battles would include more intricacies.”
“The graphics are terrible.”
“Graphical style might not appeal to all.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 14 % 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, leading to frustrating combat mechanics and pacing issues. While some appreciate the game's aesthetic and potential, the overall execution of gameplay feels rudimentary and unpolished, making it challenging for players unfamiliar with the genre. Despite its ambitious design, the gameplay often detracts from the experience, leaving players wanting more refinement and dynamism.
“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.”
“The gameplay is reminiscent of the Souls games, but without the high grade of polish.”
“Some advice, make the gameplay more fluid and fast. As a gamer, I don't consider waiting for my character to move from one place to another as a substitute for difficulty. The attacking controls are very weird, and as an important part of the game, you should improve it and make it more dynamic.”
“Either way, the animations and gameplay of the combat itself are as rudimentary as you could possibly have in a 3D application.”
“It was easily the poorest part of the game in terms of pacing and mechanics.”
- music10 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 30 % 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 experience. While the soundtrack complements the game's dark visuals and narrative effectively, some players noted the lack of volume control options for music specifically, which could detract from the experience. Overall, the music is considered a strong element that contributes to the game's eerie ambiance and engaging 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.”
“The drone-like music was unobtrusive but unsettling, and the beautiful low-poly cell-shaded graphics fit in well.”
“I will also note that there is no option to turn down the music volume, only the master volume.”
“Ambience and music are well-done, amplifying the somber atmosphere of the game.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that while the game features a decent map to ease navigation, traversing between larger areas can still feel tedious. The atmospheric music, characterized by sparse piano and low, grinding melodies, enhances the overall experience despite the grinding nature of movement.
“There is a decent map to alleviate that, but it still makes traversal a bit tedious in between bigger areas.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report that the game's stability is inconsistent, particularly noting that achievements can be buggy, which may frustrate players who prioritize completing them.
“Achievements can be buggy if you care about them.”
