The Haunted: Hells Reach

About

The Haunted: Hells Reach is a single player and multiplayer survival hack and slash game with horror and violence themes. It was developed by KTX Software and was released on October 24, 2011. It received positive reviews from players.

All Hell Has Broken Loose!!! The Haunted is a fast paced third person action horror game that focuses on delivering an intense multiplayer experience. Your goal is to liberate cursed places and survive the assault from the minions of Hell. The game features several multiplayer modes such as co-op survival, demons vs. humans and demonizer.

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 398 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

Fast-paced, intense third-person wave-based shooter with satisfying gunplay and melee combat.
Fun and rewarding cooperative multiplayer experience, especially with friends via LAN or private sessions.
Wide variety of weapons with meaningful upgrades, diverse enemy types, and intense boss fights.
Atmospheric hellish environments and gore, complemented by entertaining cheesy one-liners and a fitting soundtrack.
Low system requirements and stable performance, playable on a wide range of PCs and supporting controllers and split-screen.

Online community is nearly dead, making it difficult to find public multiplayer matches.
Repetitive gameplay and limited content with few maps and modes, leading to boredom over extended play.
Technical issues including occasional crashes, outdated UI/customization options, and clunky controls and camera behavior.
Steep difficulty spikes and some frustrating enemy design that can punish players unfairly, especially in late waves and boss fights.
Lack of modern polish, narrative depth, and progression systems reduces long-term engagement.

gameplay
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The gameplay is a fast-paced, cooperative third-person shooter inspired by horde survival modes like Killing Floor, featuring satisfying gunplay, melee combat, and intense waves of demonic enemies. While it offers solid, fluid mechanics and enjoyable multiplayer experiences, gameplay can become repetitive due to enemy variety and some rough animations, but its relentless action and rewarding combat loop remain engaging. Overall, it balances simple yet challenging gameplay that appeals to both beginners and veterans, especially in a cooperative setting.
- “Shooting most of the weapons is mechanically satisfying amid the incessant swarming action, and dispatching the rampaging hellspawn is straightforwardly fun for shorter periods.”
- “The gameplay itself consists of a mix of gunplay and melee action, combined with tons of explosives (and explosions) and a life-saving dodge mechanic.”
- “Game mechanics are concise and robust, making for fluid gameplay.”
- “Enemy assortment is sufficiently varied, centering on creatures inspired by demonic entities, but their appearances, even if they come in quick succession due to gameplay focus, quickly become repetitive as they share similar visual and aural qualities.”
- “Don't expect deep gameplay.”
- “If you took the worst gameplay elements of all time and threw them together, this is what it would be.”
graphics
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The graphics in The Haunted: Hell's Reach, powered by Unreal Engine 3, are generally praised for their solid, immersive style that effectively captures a grim, hellish atmosphere despite showing their age. While not cutting-edge by modern standards, the visuals deliver good variety, satisfying effects, and strong weapon and enemy design, making the game visually appealing for a low-budget, indie title. Overall, the graphics complement the fast-paced, action-oriented gameplay and contribute positively to the game’s intense, gory experience.
- “Visually, The Haunted: Hells Reach exudes the grim, fiery aesthetic of classic hellscapes.”
- “Awesome graphics, enough variety in enemies, fun melee combat, sliding ability, cool weapons that upgrade and are noticeably better when upgraded and much more stuff make The Haunted: Hell's Reach a really enjoyable game.”
- “The graphics are gracious like it was fine-crafted with a rusty chipped axe but still nails you in front of the screen making you want to unload all your concern and intellect, through the upgradeable arsenal this game has in its backpocket for you.”
- “It runs on Unreal Engine 3, and while the visuals now show their age, the game still carries an unmistakable style.”
- “Graphically, the game sort of uses the basic 2006 filter, similar to the Gears games, but other than that it looks and feels like Unreal Tournament (note: it's an UT modification).”
- “The graphics are decent enough, serviceable if you will, the animations aren't awful, and the textures for the environments are solid enough, though you don't have much time to admire because enemies come from everywhere.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
65%
22%
The game lacks a traditional story mode, plot, or character development, focusing instead on multiplayer action and survival gameplay. While some players enjoy the shoot-and-survive mechanics, many find the experience repetitive and crave more narrative depth or mission variety. Overall, the absence of story elements is noted but not seen as a major drawback by fans of straightforward cooperative shooting.
- “Don't expect a long drawn-out story with loads of dialogue and character development.”
- “The actual gameplay is fun but it's lacking in direction. If there was some kind of story mode and maybe some real movies/cutscenes, it would have been much better, but alas this is more of a multiplayer shoot to score kind of game.”
- “Which is not putting this game down in any way, but if you're looking for something with more depth or story, this may not be it.”
- “There is no story of some kind, no intro but with games like this, I do not mind, after all, the goal is just surviving and killing enemies, just like Killing Floor 1.”
- “Online only or imitation online with bots.... there is absolutely no single player or story mode.”
- “The actual gameplay is fun but it's lacking in direction. If there was some kind of story mode and maybe some real movies/cutscenes it would have been much better but alas this is more of a multiplayer shoot to score kind of game.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The music in the game features fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping tracks with metal and techno influences that complement the intense action, though some find the soundtrack repetitive and average. Volume controls are limited to music and effects separately, and many players prefer muting the in-game music to play alternative soundtracks, like the Doom OST, for a better experience. Overall, the music adds energy but may not appeal to everyone.
- “The soundtrack amplifies the action with fast-paced metal riffs and pounding percussion, keeping your adrenaline high even as you teeter on the edge of defeat.”
- “The music in the game is wild west themed and offers a nice calm melody in the background while you are murdering hundreds of demons.”
- “If you are looking for a fast-paced splatter, this is probably one of the best I have seen, where art, animations, music, sound effects, and character voices are wisely combined to make one of those games that you rarely see nowadays.”
- “Additionally, the overall sound volume is higher than average, and there is no general sound volume option, only separate controls for music and sound effects.”
- “The visuals are easy to look past, and the soundtrack is pretty average too – like I suggested, mute it and play that doom record.”
- “Unfortunately, the music can sometimes be a little too repetitive.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by funny character dialogue, cheesy one-liners, and amusing accents, which many players find entertaining despite some janky animations and bad voice acting. The lighthearted, silly tone adds to the game's enjoyable and satisfying gameplay loop, making it a fun pick for quick, casual action. Overall, the humor is appreciated for enhancing the game's charm and replay value.
- “Stiff, janky-looking animations, hilariously bad voice acting, edgy one-liners, and a lack of content are all things I can overlook because of just how satisfying and enjoyable the gameplay loop in this is.”
- “Many laughs playing this game... pretty funny cheesiness in the game but hey I love it!”
- “The weapons, the melee, and cheap, silly but funny one-liners are everything I needed to keep pushing.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and oppressive environments, featuring detailed settings like crumbling cathedrals and desolate fortresses. Strong lighting, sound, and graphics contribute to a compelling, though sometimes rated moderately (around 7/10), atmospheric experience.
- “The environments are drenched in atmosphere—crumbling cathedrals, desolate fortresses, and infernal caverns all radiate an oppressive sense of decay.”
- “Great sounds, graphics, and atmosphere.”
- “Lighting and atmosphere is nice.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is generally seen as tedious and frustrating, particularly during certain fights like the Abaddon encounter, which many find repetitive and unfun. While some achievements involve light grinding, overall the game’s grind elements are considered more tedious than rewarding.
- “The Abaddon fight is tedious and grating at best, and frustrating and unfun at worst.”
- “It's one of the most repetitive and infuriating games I've played; it's tedious and boring, with many other games doing what this game tries to do in vastly better ways.”
- “Some achievements are fairly easy, but a few are grindy.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Replayability is generally praised, with some players highlighting varied modes and engaging melee combat that keep the game fresh, while others note limited content that may reduce long-term interest. However, a declining player base could impact multiplayer replay value despite strong solo and cooperative potential.
- “A fabulous game with tons of replayability. Though it might at first feel like a poor man's Killing Floor 2, it quickly feels more like a badass combination of Resident Evil 4's Mercenaries mode and Saints Row 3, with more emphasis on melee combat. An excellent game.”
- “It has violence, it has plenty of guns, it has plenty of demons, and it's a timeless survival game with plenty of replayability, solo or with friends.”
- “Replayability 10/10.”
- “The only way that I've managed to have fun with this game is to play the Inferno mode and just exit after encounter 4, skipping Abaddon altogether, but that leaves very little replayability.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users generally find the game's optimization solid, noting good performance with minimal lag and smooth technical execution, especially in effects. Upgrades also contribute positively to performance. Overall, the game runs well for most players.
- “Performance 7/10 - I've never experienced much lag, mileage may vary.”
- “Upgrades are performance-related, in my opinion.”
- “On a technical level, the game is great, especially in terms of performance and effects.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report encountering numerous bugs and glitches, which negatively impact the singleplayer experience and overall game stability.
- “I must say that I expected to encounter a lot of bugs and glitches.”
- “Like: bugs, glitches, repetitive, no value in the singleplayer and no information.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is minimal, with little emphasis on story depth or extensive dialogue. Players should not expect a detailed or evolving narrative experience.