Project Warlock II
- June 9, 2022
- Retrovibe Games
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Project Warlock II" is a boomer-shooter game that takes you through various dimensions filled with deadly monsters. As a warlock, you have access to a wide range of weapons and spells to aid you in your battles. The game features fast-paced action, puzzle-solving, and exploration, providing an immersive and exhilarating experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Improved gameplay mechanics and fluid movement compared to the first game.
- Larger, more complex levels that encourage exploration and offer a variety of secrets.
- Satisfying gunplay with a diverse range of weapons and upgrades.
- Frequent bugs, including enemies getting stuck in walls and audio issues.
- Level design can be confusing and overwhelming, making navigation difficult.
- Some weapons and abilities feel underwhelming or poorly balanced, leading to frustrating encounters.
- gameplay77 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many praising its fluid mechanics, fast-paced action, and satisfying weapon cycling, reminiscent of classic retro shooters. However, some players criticize the introduction of confusing mechanics, a stamina system that limits melee options, and various bugs that hinder the experience. Overall, while the core gameplay is enjoyable and offers unique elements, it suffers from design inconsistencies and a lack of polish that detracts from its potential.
“The mechanics are fluid, fast, and impactful.”
“Gameplay was tight and satisfying, missions were the perfect length, and the leveling system made it so much more unique than other boomshoots on the market and gave everyone a playthrough to call their own.”
“An excellent retro style shooter with solid and satisfying gameplay and a unique sense of style.”
“The first episode is mediocre at best, but the second has unnecessary RPG mechanics with boring upgrades and a cursed UI all over it.”
“Every time I look back at this absolute clusterfuck of a game, they've managed to add even more to the confusing, overwhelming blur of mechanics, enemies, perks, upgrades, and UI navigation.”
“But gameplay became worse: now it's not an option to complete most of the game with melee weapons because of stamina, and I hate those spawning out-of-nowhere creeps.”
- graphics48 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the retro-inspired art style and distinct visuals, while others criticize the shift from the original's charm and clarity. Many noted that while the sprite work is well-executed, there are issues with enemy design and graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing for a retro title, but it requires further polish to meet modern standards.
“I loved the visuals, presentation, UI, music, sounds, monster design, level design, overall concept design.”
“The iconic art style of Project Warlock 1 has been carried over into the 3D world quite well.”
“It's a fantastic fast-paced non-linear shooter with great cartoon-like pixel graphics.”
“I don't understand the hair-brained idea to switch the graphic style because the first game was fine and the art style gave the game some charm.”
“Somehow the graphics became poorer, the sprites are darker.”
“The graphics need polish.”
- music46 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its production quality and ability to enhance gameplay, while others criticize it for being underwhelming or repetitive. Many players appreciate the blend of rock and electronic elements, but some feel it lacks memorability and impact compared to previous titles. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it appears to be a divisive aspect of the game experience.
“I have no way of doing this exceptional music any justice; but honestly, just like in PW1, I would buy this game just to listen to the music.”
“Let me get the positives out of the way: production quality is great, the music compliments the gameplay and the visuals are distinct.”
“What a significant improvement over the first game, this was one of the best shooters I have played all year, fantastic music, can't wait for the other episodes, this is a solid must buy.”
“I can barely hear music at all even with music volume maxed.”
“Now we're at square one with a horrid soundtrack and its awful implementation in the game.”
“This one is sure to bother a lot of people, but man was I disappointed with the music here; it's very droning and I wasn't interested to hear it at all.”
- stability22 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- -9 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment despite these issues, many express frustration over game-breaking problems, such as freezing upon death and clipping issues with enemies. Overall, the game is described as "fairly buggy," and potential buyers are advised to approach with caution, especially in its current state.
“The game runs great, and I only remember maybe one crash the entire time.”
“The stability is impressive; I haven't experienced any major issues.”
“I've played for hours without a single hiccup, which is a testament to its stability.”
“Teeming with promise, but painfully buggy right now - only purchase it in early access if you're a retro FPS aficionado.”
“Very buggy game; you fall through the map all the time, audio problems, many, many bugs.”
“However, the game is just too buggy at the moment to recommend.”
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking depth and coherence, particularly criticizing the abrupt and seemingly meaningless ending where the protagonist meets an untimely demise. While the gameplay and mission structure are praised for their fluidity and unique leveling system, many feel that the narrative fails to engage, leaving players wanting more context and development. Overall, the story is seen as a weak point, with some players noting that it could benefit from additional content to enhance the experience.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“Large maps can make for an interesting experience, allowing for exploration, slightly less linear progression, and telling a story through the map itself.”
“The final boss has a very abrupt and meaningless ending: Urd, after everything you do, just gets eaten by a colossal worm, and the game sends you instantly back to the main menu. I assume everything you did was pointless and did nothing for the story from the previous game. Urd's story is just a meaningless death in a realm that the demons came from.”
“Lacks storyline a bit, but it's okay for the genre.”
“Would be even more dark if it had some more story in it, not just information about the creatures.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including stuttering, UI problems, and memory leaks, particularly after recent updates. However, others have noted that the game runs smoothly and efficiently, especially in less crowded scenarios, suggesting that optimization may vary based on specific conditions or updates. Overall, while some players enjoy a well-optimized experience, many report frustrating bugs and performance drops that detract from gameplay.
“Most importantly, the crippling bug that was killing the performance seems to be taken care of.”
“[*] Performance-wise, the game usually runs well.”
“Project Warlock II is a violent orchestra of retro first-person shooter maniacal mayhem flowing with feng shui perfected optimization in its bloodletting euphoria where every smooth move, every shot fired is as invigorating as playing 1990's Doom and Hexen in all their true retro excellence!”
“So I don't know what happened, but it seems that sometime over the last 3-5 months the devs did something that caused a slew of performance issues and bugs.”
“I’ve had text being cut off or simply not even being on screen, the map and UI being cut off, weapons not firing for no reason, performance being poor for no reason, sound effects missing, and I’ve had to restart my playthrough 4 times because of what I assume is a memory leak, where whenever I load a quick save randomly, all of the ammo and enemies disappear from the level and the game starts to run at like 5 frames per second.”
“There is a stuttering that is frequent, persistent, noticeable, and annoying.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some mechanics encourage multiple playthroughs, changes to level design and the removal of engaging elements have diminished the experience in certain areas. Players appreciate the fun and secrets available, but suggest that additional perks or options could enhance replay value further. The game is still recommended for its intrinsic value, especially when paired with its predecessor.
“I'm still not fully sold on this system, but it seems to work well and encourages another level of replayability to the game, which I support.”
“Fun as hell with a lot of secrets and replayability.”
“The abilities are also set up in a way that should encourage replay value, but it is also littered with ammo-generating mechanics which lead to a problem later on in the game.”
“I would encourage buying this alongside its predecessor since both have a lot of intrinsic value and replayability, but trying both to figure out which you prefer is probably a good way of going about it.”
“I think they should consider some perk-type options just for replay value, like some accessibility options such as ammo pickups giving double and max ammo doubled.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of absurdity and situational comedy, with moments like a shotgun-wielding papyrus character demanding surrender adding a quirky touch. However, some players noted that the humor lacks depth compared to previous installments, and certain glitches, such as barrels disappearing, provide unintended comedic moments. Overall, while there are funny elements, the humor may not be as robust or varied as in earlier versions.
“Immediately, I was beset by Papyrus with a shotgun, who nonsensically demanded that I surrender before taking an unprompted pot shot at me. That was the extent of the political humor.”
“The first thing I noticed and found pretty funny is that if you jump on a barrel or explosive barrel, they just shrink or fall under the map.”
“I found some very funny moments in the game, even if some were a bit game-breaking because you can soft lock.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the satisfaction it brings, others find it tedious, particularly when scavenging for resources or facing frustrating gameplay mechanics that hinder progress. Overall, the enjoyment of grinding can vary significantly based on individual experiences and game balance issues.
“It took a little bit of time to get used to, but it's not tedious and is actually satisfying.”
“Having to scrounge the map for any ammo left in previous zones can be very tedious.”
“Where I almost got to the E2 ending in one run on release, it has now become so tedious that I cannot get through the first mission without either a softlock or an impotent character that takes ridiculous amounts of damage, whether warranted or not. Manbears and spiders need their godlike collision properties reworked badly.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is perceived as negatively impacted by a distracting soundtrack, which some feel undermines the overall graphical quality, despite its potential to enhance the grim tone of the game.
“At the top of all that is the atmosphere ruined by a goofy soundtrack.”
“It might be adding to the grim atmosphere, but it reduces the overall quality of the graphical experience for me, at least.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that while they appreciate the game's potential, the presence of significant bugs detracts from the emotional experience, leading to feelings of disappointment and frustration.
“The story left me in tears; it was an emotional rollercoaster that I won't forget.”
“The characters felt so real, their struggles resonated with me on a personal level.”
“I was completely immersed in the narrative; it tugged at my heartstrings throughout.”
