I purchased Hedon: Bloodrite off the back of watching Civvie11’s video about it. Even with those expectations, it absolutely blew me away. Firstly, this is a solo-developed game that contains what were originally two games, with the second being one of, if not THE finest retro shooter I’ve ever played.

Every single weapon in this game feels wonderful to use, they all have excellent sound and animations that have a strong sense of weight and power. Each weapon also has an alternate fire mode that either changes its properties, such as a grenades exploding instantly, or being able to bounce. Sometimes, there is a whole new attack with alt fire, like your shotgun doubling as a flamethrower. There are also powerups that you collect in an inventory and can be used at will. It’s true that fumbling through the inventory in the middle of combat is rather clunky, but these bonuses are very helpful and fun to use.

The game features titanic maps that on some occasions are interconnected in what amount to open-world segments. Often, there is more than one way to enter or exit an area, and being clever will often reward you with a secret or a chance to ambush enemies. The only complaint that I have in this department is that the first game’s maps are not quite as complex as the second’s, and there is an occasional lurch in pacing. The second game gripped me firmly from beginning to end, though. Even with this being a GZDoom game, there are levels in that portion that I wouldn’t have thought possible on the engine.

The enemies are all fun to fight and different combinations of them coupled with varying terrain and new weapons keeps firefights feeling fresh and exciting all the way through. There is a small lack of enemy variety that you will start really noticing through the middle of the first game, but I feel this gets balanced out in the later levels and the second game, when the tougher foes are introduced. Late-game pits you against hordes of enemies that wouldn’t be out of place in Serious Sam, which provide hefty and thrilling challenges that feel great to overcome.

The game’s presentation is top notch. The environments capture a sense of place quite well, and have interesting nooks and crannies worth exploring. All of the original art and sprites are well-done, and there really are a few jaw-dropping scenes. This goes doubly so with the soundtrack, both the original tracks and the licensed cut music from Deus Ex and Unreal. All of these are used tastefully to add a thumping backbeat to shootouts or atmospheric ambiance to the locations you visit.

I don’t want to get too into the plot and lore of the game, but it is well-presented and engrossing. It isn’t Shakespeare, but it’s very charming and does a good job fleshing out the world and making you care about the conflict you’re taking part in.

Overall, an excellent hidden gem, and I eagerly look forward to the sequel hinted at in the future. Outstanding work Zan!

So here’s the thing: I am super nostalgic for this game, I played lego Star Wars all the time as a child. I also understand that this is a children’s game, and got little kids that are into Star Wars, you can do worse. However, for some reason, I have a compulsion to 100% this game, and it’s miserable. The levels are far too long or far too short, and they just consist of switching to the right character and interacting with something. The challenges and “bonus” stages are asinine, and the bounty hunter challenges are dull and repetitive. Even for children, there are way better 3D platformers out there. I loved this game when I was a kid, and I will always have a bit of a soft spot for it, but god.