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Necropolis

Necropolis has some problems big and small, but parsing through some of the complaints levelled by other reviewers disappointed me.
Necropolis Game Cover
59%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
stability, optimization
60% User Score Based on 3,220 reviews
Critic Score 57%Based on 20 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Necropolis Game Cover

About

Necropolis is a single player and multiplayer role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Harebrained Schemes and was released on July 12, 2016. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Necropolis is a fantasy action roguelike with single-player and multiplayer modes for up to two players. The game features a living dungeon with shifting layouts, monsters, and magic, overseen by the Brazen Head. Despite impressive visuals, purposely humorous tone, and compelling music, it suffers from optimization issues, bugs, and can be very grinding. The atmosphere is sensational, but the experience is marred by frequent ads.

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60%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,220 reviews
gameplay178 positive mentions
stability69 negative mentions

  • Unique art style and atmosphere that stands out in the indie scene.
  • Fun co-op gameplay that enhances the experience, especially with friends.
  • Challenging combat that requires strategy and timing.
  • Game has been abandoned by developers, leading to a lack of updates and content.
  • Repetitive gameplay with limited enemy and weapon variety.
  • Clunky controls and mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.
  • gameplay
    571 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it clunky, repetitive, and lacking in depth. While some appreciate the challenging mechanics and dark souls-inspired combat, others criticize the sluggish controls, limited enemy variety, and unfinished feel, leading to a lack of engagement over time. Overall, the game may offer some fun moments, especially in multiplayer, but many feel it does not justify its price tag due to its repetitive nature and insufficient content.

    • “The animation is refreshing and the gameplay is rich and challenging.”
    • “Amazing game with addictive gameplay; I use this game as an example of good concept and execution for making games.”
    • “The weapons are nice to use, the multiplayer is stable, and the codex system is quite engaging as it offers meaningful changes to the moment-to-moment gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is just clunky and not especially fun.”
    • “Gameplay feels slow and clunky, monotonous and dull.”
    • “The game is very boring and slow and the gameplay doesn't really change from one character to another or from one weapon to another.”
  • graphics
    534 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Necropolis" are characterized by a unique and minimalist art style that combines low-poly aesthetics with a distinct brutalist influence, creating a visually appealing yet sometimes repetitive environment. While many players appreciate the charming and quirky visuals, some criticize the lack of variety and detail in the graphics, leading to a sense of monotony in gameplay. Overall, the art style is a significant draw for the game, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its simplistic nature.

    • “The graphics have a moderately minimalist aesthetic I enjoy.”
    • “I really enjoyed the visual aesthetic it was going for; each floor you descended down had its own cool and unique visual flair, and it was very pleasing to look at.”
    • “The art style is beautifully simple, the lore is complex, and the combat system is very Dark Souls-y and fun.”
    • “The game has a very poor performance for its low-poly art style; it is buggy as hell and has not been patched at all since it came out.”
    • “I know the game is going for a simple aesthetic, but it's not very well executed because it looks unfinished. Some areas are ridiculously bland, unlike games like Risk of Rain 2 which also has simple graphics but looks great.”
    • “Boring, tedious, frustrating combat, no true variety of weapons, and just the same bland aesthetic throughout the game.”
  • humor
    227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a prominent feature, with many players appreciating its quirky, dark, and sometimes sarcastic tone, often likening it to the humor found in titles like "Dark Souls" and "Portal." While some find the humor to be a delightful addition that enhances the gameplay experience, others feel it can be forced or overwhelming, detracting from the game's overall narrative depth. Overall, the humor is hit or miss, appealing to those who enjoy a light-hearted approach amidst challenging gameplay, especially in multiplayer settings.

    • “Come for the funny dialogue.”
    • “The dark humor is a nice touch, showing that the game does not take itself too seriously.”
    • “The humor is on point and the history/mythos is neat.”
    • “This is then followed by the ever-present 'narrator' saying something passive-aggressive and unfunny.”
    • “Forced and unfunny humor.”
    • “There's a lot of flavor text that tries to be humorous but is absolutely unfunny.”
  • replayability
    182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews for "replayability" in the game present a mixed picture. While some players praise the procedural generation of levels and the variety of enemies and loot, leading to high replay value, others criticize the game for its lack of meaningful content and progression, resulting in repetitive gameplay after a few runs. Overall, the game's replayability is seen as significant by some, particularly in multiplayer settings, but many feel it ultimately falls short due to limited depth and variety.

    • “Still one of the best dungeon generators; every playthrough is very unique; very high replay value even after 10 years with no updates.”
    • “Very fun roguelike game, lots of replayability with tons of unique enemies, puzzles, lite progression, and character customization.”
    • “Each level is different each time you play, including loot which makes replayability better and there's always something new to discover.”
    • “It deeply lacks replayability, as there aren't any upgrades besides codexes, which are either hyper-specific, useless, or change very little about the character, giving traits that become obsolete very early on in the run.”
    • “Great game, but it's super short and not worth $30, with like 0 replay value. I managed to beat the entirety of the game in the 3 hours I played without unlocking any codexes.”
    • “Despite my complaints, I had a lot of fun and would recommend it, except for the lack of replayability and content.”
  • story
    162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Necropolis" is often described as minimalistic and vague, with many players noting a lack of depth and coherence. While there are fragments of lore scattered throughout the game, primarily through wall writings and quests from a quirky pyramid character, these elements fail to create a compelling narrative or sense of progression. Overall, the storytelling is criticized for being overshadowed by gameplay mechanics, leaving players wanting more substantial content and character development.

    • “Great story if you pay attention and read between the lines.”
    • “The story, though minimalistic and cryptic, serves as a refreshingly loose and open-to-interpretation backdrop.”
    • “If you are in to a cool aesthetic, interesting story bits, and some kick ass co-op then, boom, this game's probably up your alley.”
    • “The storyline is nonexistent.”
    • “There is no story at all.”
    • “The story of the game is told through writing on walls and the cryptic babbling of a snarky robotic head, but none of it seems related to what's actually happening in the game.”
  • music
    135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its atmospheric qualities and memorable soundtracks that enhance the overall experience. While some describe the music as fantastic and fitting, others find it minimalistic or dull, suggesting it fails to engage during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its ability to complement the game's art style and mood, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and variety.

    • “Honestly, this game is quite amazing; the music is fantastic and the atmosphere is great.”
    • “Love the synth soundtrack and the mysterious yet not too serious mood the game has.”
    • “The music is great, with a broody, minimalistic sort of instrumental theme that drips atmosphere; it's absolutely perfect for the game.”
    • “Now, granted, the music is very understated and serves as a very quiet muzak to the adventure, but the problem is that it never quite rises above that.”
    • “Roaming through the same extremely generic gray featureless landscapes, punctuated by sporadic fights with the same few enemies over and over again, while music so dull plays you're not even sure it's actually real or in your head.”
    • “The game does have some pros such as the art design and soundtrack, but ultimately falls flat when it comes to content, gameplay, and replayability.”
  • atmosphere
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its rich, immersive qualities, featuring a blend of beautiful art design, atmospheric music, and distinct environments that enhance the overall experience. While many players appreciate the moody and charming ambiance, some note that the repetitiveness of certain biomes can detract from the initial allure. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout element, contributing significantly to its appeal despite some criticisms regarding gameplay depth and variety.

    • “Honestly, this game is quite amazing; the music is fantastic and the atmosphere is great.”
    • “The atmosphere is moody and charming, the combat is heavy in a slow kind of way that works well for the game, and it looks and runs well for my setup.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is great.”
    • “The whole atmosphere and challenge kind of completely falls apart towards the end and feels empty and unfinished.”
    • “Atmosphere is everything and with the cheesy comedy it is just hard to feel 'immersed' in the world the way one would like to be.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is drained by the comical nature of the lore.”
  • stability
    75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Many describe it as an unfinished and abandoned product, with some features, like achievements and multiplayer, being particularly problematic. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, the consensus is that the game is not polished and may not be worth its price until substantial updates are made.

    • “It's relatively bug-free, and a few hours of fun.”
    • “I game on an old Alienware X-51, NVIDIA GTX 660, 16GB RAM, i7 Intel processor, etc. You can tell I have a big bottleneck in my graphics card, but this game runs great, somewhere between 50-60 FPS on average.”
    • “This game is great and seemingly bug-free, which is a rarity these days with people pushing out unfinished products constantly.”
    • “Now, by itself, it's not a big problem, but the game is clearly not in a finished state, having bugs, glitches, lack of content and on top of all that, the game has bugged achievements that cannot be obtained outside of third-party mods or fixes, which the devs know about, acknowledged it, but said nothing will be done about it.”
    • “The fact that this is for sale is a crime - this is a broken, abandoned, unfinished, buggy, malfunctioning train wreck and they want 30 bucks?”
    • “I was really looking forward to this game when it came to my attention last year and have been counting down the days till release, once I finally got my hands on it however I found it to be a buggy, inconsistent mess, a boring slog through a poorly generated labyrinth full of respawning enemies who can lock you into stagger animations and a very very small variety in weapons.”
  • optimization
    58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting significant performance issues such as lag, stuttering, and low frame rates even on high-end hardware. Many users describe it as poorly optimized and buggy, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some players note decent performance under specific conditions, the general consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to be enjoyable.

    • “Crisp controls, good performance, acceptable graphics, solid audio, and some funny writing makes this a consistently enjoyable game.”
    • “I also never encountered any bugs; the game is very well polished and optimized.”
    • “The graphics are way beyond beautiful, it's fairly optimized, the soundtrack is not bad and it's fun, well, for the first two hours.”
    • “Would've left it running on my PC to get card drops, but it's so poorly optimized that it would be a fire hazard.”
    • “In terms of optimization, the game will constantly lag, even on higher-end hardware.”
    • “The game is unoptimized, has clunky animations, and the dungeons are very spacious with not much in them.”
  • grinding
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and lacking variety, with many players expressing frustration over the monotonous combat and long dungeon layouts. While some found enjoyment in the game after significant investment, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind feels more like a chore than a rewarding experience, particularly due to the bland aesthetics and uninspired enemy design. Overall, players noted that the grind detracts from the potential enjoyment, making it a significant drawback in the gameplay experience.

    • “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worth it.”
    • “Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
    • “While there are moments of grinding, the sense of achievement when leveling up is incredibly satisfying.”
    • “Boring, tedious, frustrating combat, no true variety of weapons, and just the same bland aesthetic throughout the game.”
    • “The mobs are boring and there are no boss fights... just endless grinding of the same mobs.”
    • “While the initial challenge and excitement of a sprawling dungeon crawler was exciting, it soon became a profoundly tedious routine of slight variation in familiar enemies and intangible upgrades which slightly decrease the time to kill just in time for the difficulty scaling to make them take longer.”
  • character development
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its visually appealing designs and unique aesthetics, with players enjoying the variety of character and enemy designs. However, there are criticisms regarding the depth of character development and build options, as some players feel the game lacks complexity in this area. The narrative elements, while charming, can be polarizing, with some finding the narrator's tone off-putting.

    • “The angular graphics, cosmetically pleasing character design, and sense of archaic beauty are what attracted me in the first place.”
    • “A gorgeous visual aesthetic, fun and charming monsters and character designs, intuitive and likable combat.”
    • “Not a fast-paced action or character development game.”
    • “Few options for builds/character development.”
    • “I love his personality and character design.”
  • monetization
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with many users feeling that it lacks meaningful updates and has abandoned its potential. While there are no microtransactions, the overall experience is perceived as bland and overly simplistic, leading to disappointment among players who expected more depth and engagement.

    • “At least there's no microtransactions. 10/10”
    • “The monetization model is fair and doesn't hinder gameplay.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of content without pushing for extra purchases.”
    • “Could've been good, but they haven't touched it since the brutal edition, and it just seems like a cash grab.”
    • “It had such promise yet felt like a bailed artistic cash grab after they closed the book on it.”
    • “Game was a cash grab for their stream, leaving my old review because I want to see my thoughts on this game.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express disappointment in the emotional impact of the game, feeling that it fails to evoke a sense of power or significance in their actions. The experience of dying is described as disheartening, leading to a sense of wasted time, while attempts to enhance the narrative through mechanics like rebuilding the realm feel inadequate. Overall, the emotional engagement is perceived as lacking, leaving players unsatisfied.

    • “To have it skipped was heartbreaking.”
    • “When I died, it made me feel like my time was not well spent.”
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7h Median play time
11h Average play time
5-14h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 40 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Necropolis is a role playing game with fantasy theme.

Necropolis is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Necropolis.

Necropolis was released on July 12, 2016.

Necropolis was developed by Harebrained Schemes.

Necropolis has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its stability.

Necropolis is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Remnant: From the Ashes, Vagante, Roguelands, Lords of the Fallen, Lost Castle / 失落城堡 and others.