Malignant Survivors
- February 13, 2024
- Eren Aydin
- 17h median play time
Get on Steam"Malignant Survivors" is a 3D rogue-like action game with a dark fantasy theme, where players blow up thousands of malignants and find quality loot to improve their heroes. The game offers over 800 item definitions and 30 random modifiers, allowing for millions of possibilities in hero builds. It boasts a mouse-only mode, efficient performance on low-end PCs, and a profound sense of progression through +50 hours of gameplay. The game is designed for quick sessions with a perfect feeling of progression, reminiscent of the best Hack and Slash games.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a unique twist on the traditional RPG style, offering a fun and engaging experience for players who enjoy loot collection.
- Visually pleasing graphics and a nostalgic UI contribute to an enjoyable atmosphere, making it easy to pick up and play.
- The game is relatively cheap, providing good value for players looking for a quick and entertaining gaming session.
- The game suffers from a lack of depth and balance, with many players finding it overly grindy and difficult to progress without significant luck.
- Inventory management is cumbersome, as players must pay gold to keep items they collect during runs, leading to frustration and a sense of unfairness.
- Technical issues, such as an infinite loading screen and poor character movement mechanics, detract from the overall experience and make gameplay feel unpolished.
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Gameplay is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the well-integrated core mechanics and quick progression reminiscent of classic hack and slash games. However, the presence of one-shot enemies can lead to frustrating deaths, and the overall gameplay can feel repetitive and limited in variety. While the item-collecting elements add charm, the lack of evolution in gameplay mechanics leaves some players wanting more.
“Put another way, what is outside of the main gameplay elements is limited, but those gameplay elements that are there are well mixed together and enjoyable.”
“[i][strike]No need to invest hours to progress; enjoy quick gameplay sessions with the perfect feeling of progression, reminiscent of the best hack and slash games.[/strike][/i]”
“The game deviates from the genre with item collecting mechanics, making it something like 'Risk of Rain: Survivors', and it definitely has its charm.”
“The big enemies can crit and one-shot you like you are an ant... it's another kind of cheap way to die mechanic because when you are surrounded, one of those is enough to end your run.”
“I claimed the quality on display here and the haphazard levels of game mechanics are that of an asset flip game.”
“Gameplay is not evolving enough, so it becomes too repetitive.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their pleasing aesthetic and consistency with the original Diablo's gritty style. However, players note the lack of resolution options and graphics tweaks, as well as the limitation of having only one stage despite multiple difficulty levels, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
“I like the graphics a lot.”
“Good graphics, pleasing to the eye.”
“Its art style is consistent, close to original Diablo's gritty aesthetics.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“Also, there really is only one stage, and although it has numerous difficulty levels like easy, normal, hard, torment, torment 2, etc., the mobs and general aesthetic remain the same.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate the thrill of equipment farming and find it enjoyable, others criticize it for being excessively difficult and repetitive. Overall, it caters to those who enjoy a grind-heavy experience, but may not appeal to everyone.
“It's too difficult and ultra-grindy; no fun.”
“The idea of the weapons and armor you pick up is cool, but it's omega grindy, which is a very repetitive theme in this game.”
“Pure equipment farming experience.”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally viewed as lacking originality and depth, leading to a bland experience for players. While the atmosphere is praised, the repetitive nature of missions and the absence of meaningful narrative elements or character development detracts from the overall engagement.
“No ARPG with story, skills, meaningful loot.”
“The game lacks a little something in terms of story elements or originality, so it feels bland; however, the atmosphere and feeling of the game are quite great at the same time.”
“No ARPG with story, skills, or meaningful loot.”
“Hardly a success story; even the people who own this game weren't interested in it.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game shows good optimization overall, but there is a need for improvements specifically for gamepad-only play. Additionally, its small price point is noted as a positive aspect.
“Good optimization, and a small game price.”
“It also needs to be optimized for gamepad-only play.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game offers a variety of unlocks that initially enhance replayability, the lack of options to skip repetitive pop-up messages and the eventual stagnation after unlocking content diminish long-term engagement.
“The game offers a wealth of unlockable content, which keeps the experience fresh and engaging, encouraging multiple playthroughs.”
“Replayability is strong, with different choices leading to varied outcomes, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“The diverse gameplay mechanics and branching storylines ensure that no two runs are the same, enhancing the overall replay value.”
“Unlock a lot of content, but eventually find yourself stuck without new unlocks, which significantly reduces the long-term replay value after the initial unlock phase.”
“Once you've completed the main objectives, there's little incentive to replay the game, making it feel repetitive and lacking in replayability.”
“The game offers a few different paths, but they don't feel distinct enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, leading to a lack of replay value.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While some players find the game's story elements and originality lacking, they praise its atmosphere, noting that it effectively creates an engaging and immersive experience.
“The atmosphere and feeling of the game are quite great, even if it lacks a little something in terms of story elements or originality.”
