DEVELOPER: Upstream Arcade
PUBLISHER: Good Shepherd Entertainment
REVIEWED ON: Xbox Series X from a copy purchased by the author.
Mike Mignola’s Hellboy is a character that is perfect for video games. With its iconic title character, captivating supporting cast, and a world full of supernatural threats, there is a lot of potential in this property that is about to turn 30 years old. However, previous attempts at Hellboy games have not been successful, with titles like Hellboy: Asylum Seeker and The Science of Evil failing to make an impact. The best representation of Hellboy in games so far has been his guest appearance in Injustice 2.
During the pre-show of The Game Awards in 2022, the debut trailer for Hellboy: Web of Wyrd was unveiled, impressing viewers with its comic book-like visuals and animations. Now, just in time for Halloween, Web of Wyrd, pronounced “word,” not “weird,” is available to play. While the game shows great passion for Hellboy and his famous Right Hand of Doom, its shallow combat and uninteresting story prevent it from reaching its full potential.
The game’s story revolves around dangerous spires that are appearing all over the world, all connected to a mysterious location called the Butterfly House. Hellboy, using a tether to the physical world, must explore the twisted world of the Wyrd to uncover the truth behind its sudden appearance and its connection to the Butterfly House. Unfortunately, the story fails to engage players, with unmemorable dialogue exchanges and minimal motion in cut-scenes.
For newcomers to the Hellboy universe, especially those who are only familiar with the films by Guillermo del Toro, Web of Wyrd is not a great introduction. The game does little to explain the Hellboy lore, and characters like Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman are absent. The supporting cast in the game lacks depth and may only appeal to die-hard Hellboy readers.
However, the combat mechanics in Web of Wyrd are enjoyable and well-crafted. Hellboy’s punches feel satisfying, especially when slamming enemies into walls or using debris as weapons. Combined with various firearms, relics, and upgrades, there is enough variety to keep players motivated to progress through the game.
Web of Wyrd is a roguelite game, where each dive into the Wyrd is a run. When your health runs out, you are sent back to the Butterfly House to regroup and prepare for the next attempt. With five different areas to explore, each with its own boss, there is a good amount of variety in the locations. The game’s visuals, inspired by Mignola’s artwork, are striking, with the dark colors contrasting Hellboy’s crimson character model and the creatively designed creatures.
The combat in Web of Wyrd is reminiscent of Nintendo’s Punch-Out!!, requiring players to learn enemy attack patterns and time their moves accordingly. However, despite the procedural generation of each run, the game quickly becomes repetitive. The environments and encounters start to blend together, and there is not enough variety to keep players engaged for long periods of time. Traps and minor obstacles add some challenge, but the overall experience lacks depth.
Web of Wyrd could benefit from future updates to improve the user experience. The default control layout is not ideal, but thankfully, players can remap the controls to their liking. However, these settings do not save and must be adjusted every time the game is launched. Additionally, some upgrades, like the ability to blink to enemies using the sword relic, do not function as intended.
In conclusion, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd has solid foundations and enjoyable combat mechanics, but it falls short in terms of story and variety. The game’s visuals capture the essence of the Hellboy comics, but the lack of presentation and depth hinder the overall experience. With some improvements and a bigger budget, Web of Wyrd could have been a much better game.
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