Skip to main content

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

The ARPG genre is a crowded one, but when something as fun and entertaining as Wolcen wants in, I'd say we can afford to make room
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem Game Cover
58%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
57% User Score Based on 55,130 reviews
Critic Score 59%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5CloudPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxNVIDIA GeForce NOWWindowsPlayStation
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem Game Cover

About

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is a single player and multiplayer open world hack and slash game with horror, fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by WOLCEN Studio and was released on February 12, 2020. It received neutral reviews from both critics and players.

"Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem" is an open-world horror game with single-player and multiplayer/co-op options. As a survivor of a brutal massacre, you've been trained as a soldier against the supernatural and are now tasked with eliminating a camp of the Brotherhood of Dawn. The game features splendid gameplay, visuals, and soundtrack, with a dense atmosphere and high emotionality, but beware of bugs, grinding, and excessive advertisement.

Skip User Reviews

57%
Audience ScoreBased on 55,130 reviews
story4.2k positive mentions
stability5.5k negative mentions

  • story
    12,629 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet ultimately incomplete. While the initial chapters are praised for their intriguing plot twists and character development, the abrupt ending and cliffhanger have left players feeling unsatisfied. Additionally, numerous bugs and technical issues have hindered the storytelling experience, causing frustration during key moments and leading to a perception of the narrative as rushed or poorly executed. Overall, while the story has potential, it suffers from a lack of polish and resolution, making it a point of contention among players.

    • “The story is engaging and well presented.”
    • “The story is interesting enough to keep me going, buildcraft is superb!”
    • “The story is surprisingly good for an ARPG, you have family issues, betrayals, sacrifice and of course a big evil to kill.”
    • “Ultimately, the story was painful to try and get through and was what ended up killing my drive to play.”
    • “It's a shame that the devs never got around to finishing the story, and have decided to officially call it quits.”
    • “The story is unoriginal and at the same time nonsensical.”
  • gameplay
    8,564 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its fluid combat mechanics, engaging skill customization, and impressive graphics. However, numerous bugs, clunky controls, and unbalanced mechanics have marred the experience, leading to frustration during boss fights and general gameplay. While the game shows potential with its unique features and character progression systems, many players recommend waiting for further updates and fixes before fully committing to the game.

    • “In terms of gameplay, everything was smooth with no major issues or bugs. The movement was fluid and the dodge/roll responsive.”
    • “Another mechanic I enjoyed was the apocalyptic form; this transforms you into avatars with unique and powerful abilities. There are multiple avatars you can unlock, each with its own theme.”
    • “I only have played single player and it is excellent. The game runs smooth and stable, and the gameplay is very much classic ARPG, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit.”
    • “Some good ideas, nice graphics, but horrible gameplay: it's not fluid at all, even worse than on a smartphone.”
    • “The gameplay feels clunky, animations are not that good in my opinion.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely simplistic and repetitive, every location is a narrow linear path, skills are very limited, and passive skill tree, while big, is almost irrelevant - what you select there has very small effect on your game.”
  • graphics
    7,774 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in "Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and high-quality design, often described as some of the best in the action RPG genre. Players appreciate the detailed environments, impressive spell effects, and overall aesthetic, which combines elements reminiscent of both "Diablo" and "Warhammer." However, many reviews also highlight issues with optimization and graphical glitches that can detract from the experience, indicating that while the graphics are a strong point, the game's performance and stability need improvement.

    • “The graphics are stunning, creating a dark and atmospheric world that drew me in.”
    • “The graphics, animations, and the design of enemies and environments are so immersive, it feels like you're stepping into another world.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the combat feels pretty satisfying, and it maintains a lot of solid ideas from other arpgs.”
    • “I only played for 20 minutes because of the boring and bland art style, forgettable intro/story, and horrible non-existent fluidity of the combat system, which is the worst I've ever experienced so far.”
    • “The graphics aren't top notch, but they are serviceable and it runs a rock solid 60 fps on my admittedly potato computer.”
    • “The movement is clunky and stutters constantly and there is nothing that can be done about it, even at the very lowest graphics.”
  • stability
    5,582 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of "Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reviews highlighting its persistent bugs and glitches. Despite being in development for several years, the game is often described as a "buggy mess," with issues ranging from crashes and freezes to unresponsive controls and broken mechanics. While some players have found enjoyment in the game, the overwhelming consensus is that it remains unpolished and unstable, making it difficult to recommend for those seeking a smooth gaming experience.

    • “I was also lucky to have a completely bug-free experience so far.”
    • “The game runs great; the servers do not, so they're currently offline.”
    • “The game seemed to have been better optimized with the latest update & hot fixes, as I have encountered little to no glitches or performance issues.”
    • “Bought this game in February 2020, 4 years of questionable content updates later - still unoptimized, buggy, and overall boring, and now devs are pulling down multiplayer.”
    • “Released unfinished, buggy mess and then silently abandoned the game to work on the next one.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess that over promises and under delivers.”
  • optimization
    1,334 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback from users, with many describing it as poorly optimized, buggy, and riddled with performance issues. Players report significant frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, even on high-end systems, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. Despite some users noting improvements over time, the consensus is that the game remains unplayable for many until substantial optimization and bug fixes are implemented.

    • “The game offers impressive graphics, addictive gameplay, and good optimization, making it a truly great experience.”
    • “The graphics in the game are just super; moreover, it seems to be optimized as well. I don’t have the most powerful computer, but I didn’t notice any lags.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, very optimized, in-depth character progression, and endgame randomized content.”
    • “Bought this game in February 2020, 4 years of questionable content updates later - still unoptimized, buggy and overall boring, and now devs are pulling down multiplayer.”
    • “The game never felt finished, riddled with bugs, performance issues, and balance issues.”
    • “This is, objectively, one of the worst optimized games that is considered full release.”
  • grinding
    1,084 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the endgame excessively tedious and repetitive. While some enjoy the grind for gear and character progression, others criticize it for lacking meaningful rewards and variety, leading to a sense of burnout. Overall, the consensus suggests that while grinding is a core element of the game, it can become monotonous and frustrating, particularly in the later stages.

    • “The endgame is grindy but what game of this type isn't grindy?”
    • “Beautiful art, smooth gameplay, a leveling system that isn't tedious or boring.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The endgame feels a bit too grindy and gold-gated, but I had my fair share of fun.”
    • “This is where we lost interest in the game as it kept us grinding and repeating random scenarios.”
    • “Endgame is grinding without any purpose.”
  • music
    1,052 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its orchestral quality and atmospheric contributions to gameplay, often highlighting its ability to enhance immersion. However, some players noted that the soundtrack can feel repetitive or lack a distinct identity, with occasional issues of music cutting out or not being memorable. Overall, while the music is generally well-composed and fits the game's themes, it may not stand out as particularly unique compared to other titles in the genre.

    • “The music does a good job of creating the mood for the game and there are some strong cues that fit like a glove for a scene.”
    • “The immersive voice acting and atmospheric soundtrack further enhance the storytelling experience, adding depth and emotional resonance to the game.”
    • “The game soundtrack was recorded by a live orchestra, and it is truly beautiful, astoundingly awesome music.”
    • “The music, as well as the story, is ok.”
    • “Even the music sounds cliché.”
    • “Music isn't compelling.”
  • atmosphere
    366 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, immersive sound design, and dark, gritty world that enhances the storytelling experience. Many players appreciate the detailed environments and atmospheric effects, which evoke a sense of depth and engagement reminiscent of classic ARPGs like Diablo. However, some critiques mention inconsistencies in character design and gameplay elements that occasionally disrupt the overall immersive experience.

    • “The graphics were stunning, creating a dark and atmospheric world that drew me in.”
    • “The immersive voice acting and atmospheric soundtrack further enhance the storytelling experience, adding depth and emotional resonance to the game.”
    • “The atmosphere is absolutely incredible.”
    • “Frequently breaking the intense atmosphere that was trying to be portrayed.”
    • “When delving into a hellish flesh-themed dungeon, the player can just pop back to town at any time, which totally destroys the atmosphere, and erases any sense of 'there's no turning back.'”
    • “As of now the overall atmosphere is pretty thin.”
  • humor
    350 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding the numerous bugs and glitches to be amusing rather than frustrating, leading to a lighthearted experience. While some voice lines and character interactions are noted as genuinely funny, others come off as forced or annoying. Overall, the game's chaotic state and absurdities provide a source of entertainment, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate humor in the face of technical shortcomings.

    • “I genuinely enjoy the story and some of the characters' wry humor had me laughing out loud.”
    • “If you enjoy laughing at the absurdity of torturous hot garbage then boy is this the game for you.”
    • “The voice acting is generally pretty good and the dialogue is sharp and witty - some of it made me laugh out loud.”
    • “Absolute rip off for the price, although fun when working, this has so many bugs and glitches it's not funny.”
    • “I don't care about the server issues as I can do offline just fine - however this game has so many game-breaking bugs it's not funny.”
    • “But this game is so far from launch ready it's not funny.”
  • replayability
    330 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The replayability of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the extensive character customization and build diversity that can lead to varied gameplay experiences. However, many reviewers express frustration with the lack of meaningful endgame content and repetitive grinding, which diminishes long-term replay value. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replayability, such as different builds and seasonal events, significant issues with game balance and content depth leave many feeling that it falls short compared to other titles in the genre.

    • “Overall, Wolcen has endless replayability with its item diversity, advanced challenges, and regular updates and seasonal events.”
    • “The ability to mix and max skills with passive abilities lends itself to near unlimited replay value.”
    • “Yes, the game is great and very high replayability... you will endlessly play just to test out different builds...”
    • “This lack of replayability is even further showcased when forcing old players to replay stuff they have already done or received.”
    • “The campaign was actually really enjoyable, but once that's done, there's no replayability and there is no longer any reason to tolerate the game's overall poor balancing and barebones endgame.”
    • “The game has poor replayability - after that story and the bugs I pushed through to experience it fully, there's no motivation to even continue playing this anymore.”
  • monetization
    284 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" due to its rushed release and numerous bugs. While some players appreciate the absence of microtransactions and advertisements, they express skepticism about the game's long-term viability and potential future monetization strategies. Overall, the sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, with calls to avoid the game and seek alternatives.

    • “As for microtransactions, they do not exist in any form in this game and multiplayer is done through Steam as far as I know.”
    • “No ads, no in-app purchases... just pure fun!!!”
    • “Plus, no microtransactions, great story and amazing visuals to top it off.”
    • “Essentially a cash grab, avoid at all costs and try other ARPGs like Grim Dawn, Path of Exile, and so on...”
    • “The whole thing was a cash grab, pure and simple.”
    • “This game was a cash grab from the get-go; they released it in the worst state I've seen any game release in ever, and I've played them all.”
  • character development
    210 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is generally praised for its flexibility and depth, allowing players to explore various builds and skills without being confined to specific classes. However, some reviewers noted that while the initial character development is engaging, it can become limited or repetitive at higher levels, with a few builds proving more effective than others. Overall, the character design and development mechanics are seen as a strong aspect of the game, despite some criticisms regarding execution and depth in storytelling.

    • “Character development is absolutely amazing, and the ability to not be stuck to a class really makes this game a gem.”
    • “The character development mechanics basically fix every major problem I had with those of D3 and PoE combined and have enormous possibilities for character customization.”
    • “The variations on character development are phenomenal with nearly limitless options.”
    • “Due to the aforementioned, there is a severe limit on character development possibilities (yes, you can choose any skills you like, but in actual fact, only very few builds really work well).”
    • “The backstory is next to nonexistent, character development was cut off with an axe, story progression is pretty much 'hold my beer and watch this,' and cutscenes are just inserted into the middle of anything with no transition or warning at all.”
    • “There are no real strategies for possible character development, and there is literally not a single tactical element while playing: it's just so super easy to pick one good skill and kill all the monster-filled floors with just that single skill.”
  • emotional
    96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed feedback, with some players praising its immersive voice acting and well-written, heartfelt moments that enhance the storytelling experience. However, many others criticize the overall narrative as boring and predictable, leading to disappointment, especially for long-time supporters. While some boss fights evoke a sense of danger and achievement, the game's numerous bugs and unpolished elements detract from the emotional engagement for many players.

    • “The immersive voice acting and atmospheric soundtrack further enhance the storytelling experience, adding depth and emotional resonance to the game.”
    • “Thrilling and emotional story that I was amazed by.”
    • “Main story is average lore-wise, but it is an emotional ride and solid enough to carry you through.”
    • “Playing the new expansion but it looks like some things have been removed along with my good gear. Not only that, the final boss after 6 hours has some mechanics that don't show up and just kill you with no way of avoiding death. After that, it's the same 3 boring story missions.”
    • “Less depth than one would hope, poorly designed boss battles, and a boring story.”
    • “In just under 3 hours of gameplay, I found unkillable regular enemies, unclickable items in my inventory, movement and regular attack is a mess, a boring story, and overhyped visuals.”
Skip Critic Reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

16h Median play time
52h Average play time
6-50h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 874 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

Games Like Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem

Torchlight III Image
Last Epoch Image
Warhammer: Chaosbane Image
Pagan Online Image
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr Image
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is a open world hack and slash game with horror, fantasy and historical themes.

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 52 hours playing Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem.

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem was released on February 12, 2020.

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem was developed by WOLCEN Studio.

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem has received neutral reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Torchlight III, Last Epoch, Warhammer: Chaosbane, Pagan Online, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr and others.