The Black Masses

About

The Black Masses is a single player and multiplayer role playing shooter game. It was developed by Brilliant Game Studios and was released on October 3, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Black Masses" is a first-person shooter game that takes place in a grim, demon-infested world. As a member of a secret organization, players must fight their way through hordes of nightmarish enemies using an array of weapons and abilities. The game features intense, fast-paced combat, as well as a dark, atmospheric setting that will keep players on the edge of their seats.

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62%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,494 reviews

story74 positive mentions

optimization80 negative mentions

The game has a unique concept, combining medieval settings with zombie hordes, which is refreshing in the genre.
The combat can be satisfying, especially when facing large groups of enemies, providing a thrilling experience.
The climbing mechanics allow for creative exploration and add an interesting layer to gameplay.

The game is poorly optimized, leading to frequent crashes and significant performance issues even on high-end PCs.
Many quests and gameplay mechanics are buggy, often resulting in players being unable to progress.
The overall content is lacking, with repetitive gameplay and limited enemy variety, making it feel unfinished.

story
422 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
The game's story is described as fragmented and underdeveloped, with many players noting that it lacks depth and engaging quests. While some appreciate the potential for lore found in books and notes, others criticize the overall narrative as simplistic and forgettable, often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics. Many reviews highlight numerous bugs and quest issues that detract from the storytelling experience, suggesting that the game is still in an early development phase and requires significant improvements to its narrative structure.
- “The thing that kept me hooked though was the story and the secrets to find.”
- “I love that there is a story that develops over time and some mystery about sidequests.”
- “Great atmosphere, great combination of story, loot, and action.”
- “The story exists but is fragmented beyond reason.”
- “Don't expect any real story or any real questing, practically a zombie killing sandbox, where you'll spend an hour finding the biggest horde you can, easily killing them, then getting bored from there.”
- “The narrative of the game is simple, pushes you forward as fast as possible, and forgets about every plot point and character once you are done with their quests.”
optimization
226 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
52%
35%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, freezing, and high CPU usage, even on high-end systems. While some users note that the game has potential and can handle large numbers of enemies without significant lag, the overall consensus is that it requires substantial optimization and bug fixes before it can be recommended. Many players express frustration over the current state of optimization, suggesting that it feels more like an early build than a polished release.
- “Good game, just needs optimization.”
- “Is just fun, it has some bugs but the optimization is great; you can see hundreds of enemies and it won't even stutter loading them in.”
- “The main bragging points of this game is definitely the massive scale at which the game can throw enemies at you without major performance issues.”
- “Unoptimized mess, graphics are terrible yet it runs like garbage.”
- “I can't recommend the game until they actually fix the optimization of it.”
- “The game is terribly unoptimized, even on a 3080/i7 9700k.”
gameplay
214 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the fun parkour mechanics and the engaging combat against hordes of zombies, while others criticize it for being simplistic, unpolished, and repetitive. Although the game shows potential with its solid mechanics and exploration elements, it suffers from performance issues, bugs, and a lack of depth in gameplay features. Overall, while some find enjoyment in the core mechanics, many agree that significant improvements are needed for a more polished experience.
- “The gameplay is incredibly solid and the hordes don't make my PC cry, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes zombies.”
- “Great parkour/climbing mechanics to make rooftops your ally in those infested towns.”
- “The core gameplay is there and solid, the parkour is very good, graphics are good, and the game world is excellent.”
- “Gameplay is basic and unpolished despite it being basic.”
- “The gameplay loop is sincerely boring as sin.”
- “There are so many basic gameplay things broken that this mess isn't even properly alpha, much less 'early access.' These devs had no business releasing this pile of bugs and taking money for it!”
graphics
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the art style can be visually appealing, the overall optimization is poor, leading to significant lag and performance issues even on lower settings. Some users appreciate the aesthetic quality in certain areas, but frequent graphical glitches and dated animations detract from the experience. Overall, while the graphics are deemed acceptable for an indie title, they fall short of modern standards and require substantial improvement.
- “The graphics are gorgeous and I love the combat animations.”
- “The graphics are where they need to be for this type of game. Any more and they would make the game even harder to run, and honestly, go look at my screenshots, with these graphics you actually get some really breathtaking views when you're climbing through the mountains and scoping out new places to go clear out and explore.”
- “The core gameplay is there and solid, the parkour is very good, graphics are good and the game world is excellent.”
- “Unoptimized mess, graphics are terrible yet it runs like garbage.”
- “My GPU, an Nvidia 1080 which can run Arma 3 at ultra graphics at 60 fps, somehow still gets 100% used at potato graphics. I don't know what they're doing; the game stutters, glitches, and gets little to no updates. I cannot recommend this game in its current state. In fact, I don't think I can recommend this game in any state because there is definitely something fishy going on with this game, and until it's fixed (which is probably never), I wouldn't buy this game.”
- “I'd like to see how the game looks when it is finished, but as far as it is now, on ultra settings it looks like you're playing a game from 2005 graphically.”
stability
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
1%
97%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues, including frequent freezes and poor frame rates even on high-end hardware. Many players note that while some aspects of the game show potential, the overall experience is marred by unoptimized performance and game-breaking bugs, making it difficult to recommend in its current state. Despite being in early access, the persistent issues have led to frustration among users, with some expressing doubt about future improvements.
- “No glitches or bugs found so far.”
- “If you are expecting a polished, bug-free experience, this game delivers.”
- “Like many others have pointed out, flickering, LOD issues, glitches, appearing and disappearing assets, etc. It runs like a horse in mud on good hardware and hitches frequently.”
- “The game is badly optimized and very, very buggy.”
- “Not even 10 minutes into the game, after around five stutters, I've picked up the health potion and the key, and after leaving the building, the game freezes and crashes.”
music
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere during gameplay, particularly in tense moments. However, others find it repetitive, inappropriate for the game's theme, or suffering from technical issues like overlapping tracks and sound cutouts. Overall, while the soundtrack has its highlights, many players feel it could benefit from more variety and better alignment with the game's tone.
- “The music in this game is genuinely beautiful and even enchanting, making you want to look around and take in the environment.”
- “My favorite part by far has to be the amazing soundtrack!”
- “Music plays at nearly all times and it always makes the game feel more like a journey.”
- “Everything from the animations, music, sound, visuals, etc. are dated.”
- “I previously left a negative review because I was unable to use the volume settings to turn down or disable the awful and repetitive music that plays on an endless loop.”
- “The whole time I was playing, the battle music was overlapping with other music, so I would be hearing two music tracks at once even if I was not in battle.”
grinding
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some find it tedious and repetitive, particularly with looting and resource management, others enjoy the mindless grind of leveling up and discovering new weapons. The lack of efficient looting mechanics and the necessity to manage resources can detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration. However, for some, the grind becomes a source of fun and engagement, keeping them invested in the game.
- “Looting feels like a tedious grind with potatoes and tomatoes here and there to heal, odd potions, and tiny items like bullets, so it's a bit harder to just quickly loot; it's all single item pickup (at least that I know of).”
- “Having to waste resources or run away from other enemies whenever I leave my safe room every single time gets very tedious.”
- “This is extremely tedious and just altogether awful.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its handcrafted feel, dark tone, and immersive mystery, effectively enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of story, loot, and action, although some suggest that a more somber tone could heighten tension. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, promising for a beta release.
- “I love the atmosphere and feel of this game.”
- “The atmosphere is amazing; the game looks and feels handcrafted.”
- “Great atmosphere, great combination of story, loot, and action.”
- “Rather, I feel a somber and low tone would've given a more tense atmosphere.”
- “Don't ignore the first horde; rip and tear, you will then understand the game's atmosphere.”
- “Lots of atmosphere.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it delightfully absurd, particularly in scenarios like feeding zombies into a windmill, which elicits genuine laughter. However, the voice acting has been criticized as "hilariously bad," leading some to suggest it be removed entirely. Overall, while there are moments of subtle humor and entertaining lore, the game's current state detracts from the overall experience.
- “There's more than enough game here to be worth $20 right now though; any game that lets me feed zombies into a windmill like squirrels into a woodchipper, whilst laughing insanely....”
- “The voice acting is hilariously bad.”
- “Humorously enough, I was *literally* saying to myself: 'you know what?'”
monetization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with users labeling it as a "shameless cash grab" that prioritizes profit over quality. Many reviewers express skepticism about the authenticity of positive reviews, suggesting that the game relies on low-effort assets and lacks genuine value. Overall, the sentiment indicates a strong disapproval of the developers' approach to monetization.
- “This game is a garbage cash grab.”
- “This is nothing but a shameless cash grab with store-bought assets, and I don't believe any of the other reviews are from real accounts.”
- “I can only suppose we are looking at a total cash grab at this point.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is present but players express a desire for it to be significantly expanded, along with a wish for options in character creation and editing.
- “Character development is present, but I hope to see it expanded immensely. Additionally, I would love to have some level of character creation or editing.”
- “Character development is present, but I hope to see it expanded immensely. Additionally, I would like to see some level of character creation or editing.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional impact of encountering the first horde to be significant, particularly at night when the limited light from a lantern heightens the tension and fear. However, this emotional intensity diminishes during the day, as the horde appears less daunting in the daylight.
- “When encountering the very first horde, it was impressive in size and emotionally impactful, especially at night due to the limited light source provided by your lantern.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers indicate that the game's current replayability is limited, primarily due to its short content duration of around five hours. Many express hope for future updates that could enhance the game's playability and extend its content, potentially improving replay value.
- “It's a cool concept, but I'll change my review when the game is in a more playable state and has more than 5 hours of content.”