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Only Lead Can Stop Them

Only Lead Can Stop Them Game Cover
82%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:music, graphics
Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, story
82% User Score Based on 109 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Only Lead Can Stop Them Game Cover

About Only Lead Can Stop Them

Only Lead Can Stop Them is a single player shooter game with warfare and historical themes. It was developed by Warcry Interactive and was released on December 9, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Boot up your 486 and launch olcst.exe for this retro fps from an alternate 1990's. Descend into the madness of the Spanish Civil War fighting vicious fascist forces and supernatural monsters. Conquer three action packed episodes wielding machine guns, rifles, flamethrowers and explosives.

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Only Lead Can Stop Them screenshot
Only Lead Can Stop Them screenshot
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Reviews

82%Audience ScoreBased on 109 reviews
music26 positive mentions
stability14 negative mentions
  • Unique and compelling setting during the Spanish Civil War with a mix of historical and occult elements, making it stand out in the retro FPS genre.
  • Authentic old-school boomer shooter feel strongly inspired by Wolfenstein 3D, featuring satisfying gunplay, a good variety of weapons, and diverse enemy types.
  • Great soundtrack praised widely for its quality and fitting style, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gaming experience.
  • Game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues including enemies clipping through walls, inconsistent hit detection, camera/mouse sensitivity problems, and crashes.
  • Movement feels sluggish and unresponsive, combined with awkward input and weapon switching mechanics, detracting from smooth gameplay.
  • Level design issues such as overly large maps with empty or repetitive areas, confusing layouts, poor enemy encounter placement, and a final boss that feels disconnected and overly difficult.

  • music

    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    52% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, retro-inspired soundtrack that evokes classic '90s shooters and SNES vibes, with many highlighting it as a standout, "killer" feature. While some tracks may feel repetitive after extended play, the overall score is considered energetic and fitting, often described as one of the best indie game soundtracks in recent memory. Fans hope for an official release, reflecting its strong impact and memorable contribution to the game's atmosphere.

    • “Not to mention having one of the best soundtracks I've heard in any indie game I've played in a long time (which I hope the devs upload to YouTube or somewhere at some point).”
    • “The music is another highlight, consistently catchy and well done.”
    • “It has an excellent soundtrack that is perfect for the game and the action is good fun, with levels designed for exploring and wandering at your own pace, which really gets me thinking Warcry wanted to make a true spiritual sequel to Wolfenstein 3D.”
    • “That being said, there are also a few songs that would have benefited from extended mixes, because they can become mildly grating after looping so many times.”
    • “- lacks variety and atmosphere in some levels and I'd also prefer a heavy metal version of the soundtrack.”
    • “+ the music is very Wolfenstein/ROTT but lacks variety and atmosphere.”

  • graphics

    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    36% positive mentions, 52% neutral mentions, 12% negative mentions

    The graphics feature a nostalgic retro aesthetic with customizable visual presets that evoke past eras, particularly the pixelated 90s style, which many find charming and fitting for the game's theme. While the art style and map designs stand out uniquely and add to the atmosphere, some users note issues with clarity, large enemy sprites, and occasional graphical glitches or frame issues that can hinder gameplay. Overall, the visuals are appreciated for their classic style and vibe, though they sometimes lack polish and modern refinement.

    • “The presets are nostalgically made, giving you 3 selections back into the past. The latest age is playable, the 90's perfectly reflects a super pixel world, like it was before any graphic acceleration took place.”
    • “The art style and look of the maps stand out pretty uniquely amongst the retro games and get more complex and interesting as you go.”
    • “The graphics and the sound design are superb, shooting is more skill-oriented than the run-and-shoot approach of the oldschool boomer shooters.”
    • “Similarly, the simplistic graphics can leave things being muddy and confusing to make out what you are looking at, even when you have the resolution set to a modern one.”
    • “Like many modern titles, it’s plagued by bugs—stuck enemies, graphical glitches, and what feels like frame-pacing issues that cause nauseating jittering.”
    • “Severely lacking polish, with the occasional graphical issue, floating objects and strange frame drops at times.”

  • gameplay

    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    17% positive mentions, 70% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The gameplay offers a nostalgic, Wolfenstein 3D–style shooting experience with solid weapon variety and a notable headshot mechanic, complemented by cultural references. However, it suffers from technical issues such as awkward bomb-throwing mechanics, enemy clipping through walls, sluggish movement, and an unfitting final boss fight, which detract from an otherwise ambitious and enjoyable core gameplay loop.

    • “The SMG is more than capable of taking down every enemy, the pistol has utility for its headshot mechanic, and the shotgun is useful when you just need to delete something.”
    • “The game has some nice little details, with the pickups being clear references to Spanish culture and cuisine and there being a headshot mechanic. Though at the very beginning I was unsure if the game was going to be too difficult (I was playing on extreme), after a couple minutes I got used to the mechanics and have been dashing through the game (which is fortunately not so short).”
    • “There aren't many modern boomer shooters out there attempting to expand upon the ideas of Wolfenstein 3D's style of gameplay and level design without leaning all into being a full-on Doom clone, so it absolutely gets praise for trying something different from most other shooters coming out today, and it has the charm and style to boot.”
    • “Sometimes enemies phase through walls, allowing cheap hits; this is manageable on easy difficulty but problematic on higher difficulties. The dragon boss fight requires using bombs scattered around, but the bomb-throwing mechanic feels very clunky and bombs sometimes disappear mid-throw. This results in getting hit by the dragon's fire repeatedly, and since personal weapons can't be used, you risk running out of ammo and restarting from your last save after being defeated.”
    • “The color palette is harsh on the eyes, and the movement feels sluggish and unresponsive, making the gameplay feel numb.”
    • “The throwing (bomb) mechanic is very janky and awkward; it never arcs the way you expect it to, especially compared to similar mechanics in other games like Blood. This is especially frustrating during the final boss fight against a fire-breathing dragon that must be defeated using this terrible TNT-throwing mechanic.”

  • stability

    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including visual issues, clipping, hit detection problems, and inconsistent enemy AI, leading to frequent gameplay disruptions. While none of these issues are game-breaking, they are pervasive and detract from the overall experience, with players hoping for future patches to improve stability. Despite this, the core gameplay remains enjoyable to many.

    • “The game is still buggy, falling through walls or getting stuck is a not too uncommon occurrence.”
    • “Glitches, achievement bugs (I beat the game on hard and it didn't give me the achievement), sometimes nonexistent enemy AI, and inconsistent hit registration when shooting enemies (especially when they're unaware and diagonal from you) just to name a few.”
    • “Hit detection might be the worst I have ever seen in any boomer shooter so far, from the 90s until now, this just might take the crown. Also, there are so many glitches and bugs here and there, nothing game-breaking but very annoying.”

  • story

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    The story is minimal and largely serves as background, set during the Spanish Civil War but easily disregarded in favor of straightforward combat. It lacks depth, cutscenes, or strong narrative elements, though the option to choose gender adds a small positive touch. Overall, the story is described as vague and secondary to gameplay, with some appreciation for small twists and episode variations.

    • “Episode 2 is interesting with having some allies on your side in the first missions.”
    • “Also, the whole twist in the story as a polar opposite to the Germans in Wolfenstein 3D is refreshing. Choosing male or female characters is a nice touch, and I even learned a few new words.”
    • “Character selection: male or female, always nice to see in story-light games.”
    • “The story is really vague.”
    • “The game does not utilize notes, cutscenes (for the most part), walls of text, dialogue, or even environmental storytelling.”
    • “A funny Doom clone, reminiscent of 'Rise of the Triad' or 'Codename Eagle'; the story is set during the Spanish Civil War, but in the end, you can disregard the story as it doesn't carry any significant weight and you proceed with only one goal - kill what moves.”

  • optimization

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, -20% neutral mentions, 60% negative mentions

    Optimization issues include noticeable stuttering, inconsistent mouse controls, and significant performance drops, especially when using the automap or on certain maps. Linux users running the game via Proton report additional bugs and worse performance compared to Windows. Overall, optimization problems can lead to a janky experience despite the game's strong retro shooter appeal.

    • “The automap is absolutely dreadful; while it can help, it kills performance and it's often better to rely on your memory.”
    • “Playing the game via Proton on my main Linux PC can incur some performance issues and bugs not experienced by Windows users.”
    • “Your arsenal consists of period-accurate weaponry in appearance if not performance, including bayonet, pistol, submachine gun, bolt-action rifle, double-barreled shotgun, flamethrower, rifle grenades, and thrown dynamite.”
    • “The automap is absolutely dreadful; while it can help, it kills performance and it is often better to rely on your memory.”
    • “I experienced bad performance on some maps, enemies getting stuck in walls, and my mouse sensitivity going crazy while I got FPS drops when using minimaps.”
    • “It was noticeably stuttering and mouse look felt off before I did those things.”

  • atmosphere

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, -50% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The atmosphere is praised for its authentic Spanish Civil War setting and strong level design, though some levels lack variety and could benefit from a more dynamic soundtrack.

    • “The level design is wonderful and I love the atmosphere of the Spanish Civil War.”
    • “Lacks variety and atmosphere in some levels.”
    • “I'd also prefer a heavy metal version of the soundtrack.”

  • humor

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is light and playful, reminiscent of classic shooters like "Rise of the Triad" and "Codename Eagle." While the story, set during the Spanish Civil War, is present, it is not taken seriously and mainly serves as a backdrop to the fast-paced, action-focused gameplay.

  • grinding

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game can feel tedious due to oversized levels that require extensive exploration, which may lead to player fatigue when hunting for secrets.

  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Replayability is considered low, with users feeling the game lacks the lasting appeal and variety found in comparable titles.

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Only Lead Can Stop Them is a shooter game with warfare and historical themes. Common tags for Only Lead Can Stop Them include first-person, indie, trading, pixel graphics, war and others.

Only Lead Can Stop Them is available on PC and Windows.

Only Lead Can Stop Them was released on December 9, 2024.

Only Lead Can Stop Them was developed by Warcry Interactive.

Only Lead Can Stop Them has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked Only Lead Can Stop Them for its music but disliked it for its stability.

Only Lead Can Stop Them is a single player game.

Similar games include Project Warlock, Dread Templar, Kvark, Project Warlock II, WRATH: Aeon of Ruin and others.