- in the same vain as vampire survivor with a more Diablo style artstyle.
- felt janky to play somehow.
- Lots of character and builds, with a grinding meta progression system.
- felt janky to play somehow.
- Lots of character and builds, with a grinding meta progression system.
If people are touting this as the best game in this "vampire survivor-like" "bullet heaven" genre, Idk I don't think this genre is for me.
After putting 80 hours into Vampire Survivors, I wanted to try another. The Diablo inspired visuals are a nice touch. Overall, I think there are some smart additions to the formula. Unfortunately it feels a bit light on content at the moment and I’m probably going to put it aside after a brief 15 hour love affair. Will come back when there’s more to offer.
mto foda
Une masterclass qui fait bien passer le temps. Très satisfaisant et énormément de trucs à débloquer.
Un vampire survivors que es viciante y está bien. No lo terminé, pero me eché unas horas divertiads.
Out of the many many roguelikes I have on my account this is easily one of my favorites so far. Great classes to play as and a huge pool of achievements which help you feel like youre constantly progressing and being rewarded for your time. Have the option between aiming and auto aiming with it switching between whenever you stop firing which makes it easy to focus if you want to or play more autonomously if you know your build is strong enough to work on its own.
Also its an insanely well priced game, cant go wrong at all for the price as it has tonnes of replayability!
Also its an insanely well priced game, cant go wrong at all for the price as it has tonnes of replayability!
Sights & Sounds
- Look, I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you that Halls of Torment is a good looking game. It isn't. It has a color palette that doesn't deviate much from greige, except for the occasional hints of red-greige and blue-greige. That said, it has that late 90s look that can really only be described as "sludgy". The Diablo influence is unmistakable in the design
- It's not a surprise that the music would also sound right at home in Diablo 1 or 2. Not my cup of tea, personally, but I know those soundtracks have their fans
- If you had told me that this game came out in 1997, I would have been tempted to believe you
Story & Vibes
- Maybe there's a story here? I was never able to find any lore. The game is still in early access, so I'll be interested to see if they slip in a narrative at some point
- The vibes are very chill, honestly. Halls of Torment is nowhere near as in-your-face as a lot of these bullet heaven games are. I'd almost be tempted to call this game subdued
Playability & Replayability
- Those who typically avoid games like these due to the lack of interactivity or active gameplay may want to give this game a closer look. During my first run as the swordsman (your only option for your initial descent into the Halls of Torment), I was immediately struck by how much more this game felt like a twin-stick shooter. Unlocking the archer as the next playable character enhanced that impression
- As you might expect, each of these playable characters, currently 9 in total, plays a little differently. In principal, each character fits into a physical/magical melee/ranged Punnett square, but there are enough wrinkles to keep each character feeling somewhat unique. Some heroes (swordsman, warlock) feel somewhat underpowered compared to others (cleric, sorceress)
- Each run you attempt will see you trying to say alive through constant waves of enemies and occasional bosses for 30 minutes, after which the "Lord" of that map will drop in for a fight. Victory will net you additional gold and unlocks
- Currently, there are only 4 maps that cover what feels like a pretty wide range of difficulties. As the game continues to be developed, I'd hope to see future maps fill in the difficulty gaps between the existing ones
- The other system I'm hoping to see more out of is the home base and the quests that unlock NPCs. As it stands, you get an armor seller (sells you armor you can recover via a well during each run) and a potion maker (for rerolls/banishments when you level up)
- I think the armor unlocking, character quest, and and level up/skill systems are all right about where they need to be. I hope they don't mess with these too much going forward, unless they make it possible to recover multiple armor pieces per run somehow
- I'll definitely be back to continue playing once the game hits full release, but in its current state, it's well worth playing if you're a fan of this genre
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Halls of Torment may still be in Steam's early access program, but the juice is already worth the squeeze. If they manage to add some interesting lore while fleshing out the maps, quests, and camp, this has the potential to be an early highpoint of this fledgeling bullet heaven genre
- This is an ideal Steam Deck game due to the 30 minute run limit and low spec requirements. Very easy on the battery
Final Verdict
- 7.5/10. It's already a good game and a worthwhile purchase, but a bit more development in the right directions could make Halls of Torment truly memorable
- Look, I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you that Halls of Torment is a good looking game. It isn't. It has a color palette that doesn't deviate much from greige, except for the occasional hints of red-greige and blue-greige. That said, it has that late 90s look that can really only be described as "sludgy". The Diablo influence is unmistakable in the design
- It's not a surprise that the music would also sound right at home in Diablo 1 or 2. Not my cup of tea, personally, but I know those soundtracks have their fans
- If you had told me that this game came out in 1997, I would have been tempted to believe you
Story & Vibes
- Maybe there's a story here? I was never able to find any lore. The game is still in early access, so I'll be interested to see if they slip in a narrative at some point
- The vibes are very chill, honestly. Halls of Torment is nowhere near as in-your-face as a lot of these bullet heaven games are. I'd almost be tempted to call this game subdued
Playability & Replayability
- Those who typically avoid games like these due to the lack of interactivity or active gameplay may want to give this game a closer look. During my first run as the swordsman (your only option for your initial descent into the Halls of Torment), I was immediately struck by how much more this game felt like a twin-stick shooter. Unlocking the archer as the next playable character enhanced that impression
- As you might expect, each of these playable characters, currently 9 in total, plays a little differently. In principal, each character fits into a physical/magical melee/ranged Punnett square, but there are enough wrinkles to keep each character feeling somewhat unique. Some heroes (swordsman, warlock) feel somewhat underpowered compared to others (cleric, sorceress)
- Each run you attempt will see you trying to say alive through constant waves of enemies and occasional bosses for 30 minutes, after which the "Lord" of that map will drop in for a fight. Victory will net you additional gold and unlocks
- Currently, there are only 4 maps that cover what feels like a pretty wide range of difficulties. As the game continues to be developed, I'd hope to see future maps fill in the difficulty gaps between the existing ones
- The other system I'm hoping to see more out of is the home base and the quests that unlock NPCs. As it stands, you get an armor seller (sells you armor you can recover via a well during each run) and a potion maker (for rerolls/banishments when you level up)
- I think the armor unlocking, character quest, and and level up/skill systems are all right about where they need to be. I hope they don't mess with these too much going forward, unless they make it possible to recover multiple armor pieces per run somehow
- I'll definitely be back to continue playing once the game hits full release, but in its current state, it's well worth playing if you're a fan of this genre
Overall Impressions & Performance
- Halls of Torment may still be in Steam's early access program, but the juice is already worth the squeeze. If they manage to add some interesting lore while fleshing out the maps, quests, and camp, this has the potential to be an early highpoint of this fledgeling bullet heaven genre
- This is an ideal Steam Deck game due to the 30 minute run limit and low spec requirements. Very easy on the battery
Final Verdict
- 7.5/10. It's already a good game and a worthwhile purchase, but a bit more development in the right directions could make Halls of Torment truly memorable
Halls of Torment doesn't play quite the same as Vampire Survivors, but it does feel extremely similar in spirit. You Are The Boss in a dark fantasy dungeon-clearing roguelike. The primary progression occurs between runs through character unlocks, purchasable minor stat bonuses, gear collection and potion crafting (potions give you various ways to develop your skill build more efficiently during runs).
On the positive side I think that Halls of Torment has more interesting progression during runs than Vampire Survivors. Each character and spell has its own skill tree. Choices can be made across multiple trees that reinforce a certain playstyle and every spell will have some different interactions based on the character you're playing.
On the negative side, the game has generally less character than Vampire Survivors and there are fewer random or special moments during runs. Levels are incredibly sparse with only as many as 4 fixed interactables. There's a shockingly small number of powerups in general, their effects are not noteworthy (except for the vacuum) and they drop extremely rarely anyway. Waves are generally long without enough variety. Even if the normal mode remains as it is, Agony mode should feel more tense and random than it currently does.
Overall, I think that Halls of Torment is an impressive game and has enough content to be worth the purchase even in Early Access. Although I do hope it polishes some aspects up by release and gives me a reason to return to it.
On the positive side I think that Halls of Torment has more interesting progression during runs than Vampire Survivors. Each character and spell has its own skill tree. Choices can be made across multiple trees that reinforce a certain playstyle and every spell will have some different interactions based on the character you're playing.
On the negative side, the game has generally less character than Vampire Survivors and there are fewer random or special moments during runs. Levels are incredibly sparse with only as many as 4 fixed interactables. There's a shockingly small number of powerups in general, their effects are not noteworthy (except for the vacuum) and they drop extremely rarely anyway. Waves are generally long without enough variety. Even if the normal mode remains as it is, Agony mode should feel more tense and random than it currently does.
Overall, I think that Halls of Torment is an impressive game and has enough content to be worth the purchase even in Early Access. Although I do hope it polishes some aspects up by release and gives me a reason to return to it.
Awesome game. They went all in on the Diablo II aesthetic and the Vampire Survivor mechanics but with more input, and it works. It can get visually clogged if you pick certain abilities but that's part of the beauty of the game.
I don't get why this game is getting such a low score here, the gameplay is very entertaining and addictive, might be the lack of content but the game is still on Early Access.
I played it for about 15 hours and I can't wait for the full game release to give it another go.
I don't get why this game is getting such a low score here, the gameplay is very entertaining and addictive, might be the lack of content but the game is still on Early Access.
I played it for about 15 hours and I can't wait for the full game release to give it another go.
As of now, a nice game from the Vampire Survivor genre with a Diablo 1 vibe. The equipment feels relevant and is also partly necessary for difficult runs (also for achievements). The only disadvantage so far is that you can only take one item from the run, although you can sometimes get several.
Not bad. Needs way more content.
where are the cool upgrades
The best survivor-like game I have played. Cannot wait for it to fully release.
The best reverse bullet hell so far.
Another Vampire Survivors-like mixed with Diablo inspirations. Looks great, has a pretty fun loop. Good time killer.
Es como el vampire survivors pero con gráficos del diablo II.
its a vampire survivors coded roguelite with proper gear and build customization/scaling with a diablo aesthetic, kinda aight i guess
It's the best VS clone out there, personally i like it better than VS. Killing monsters also feels satisfying. Content is just lacking at the moment.
this is the best Vampire Survivors clone on Steam right now, the gear system and manual aiming are very solid additions that feel great to engage with, lots of build variety, the aesthetic is fresh and nostalgic, the sound design is crunchy and satisfying which makes every skill feel impactful and pleasent to your ears while you are slaying those monsters during an 30 minute run.
an solid time, definitely recommend grabbing it if you enjoy this kind of game.
an solid time, definitely recommend grabbing it if you enjoy this kind of game.
Enjoyed this a little more than vampire survivors; the addition of manual aiming (though you can toggle auto aim) and equipment adds some depth and another layer of build choice. Nostalgic Diablo II aesthetic/music for me. Plus classes feel more distinct than in VS (warlock and shield maiden feel a bit underpowered though). Managed agony 5 with every class, waiting until it's out of early access to bang out the rest of the achieves
So far this is the game of this genre that better understands the concept of having multiple classes that actually feel different when playing them imo. Also the gear is pretty relevant and not just a bunch of added stats.
Great game, waiting for even more content. Done for now
První Diablo meets Vampire Survivors. What's not to love?
Played on: Steam Version 2024-01-11 | 100% Competition
Even though I am not a big fan of the genera, I found this game dangerously addictive, fun and unique
Gameplay: 4/5 - The gameplay loop is great, there is a lot of side things to do (quest, achievements, herbs, collect items), and that's great, because you don't get bored with the mindless clear of hordes. The best aspect of the game is the huge variety of characters to select and combine. Not counting one or two characters, all of them feel unique which allows you to spend lots of time planning and combining builds to make characters work, and that's a great addition to the game. The maps are good, but I think they are the weakest point of the game, it would be great to see more things like forgotten viaduct, that have some type of different layout other than just an infinite map in all directions. If you play for all achievements, it gets very repetitive really soon.
Narrative - N/A
OST: 2.5/5 - Kind of diablo style music, but worse, nothing to crazy, but it was a good company to the game.
Soul: 4/5 - In general I love this art style, it makes me feel like I'm playing a game from the early 2000's, I know that it's kind of cheating, but it feels great. The additions of characters, dialogs, etc, all feels good.
Visual design / Atmosphere / Worldbuilding 4/5: They went for a specific style and they nailed it, I love the way it looks, so it's easier for me to play the game.
Difficulty design 4.5/5: The difficulty designs felt great for me, at the beginning the game felt hard, and it keeps you curious for the boss fights, then, you start to clear the stages slowly, but you are always coming back and forward between characters to push a little bit further, buy items, explore etc, in the end you are OP, and that's it, good work here.
Nostalgia factor: N/A
Even though I am not a big fan of the genera, I found this game dangerously addictive, fun and unique
Gameplay: 4/5 - The gameplay loop is great, there is a lot of side things to do (quest, achievements, herbs, collect items), and that's great, because you don't get bored with the mindless clear of hordes. The best aspect of the game is the huge variety of characters to select and combine. Not counting one or two characters, all of them feel unique which allows you to spend lots of time planning and combining builds to make characters work, and that's a great addition to the game. The maps are good, but I think they are the weakest point of the game, it would be great to see more things like forgotten viaduct, that have some type of different layout other than just an infinite map in all directions. If you play for all achievements, it gets very repetitive really soon.
Narrative - N/A
OST: 2.5/5 - Kind of diablo style music, but worse, nothing to crazy, but it was a good company to the game.
Soul: 4/5 - In general I love this art style, it makes me feel like I'm playing a game from the early 2000's, I know that it's kind of cheating, but it feels great. The additions of characters, dialogs, etc, all feels good.
Visual design / Atmosphere / Worldbuilding 4/5: They went for a specific style and they nailed it, I love the way it looks, so it's easier for me to play the game.
Difficulty design 4.5/5: The difficulty designs felt great for me, at the beginning the game felt hard, and it keeps you curious for the boss fights, then, you start to clear the stages slowly, but you are always coming back and forward between characters to push a little bit further, buy items, explore etc, in the end you are OP, and that's it, good work here.
Nostalgia factor: N/A
Death Must Die-ს გავს ჟანრობრივად ოღონდ ოდნავ დიდი და მასიური ასევე შედარებით სერიოზული ტონით თუმცა ინვენტარის მექანიკა არც თუ ისე კომფორტულია
For me a definite improvement over Vampire Survivors, that hints at the dormant potential in this new genre ( I do believe it deserves this term).
We have a wonderful artstyle that hits the diablo aesthetic perfectly, an inventory system with unique and interesting equipment pieces, we have branching upgrade lines for the abilities that are integrated as unlockables into the quest system in motivating ways. I found myself much more engaged in trying out the different characters and different builds than in vampire survivors.
That being said, the game doesnt have much to offer beyond that, and for me, this is the kind of stuff that i enjoy for 20 or so hours before it starts to feel meaningless and like a grind. Theres not much to take away from the experience aside from tinkering with builds and spontaneous high-speed theorycrafting while selecting your upgrades during a run, the high of making a build -click- wears thin eventually and i think that in the future quality over quantity in the encounters is the way for this genre to grow.
72/100
We have a wonderful artstyle that hits the diablo aesthetic perfectly, an inventory system with unique and interesting equipment pieces, we have branching upgrade lines for the abilities that are integrated as unlockables into the quest system in motivating ways. I found myself much more engaged in trying out the different characters and different builds than in vampire survivors.
That being said, the game doesnt have much to offer beyond that, and for me, this is the kind of stuff that i enjoy for 20 or so hours before it starts to feel meaningless and like a grind. Theres not much to take away from the experience aside from tinkering with builds and spontaneous high-speed theorycrafting while selecting your upgrades during a run, the high of making a build -click- wears thin eventually and i think that in the future quality over quantity in the encounters is the way for this genre to grow.
72/100
alllllmost
This proves that the only thing truly missing from Vampire Survivors is style and art direction. Best vamp-like by far.
Bom jogo, claramente inspirado pela onda do Vampire Survivors mas com uma estética puxando pra Diablo.
Bem divertido, o sistema de equipamentos da uma boa variada na fórmula, os level ups são atributos e você encontra alguns novos poderes mas no geral seu personagem define muito mais como é a jogabilidade do que como em VS. A maneira como esses sistemas funcionam tornam o jogo bem interessante e único, realmente não é só uma "skin" em cima de outro jogo popular.
Recomendo bastante pra fãs de VS e/ou Diablo. Jogo bom, bonito e barato.
Bem divertido, o sistema de equipamentos da uma boa variada na fórmula, os level ups são atributos e você encontra alguns novos poderes mas no geral seu personagem define muito mais como é a jogabilidade do que como em VS. A maneira como esses sistemas funcionam tornam o jogo bem interessante e único, realmente não é só uma "skin" em cima de outro jogo popular.
Recomendo bastante pra fãs de VS e/ou Diablo. Jogo bom, bonito e barato.