Name: To Hell with Hell
Developer: Lazurite Games
Publisher: Deck13
Platforms: PC
Reviewed on: PC
Early Access Released: 19.07.2018
Initial Release Date: TBA
Acquired:* A copy of this game was provided from publisher for review purpose*
Introduction
I’ve have to come clean with something, it’s not easy to say this and this has made me question my gaming experience. There is not a chance in hell to proceed far in this game, at least for me. There has been a long time since a game has infuriated me this much, often making me scream at the screen while swearing word only fitting this game. And don’t take this the wrong way, all this doesn’t even make it a bad game by far. There’s a lot of value in this game if you manage to stay calm and actually play it.
To Hell with Hell is an Action-Top Down Shooter that will test your reflexes (and sometimes sanity). Asmodius, ruler of hell himself is calling. And he needs your help, as he got locked away by his enemies. There’s only one credo now: To hell with hell and the gruesome creatures, it spit out! To Hell with Hell throws you, the last loyal child of Asmodius into a fight you can hardly win.
You play as Natasia, a bad girl with no powers whatsoever, but with the help of some masks that give her special abilities and weapons of different caliber you are ready to slaughter demons or to suffer many painfully deaths.
The Good
To Hell with Hell offers a tight and responsive game, but you will be tested to the utmost. There different masks that give certain abilities to use when slaughtering demons, with a “Rage-Meter” that fills up as you get kills or is being attacked. that let you perhaps unleash a powerful homing blast, or launch a fireball, or execute a sick roll, or dash, or go invisible and so on. As you progress you can gain the ability to carry multiple masks, and then switch between them as the moment demands.
There a different weapons also that can change your playstyle, some have good distance but is slow to use, some have a good spread of bullets but lack of accuracy. So you will have to switch in between to have the one that fits the situation. At the beginning you can only carry two weapons, so when finding a new weapon it’s a gamble if you should pick it up replacing one of those you already are carrying. Health is a luxury in this game, because when dying you will not regain all of your health. So often you will have to play with caution -one strike and you will have to restart.
It should be mentioned it controls really well both with the keyboard and mouse but also with a gamepad. It’s rather a matter of taste, but I liked best to play with a keyboard and mouse.
The Bad
The things I felt didn’t work as good as it should is the masks, since often there was a lot going on at the same time so the special abilities was often forgotten since I was just so focused on not being killed.
Also the balance of you dying can sometimes be a bit unfair. The problem comes if you’ve scraped by a level by the skin of your teeth and get dumped into the next level with a 10hp mask and a dart gun. You will often be in a loop of you dying not getting a chance to get new equipment to even your chances.
The Verdict
To Hell with Hell offers a challenging game, with exciting mechanics that helps you but also gives more challenge. It’s often popular to define a game by comparing it with others, and in recent years “Soulsborne” difficulty is often used. As the game stands today, it can be the new game to define a difficulty level. But with some balancing, this can be more than a game you pick up and play for then to just completely stop to play from frustration and being sick and tired of dying.
Overall
7/10
