LogFAQs > #970169327

Hands of Necromancy (PC)

I think this is the best "retraux FPS" shooter I've played this year. That said, I really hate this game. Its Hexen basically, with the backtracking and the key hunting and such. I suggest you read a guide on the most optimal path to avert this. That said, I've never wanted to continue playing something so annoying in awhile.

The main reason for that is the gameplay which is reverse-Hedon. You'll want to take your time in this game instead of rushing in spamming items and guns blazing. Since you're a mage, your arsenal is essentially all spellcasting save for your default magic sword which still has quite the wind up time. You do get a pistol and grenades but ammo for those are few and far in between until the last few stages. The grenades which happen to be the only weapon with Splash Damage, does not harm you but poisons you...which makes them all the more situational and risky to use, which is great.

In addition to casting animation, each spell has its own velocity and effect. However, none of these spells are hitscanners or RPGs---no splash damage. As a result, majority of the game is spent on trying to be as accurate as possible. And it is how you choose your spells that determine how accurate you want to be. The fireball staff has infinite range and can stunlock basic enemies but is essentially a weak peashooter. The Tornado spell pushes back enemies while dealing consistent damage but is slow to cast and has half the ammo. The Ice ring goes through enemies but is very slow to travel and not at all ideal at long range when the frickin enemies pace slowly like any DOOM game.

I played this on normal and for the first time found myself often scarce with ammo for the entire game and because no spell is better than another in terms of damage, you really need to make those shots count. And because damage is often mostly similar between arsenals, it really doesn't matter what kind of enemies you face. Even the most basic enemy can fuck you up in the right situation. By the way, I'm also playing with the "Classic" version of this game. That is, the weapons have no alt fire and you're just stuck with whatever basic spell you have.

I think what I appreciate about the combat in this game is that it never tries to set you up in the traditional FPS sense. For example, if there's a lone item in an empty room that looks like there's an ambush, nobody actually shows up. No hidden walls or monster closets. No setpieces where the enemies are soooo far away sniping you in all sorts of directions. No huge sprawling rooms that just pipes in waves and waves of enemies. What you see coming before you in every level is fair for the most part and if you die you just weren't accurate enough. They would eventually start tricking you in Episode 3 but even then the trickery is restrained: just the one asshole knight or a pair of mages perched in some pillar accompanied by ghosts. The game does a great job of making use of the tiny roster of enemies; I never once felt bored by the lack of variation.

All 3 end-episode bosses are brutal. This game doesn't pull punches. I will say though that I wish they didn't have to exist because their Serious Sam-esque circle strafing BS feels counterintuitive to the 7 levels that came before that. I also do not like the patented GZDOOM slip and slide movement, as well as one particular level that lasts for over an hour and is quite vertical and unfair, with invulnerable cultists constantly taking potshots at you from miles away.

Other than that, amazing excellent environments on par with Hedon but it has its own distinct style. The music which got repetitive after Episode 1, was never boring. I am using some of this shit in my dnd campaign definitely. The story is nonsense but not really the focus of games like this. I would recommend it to anyone looking for some retro FPS fun. DareIsay I would put this game above Blood. And speaking of which, CULTIC is next on my list. So we'll see if this can dethrone Hands of Necromancy for me.