Rising Hell
- May 19, 2021
- Imagine Filmfestival
- 1h median play time
Rising Hell successfully captures the genre's addictive nature through its relative simplicity and adherence to personalization.
"Rising Hell" is a fast-paced, action-packed dungeon crawler game where players must fight their way through hordes of demons to escape from Hell. The game features randomly generated levels, ensuring a unique experience with each playthrough. As players progress, they can unlock new characters and talents to create chaos and unleash special abilities. The goal is to survive and climb out of the ever-changing depths of Hell.
Reviews
- The game features fast-paced, addictive gameplay with a simple yet enjoyable combat system that emphasizes jumping and attacking enemies.
- The pixel art and retro aesthetic are visually appealing, complemented by a heavy metal soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- There is a good variety of bosses and mini-bosses, along with a decent selection of characters and power-ups that keep the gameplay fresh.
- The game is quite short, with many players finishing it in under two hours, leading to concerns about its replay value and content depth.
- Some players find the gameplay repetitive, as the mechanics can feel shallow and the levels lack significant variation.
- There are reports of frustrating control issues, particularly with jumping and attacking, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- music46 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its energetic and engaging metal soundtrack, which complements the fast-paced gameplay and vibrant pixel art. Many players appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic games, with some describing the soundtrack as beautifully composed and addictive. However, a few critiques mention the repetitiveness of the tracks during multiple playthroughs, suggesting a desire for more variety in the music.
“The gameplay is addictive, but the music is beautifully composed and keeps you playing to hear more!”
“Beautiful and vibrant pixel art with dynamic backgrounds, a killer guitar-solo-heavy soundtrack, fantastic and varied enemies and stages, tough boss battles, this game just has it all!”
“And the music, oh my god, the music *chef's kiss* I would have loved this game at $20; $10 feels like I stole it.”
“The metal music is generic.”
“I wish only one thing - the music to be heavier.”
“The soundtrack and menus and the announcer make me feel like I'm playing a quarter-sucking arcade machine and I love that type of feeling.”
- gameplay41 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and addictive nature, featuring a unique "hellbreak" mechanic that allows players to defeat enemies by jumping on them, which some find fun but others see as limiting. While the movement mechanics and fast-paced action are praised, the lack of depth in combat options and roguelike elements may lead to eventual boredom for some players. Overall, the game successfully captures a nostalgic arcade feel with polished visuals and a killer soundtrack, making for an enjoyable experience despite its mechanical shortcomings.
“Great movement mechanics, and getting around is a big part of surviving this game.”
“The gameplay is fast and feels awesome, the pixel art looks incredible, the music is amazing, and the three different characters all play differently.”
“Beautiful and vibrant pixel art with dynamic backgrounds, a cool and unique mechanic, a killer guitar-solo-heavy soundtrack, fantastic and varied enemies and stages, tough boss battles, this game just has it all!”
“But the gameplay... how can jumping into an enemy be a special attack?”
“There's no light/heavy attacks, and no shield, block, or parry mechanics.”
“Since the game lacks a lot of roguelike mechanics, you will get bored eventually.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their retro 16-bit pixel art style, featuring detailed character and attack animations, as well as well-designed backgrounds and enemies that enhance the overall aesthetic. Players appreciate the combination of smooth controls and visually appealing elements, which contribute to an immersive experience in the game's labyrinthine, hell-themed world. The accompanying metal soundtrack further complements the visuals, creating a cohesive and engaging atmosphere.
“The pixel art graphics are wonderful, in particular the character and attack animations.”
“It's also worth mentioning the aesthetic is great, too - backgrounds, enemies, and traps are very detailed without becoming cluttered or unclear.”
“Great pixel graphics, cool soundtrack, and nothing but double jumping and smashing!”
“The pixel graphics are in the retro 16-bit style, which feels outdated and lacks modern appeal.”
“I don't know why I bought this; the graphics are too masculine and need more cute anime girls.”
“The art style creates a labyrinthine world that feels like a lengthy spiral winding hellscape, which can be overwhelming and disorienting.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the low price and enjoyable short bursts of gameplay, others feel it lacks depth and challenge typical of roguelikes. The addition of a portal system has been noted as a significant enhancement, making the game more engaging for repeated playthroughs. However, basic health and stat tweaks may not provide enough incentive for some players to return.
“Under $12 for a game that plays and looks great with loads of replay value.”
“It is a great short replayable burst of fun with a low price tag.”
“It might sound simple, but in reality, the developers made it insanely replayable by adding the portal system.”
“The items are basic health and stat tweaks, with rare unlocks that make the replay value feel limited to just punch, punch, dash for a bit.”
“It has power and soul, but it just lacks the spirit of replay value.”
“Roguelikes typically have replay value if they offer enough difficulty or at least some skill.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story revolves around a demonic creature's quest to escape hell, described as basic but functional, with a comic book style that enhances its presentation. While some players find the narrative okay, they appreciate the gameplay and soundtrack more, and anticipate potential updates to enrich the story following its early access release.
“The comic book style storytelling also adds to this flavor.”
“I will keep it simple for you: you control a demonic creature whose mission is to escape hell.”
“In the devs' defense, the game did just come out of early access, so I guess we can expect a few updates to expand on the story.”
“The story is just that basic; I want out of hell, and I fight hell.”
“I will keep it simple for you: you control a demonic creature whose mission is to escape hell.”
“In the devs' defense, the game did just come out of early access, so I guess we can expect a few updates to expand on the story.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant color palette that effectively conveys a hellish environment, enhanced by crimson glows and elements like flaming winds that contribute to a sense of heat and intensity.
“The color palette is vibrant and successfully conveys a hellish atmosphere.”
“I love how the artist incorporates crimson glows and flaming winds, creating an atmosphere that feels intensely hot.”
“The color palette is pretty vibrant and successfully brings the hellish atmosphere to life.”
“I like how the artist incorporates crimson glows here and there, along with some flaming winds, which make the atmosphere feel intensely hot.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game may not excel in traditional character development, it compensates with a unique blend of unexpected genre elements, resulting in enjoyable character design and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
“What this game does nicely is that it incorporates unexpected elements from genres that wouldn't typically be present, resulting in a fun experience with likable character design and art choices, complemented by an excellent soundtrack.”
“The character development in this game is truly engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters as their stories unfold.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each interaction feel meaningful and impactful.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for undermining individual class identities and abilities, leading to a lack of motivation for players to engage deeply with their characters. While the universal mechanic is enjoyable, it fails to foster a sense of mastery or emotional connection to the gameplay.
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is generally well-received, but players have reported a frustrating bug during battles with archdemons that can freeze characters in place, rendering them unable to attack despite being invincible. This issue has led to significant setbacks in gameplay, particularly during critical moments.
“It's definitely a great game, but it's very frustrating that there is a bug that occurs during fights with archdemons. Sometimes, during the transition from one attack to another or between phases, if you perform a hellbreak, it freezes your character in place. Even though it makes you invincible, you also can't attack, and there is no way to escape this state. This has caused me to lose very good runs just because of RNG.”
“The game has potential, but the frequent crashes and bugs make it nearly unplayable at times. I often find myself losing progress due to unexpected freezes, which is incredibly frustrating.”
“While the gameplay is enjoyable, the stability issues are a major drawback. I've experienced multiple instances where the game crashes during critical moments, ruining my experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have reported performance issues, including stuttering and other optimization problems, indicating that the game may require further refinement to ensure a smoother experience.
“It's stuttering a bit due to an unresolved issue.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops.”
“Performance issues make the game unplayable at times.”
Critic Reviews
Rising Hell Review
Rising Hell successfully captures the genre's addictive nature through its relative simplicity and adherence to personalization.
80%Rising Hell Review - A Guitar-Thrashing, Blood-Pumping Roguelite Worth Checking Out
Rising Hell's verticality and butter-like combat system make it feel unique in an increasingly popular genre. It looks awesome, sounds fantastic and for its price point, it's definitely worth your time. While you will not be playing for hundreds of hours, your relatively short time slaying demons will be fast, frenetic and very enjoyable.
80%Rising Hell
Capturing the essence of the genre and adding its own twists, Rising Hell may not be the cream of the crop, but it sure is rising up fast.
80%