April 22, 2015
Puuba

The Weaponographist

Fresh and engaging, The Weaponographist is a succinct package of roguelike goodness. If you need a quick fix of something new for a weekend, this weapon-breaking dungeon-delver will suit that need perfectly.

68%Game Brain Score

gameplay, humor

grinding

74% User Score Based on 138 reviews

Critic Score 61%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1.62

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About

"The Weaponographist" is a fast-paced, Roguelike dungeon-crawling game where you play as Doug McGrave, a cursed demon hunter. After refusing to help a town overrun by demons, Doug loses his powers, gear, and wealth. To break the curse, you must use an ever-changing array of weapons to defeat enemies and keep your combo meter high. With each weapon's limited lifespan, quick thinking and adaptability are crucial for success.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 146 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

The game features a unique weapon degradation mechanic that keeps combat fast-paced and engaging, requiring players to constantly adapt their strategy.
There is a good variety of quirky weapons and enemies, which adds a fun and humorous element to the gameplay.
The combo meter system encourages aggressive play, making the experience feel rewarding as players progress through the dungeons.

The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with linear level design and a lack of meaningful exploration or item variety.
Controls can feel awkward, especially for players accustomed to traditional twin-stick shooters, leading to a less satisfying combat experience.
The game lacks depth in its roguelike elements, as progress resets can feel frustrating and the overall challenge may not be enough to keep players engaged long-term.

gameplay
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
75%
6%
The gameplay of "The Weaponographist" features simple mechanics, including movement with WASD and weapon degradation that adds a unique challenge, as players must frequently switch weapons due to their eventual breakage. While inspired by titles like "The Binding of Isaac," the game introduces its own combo meter and progressive upgrades, creating a fluid and engaging experience, though some players find the repetitive nature of levels limits replayability. Overall, the gameplay is described as fun and addictive, despite its flaws.
- “Gameplay is fluid, challenging, and above all fun.”
- “The curse itself is a key part of the gameplay because no matter what weapon you use, it'll eventually break, leaving Doug to fight hordes of elven archers, mafia men, lions with whips, and octopi with lasers with his bare hands.”
- “It has its flaws and shortcomings, but the core gameplay is extremely addictive.”
- “The weaponographist is designed to look like Binding of Isaac through screenshots and gameplay footage, but it is not at all similar.”
- “The weaponographist doesn't succeed in offering replayability, simply for the empty levels and repetitive gameplay.”
- “I hated having to switch weapons and keep using new ones that I was not familiar with, but eventually that became the exact reason I kept playing, because they used this mechanic as a tool to ramp up the difficulty on top of the regular standby of 'more enemies!'”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "The Weaponographist" is characterized by its cartoonish charm and witty dialogue, particularly from the friendly puubas and townspeople, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. Players appreciate the funny story and the amusing interactions, making the fast-paced action and quirky enemies even more enjoyable. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its mechanics, creating a fun and engaging experience.
- “I had a lot of fun interacting with the puubas (who are incredibly friendly and wittily humorous, by the way!) as well as my fellow competitors.”
- “Fast paced action, ridiculous enemies, and witty humor makes the weaponographist incredibly enjoyable.”
- “The weaponographist, a game developed by puuba and published by mastertronic, is an isometric dungeon crawler hack and slash RPG that uses a cartoonish sense of humor.”
story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The game's story revolves around an overconfident demon hunter named Doug McGrave, who is cursed by a witch for refusing to help a demon-infested town, leading to a humorous yet simplistic narrative. While some players appreciate its charm and comedic elements, many criticize the story for being bare and failing to compensate for the game's repetitive gameplay. Overall, the story is seen as a lighthearted backdrop that adds some humor but ultimately falls short of depth and engagement.
- “The story itself is simple: an overconfident demon hunter named Doug McGrave, drawn lovingly in the style of classic cartoons, refuses to help a demon-infested town and is then cursed.”
- “The story is a little bare but has charm and is fairly humorous.”
- “Story: you get cursed by this witch for refusing to save their town and now you have no other choice but to save it while trying to make the curse go away.”
- “What little story there is doesn't even remotely make up for the lackluster and repetitive (have I mentioned this game is repetitive?) nature of the game.”
- “This doesn't always work in the game's favor, and ends up falling short of what could've been an amusing game with a chuckle-worthy story.”
- “This is as far as the story goes, and it's essentially pointless.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
44%
13%
The graphics of the game are generally described as decent, featuring a mix of cartoony and dungeon-like aesthetics that appeal to a broad audience. While the artwork, animations, and character designs are praised for their humor and creativity, some visuals are noted as inconsistent, with a few enemies looking less impressive. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's experience, complemented by engaging music and a vibrant art style.
- “The artwork for these mobs and weapons is quite humorous and well-done too.”
- “Cartoony graphics is the calling card for most indie titles; it is easy on the eyes and usually appealing to most audiences, and it has even seeped into larger publishers.”
- “Additionally, I really enjoyed the music and the aesthetics of the game; it really makes the experience.”
- “It's just an arcade game where the graphics look like a dungeon.”
- “Decent graphics.”
- “On the short side of roguelikes, the aesthetic can be a mixed bag at times.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The music in the game is a standout feature, offering a quirky and fun soundtrack that deviates from typical dungeon crawler themes, leaning towards an industrial and electronic style reminiscent of Doom. However, while the music enhances the overall experience, some players find it repetitive and the sound effects lacking in variety. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's aesthetic, though it may not appeal to everyone.
- “Very quirky and fun with cool old-school music.”
- “The music is the highlight of the audio as the soundtrack isn't the standard dungeon crawler music ala Diablo, but rather more industrial and electronic like Doom.”
- “Additionally, I really enjoyed the music and the aesthetics of the game; it really makes the experience.”
- “Sound design and music could be better; it didn't stand out at all.”
- “Unlike the music, the sound effects aren't exactly anything to cheer over.”
- “Nothing stands out here: the techno music feels really repetitive and might get on your nerves, and the sound effects aren't varied.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
Overall, the game offers significant replayability, particularly for hardcore players and score chasers, with modes like survival adding to the experience. Many users highlight the addictive nature of rogue-like elements, such as character progression and repeated boss encounters, while some criticize the lack of replay value in certain aspects, citing empty levels and repetitive gameplay.
- “Hardcore (and the newly added survival mode) adds additional replay value and jinxes for some fun tinkering.”
- “The Weaponographist doesn't succeed in offering replayability, simply for the empty levels and repetitive gameplay.”
- “There's lots of replay value here if you're a score chaser, and if you're anything like me, it'll take you a good 25 hours to finally beat hardcore.”
- “As with many rogue-like games, the replayability is the strongest point: trying to defeat the same boss over and over, and leveling up your character and becoming a force of nature make this an addicting experience that will last for a long time.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and repetitive, often requiring them to replay the same levels for minimal progress and upgrades. The aged controls further exacerbate this issue, making the grinding feel tedious and draining. While the option to continue from earlier stages is appreciated, it does not alleviate the overall grind-heavy experience.
- “Aged controls are an immediate drain on the game's core loops that already rely too heavily on grinding for even small scale progress.”
- “- Later upgrades require a lot of cash grinding in an already repetitive game.”
- “Based around the idea of grinding, you'll find yourself playing the same level over and over just to level up.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game is highly praised, with users consistently rating it a perfect score of 100/100, indicating exceptional performance and efficiency.
- “Performance: 100/100”
- “Performance: 100/100”

61%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

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Don't fix what isn't broken -- The Weaponographist review

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