HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon

I loved the first Hellslave. [b] A LOT[/b]. It was one of those games that completely clicked with me, so when Hellslave 2 came out, I bought it both for myself and as a gift for someone else. I had been waiting for this game for a long time. There are things here that I genuinely love, and I want to start with those, because I don't think this game is bad because the developer didn't care. Quite the opposite - I can see an enormous amount of work, research and experimentation behind it. [h3] The good stuff [/h3] [list] [*]Music is fantastic. Seriously, I loved it. It is atmospheric, memorable and feels very high quality. [*]Art style is also great. It is consistent with first game, which I really appreciate. Visual identity of Hellslave is still very strong. [*]I also really liked the variety of mechanics. You can clearly see that the developer has studied and experimented with a lot of different ideas. There is a lot of knowledge and creativity packed into this game, and I absolutely respect that. [/list] [h3] Neutral points [/h3] [list] [*]Quest journal only keeps one active quest visible at a time, so there is no convenient way to see the full list of things currently going on. You can switch between quests on the map, so it isn't difficult - just unnecessarily inconvenient. [*]There are also still quite a few bugs despite the game being released. I reported several of them in Discord: disappearing UI elements, the map breaking or shifting, and situations where picking up loot requires you to basically spin around in one spot for an absurd amount of time. [*]The sound settings were also a surprisingly big problem for me. The music and sound effects are extremely loud, but there is no proper way to balance them individually. Even when I turned the master volume almost all the way down, the sound effects were still ridiculously loud. Eventually I just lowered the entire game's volume on my laptop so I could play without getting annoyed by the audio. That's not really how this should work. [/list] [h3] And reasons why this review is negative in the end [/h3] [list] [*][b] Excessive fighting[/b]: enemies can summon totems, swords or other objects onto the battlefield. You can kill the enemy (all the enemies even) and still have to fight all those objects with tiny amounts of HP till the end. This doesn't make the encounter more challenging. It makes it take longer. So instead of having one interesting, difficult fight, I repeatedly got lots of smaller fights where the same enemies were shuffled around. [*]That feeling gets even worse in the [b] Purgatory levels[/b]. Clearing them was easily the most tedious part of the entire game. You fight the same enemies over and over again. They don't meaningfully evolve, their skills don't change, their compositions don't really change, and the main thing the game seems to add is a tiny amount of extra HP. Level 1 and level 15 of Purgatory felt exactly the same to me. Maybe I had to hit something a few more times. That's not meaningful difficulty progression. [*][b] Achievements[/b]: 15 Purgatory levels, 3 classes and 3 demons require multiple playthroughs. I normally don't mind grinding achievements, but I'm absolutely not doing it here. In this specific game it is not feels like "can you create a powerful enough build to overcome this challenge?" and more like "can you tolerate the game doing the same thing to you for long enough?" The game doesn't offer enough variation to make another playthrough worth player's time. [*][b] Items[/b]. How are the level 11 gloves I picked up in the Forbidden Shrine still better than basically everything I received later while checking every chest till 15 purgatory? Item progression should not work like that and we are not in Path of Exile, c’mon. And why can a level 12 item and a level 48 item differ by only 1%? And why can an older, lower-level item of the same rarity be better than a newer one? Eventually, finding new loot stopped being exciting because it was not actually an upgrade. [*][b] Gold & loot[/b]. There is way too much money and loot everywhere. Because item stats are so randomized, most of what you pick up ends up being sold or destroyed. If you sell it, you quickly accumulate hundreds of thousands of gold - but there is basically nothing to spend it on. I genuinely don't understand why gold is even in the game. [*][b] Merchants[/b]. Random blacksmiths and merchants standing in completely empty places immediately after massive battles with demon lords in destroyed settlements are incredibly immersion-breaking. Walking through a devastated settlement after a huge demonic battle and finding a random guy casually waiting there to sell me a sword is just absurd. But maybe it felt like that because the world was so empty. [*]Storytelling [/list] [spoiler] Story was probably the biggest disappointment for me, especially compared to the first game. Up until Mammon, I was still following what was happening and was reasonably interested. After that, I completely lost the thread. There is technically a story, but it stopped feeling meaningful. I genuinely think the developer knows the material extremely well, and you can see how much research went into it. But knowing the material and writing an engaging story are different skills. I think the game could have really benefited from some consultation with a narrative designer. Hellslave 1 had a much stronger sense of progression. We were trying to reach Hell, the situation on Earth was getting worse, demons were becoming more prominent, and the whole thing gradually felt more dangerous and grand. Here, I mostly felt like I was walking around killing everyone and everything for no reason. The idea of demons pretending to be rulers and manipulating people is interesting, but I don't think the game communicates it very well. Having people immediately call the player a spy and try to kill them every time they pass through a gate (IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES) doesn't make the population feel manipulated - it just makes them feel stupid. For a large part of the game, we are simply carrying out the requests of random strangers. We never really think about how our allies' actions affect our plans. In almost every side quest, the protagonist demands gold. When people he barely knows give him orders - we simply follows them. There is no analysis, no strategy, no real decision-making. We don't have any options and just go around bonking whoever happens to be in our way, whenever the game tells us to: demons, their subordinates or ordinary people simply following their orders or just existing near demons by chance. It is really hard to actually have at least a little bit of agency in here. [/spoiler] [list] [*]Most side quests are basically "go there, kill X things, bring me X things." There isn't enough variety or storytelling to make them interesting, so eventually I was doing them because they were on the map rather than because I actually cared about them. [*]Ending… [spoiler] I was told that I could stay or leave, but I wasn't actually given the choice. The credits started immediately. I really wish the game had let me decide whether to stay or go through the portal first and then started the credits. It's a small thing, but if you tell the player they have a choice, let them actually make it. Let it feel immersive even for a second, at least at a grand final. [/spoiler] [/list] Despite this negative review, I really hope the developer keeps making games. His projects clearly make me feel a lot of emotions, and I think that's exactly because I can see so much potential in them. I genuinely believe his future projects could benefit from consulting with specialists in areas outside his own expertise, and I would be very happy to see what Ars Goetia creates beyond Hellslave. I may not have enjoyed Hellslave 2, but I still want to see what comes next.

I could have a really fun and powerful build, if half the abilities would actually work properly. It astonishes me, how there have been so many review copies being given out, with none of the players realising how many passive effects are not doing anything at all. But that aren't even all the negatives, the amount of frustration caused by all the random dodges, blocks and parries, when attacking enemies, makes this "strategy game" feel much more like playing a game of dice. I was really trying to enjoy Hellslave 2, as there is so much to love about it, but can't full heartedly recommend it, due to all the bugs and frustrating design decisions.

说几个比较难受的点，首先商店没有筛选机制，每件装备都要自己点开看是什么属性， 其次装备的等级没有任何意义，你穿多少级的装备都无所谓因为防具根本没有带护甲只有些数值根本不够看的抗性装备，超雄小怪都能一刀剁死你。接着更恶心人的东西来了，后面小怪会自带某些抗性，你制作组有自己玩过最高难度的游戏吗？抗性小怪一上来就是50%的抗性，再加上过一章地图小怪的血量直接翻了3倍，不去商店刷装备更新数值就是被暴打，每张图都是这样，每张图有十几波小怪，每波打下来也不提供任何回复手段，只能来回进出地图来回复，有意思不。还有人物升级1级只有2个技能点，你自己看看你每级设置的数值合理么，1个技能点要么是加0.15的暴击率要么是0.15的闪避，你出了这些属性有什么用？我22级身上70个技能点，还是做完所有支线的情况下，也就是说我在不点血量，魔力，蓝量的情况，全部投入暴击能换来10%的暴击率，投入闪避有10%的闪避，哇哦这太高了。这些属性太有用了👍 目前来看 这作数值已经完全失控，我也没那耐心当个十里坡剑圣刷个几十级，平级打怪非常难受，还有死老冯的各种抗性，我玩的毒法，知道看到一波怪出来3只带50%毒抗的小怪是什么感觉吗？？？

I loved the 4 hours I was playing until I got a character bricked because I lost a fight and it teleported me to the top of a mountain where I cannot progress, move, even see my character any more. I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't prepared for game breaking bugs I guess.

Really solid successor to the original Hellslave - if you liked it, you'll like this. Though if you're curious about the quality I think the atmosphere of Hellslave 1 was grittier and darker, with a lot more morally grey tones, while Hellslave 2 has a bigger feeling world with a more standard RPG encounter system (rather than a threat system like the original). The music is also fairly reminiscent of Diablo 2 to me. The skill system feels more layered than the original, the equipment system is enjoyable and has a socketing style system, and there's a a lot of interesting mechanics you can exploit to get stronger. While not GotY, it's definitely an RPG I can 100% recommend trying out if you like the aesthetic, and want some turn based and more methodical combat.

遇到严重bug，从恶魔神殿出来到希久利亚海岸角色卡死了，无法移动，号废了。 游戏入门简单，上手也简单，困难难度和简单难度为二区别是全程困难难度有成就和怪物血量变多。 问题点如下： 1：怪物抗性太高了，最高能单项75%免疫，这意味着你如果是单属性职业根本打不动怪物。 2：虽然说是刷宝，但其实极品装备在普通商店就能刷出来，能随机出属性超级厉害比满级红装还恐怖的装备。 3：本作本质上和一代一样是剧情游戏，但剧情却没有一代好，极其无聊。一代打完凡间下地狱打魔王本体还能看到第一个朝代在地狱里打天使，二代单纯公路片调查遗迹触发天使降临要清理世界，为了拯救世界我们一路在凡间各地打魔王，打完后魔王灵魂被封印扔地狱，没了。打到最后反派竟然是为了一颗造物主陨石，你还不如直接一上来陨石掉下来，打穿地面释放地狱里的恶魔，然后世间混乱，主角一路砍过去更好。 4：玩法没有深度，宝石系统掉率太低，属性也差完全蚊子腿，附魔说明不明确，最后试出来就是字面上意思，增加装备上对应属性，但如果装备没有那个属性就什么都不加，锻造系统被砍了，一代能用红装合成传奇装备，二代只剩下给钱刷新装备属性。 5：地狱刷装备系统单纯浪费时间，不管什么难度，地图一样，怪物一样，就小怪属性随机，单纯方便刷红装，打15次一级一样能完成成就。 6：引导不明确。全地图找遍了全支线任务成就是死活完成不了，也没找到哪里还有支线，我玩了三个号，三角色成都做完了，还找不到哪里有新支线。 7：二代基本上是一代的低配版，装备，技能，人物、职业都是一代的，很多东西都是一代套用过来的。唯一进步的地方是一代主角是红点，二代我们至少有个能跑的人，除此之外全是退步。

这游戏确实要打差评了。最高难度下怪物明明一些抗性词条都没有，然后100%闪避。就是你想用你的人物大招秒它回蓝回血或者上毒什么的，不好意思，程序写死怪物必定闪避/未命中/招架；好我换个思路在怪物周期内我选择防御，不好意思，怪一刀给你80，你靠着你自己那A一下回10%的血一对三？ 拿什么回？ 真他妈煞笔这些产品经理设计这种玩意是人玩的。我第一个角色打到第三慕BOSS放弃了，BOSS他妈的50%还是80%物理减抗呵呵，你去按照平A思路A个几把毛，BOSS会招一堆恶心你的小怪。打不了的，这游戏别看BD，没有BD，必须摸索到能AOE,能闪避能磨BOSS的东西。毒爆流我试了回不了蓝等死吧垃圾。 打到后面的怪呵呵他妈的会放净化，就是你无论什么盾跟无敌技能，一秒全解。我就是靠盾来抵挡反击（反击他妈的也只能反击近战）没意思的，最高难度打后期BOSS，招他妈一堆小兵全部带特殊技能，玩不了一点。我全部加血加到了660多，随便一个怪2000起步，动不动就是3-6个一起出现，拿什么去打，一个回合注定就是死。

Combining the setting of Diablo, the design of Diablo, the monetization of... not-Diablo, with a neat turn-based combat system works incredibly well. A few odd development choices here and there but otherwise, a great new title with more brutal and bloody cutscenes than a Tarantino movie. My short video review can be seen right here: https://youtu.be/NQ2rGSKbjPk?si=M0N33ZvDjthT8uVj