Volkolak: The Will of Gods is an ambitious dark fantasy action RPG that blends metroidvania-style exploration with methodical, punishing combat inspired by soulslike design philosophy. Developed and published by Volkolak Team, the game immediately distinguishes itself through its heavy reliance on Slavic mythology and folklore, grounding its bleak world in cultural themes that feel ancient, harsh, and spiritually charged. Rather than presenting a generic fantasy backdrop, the game frames its story as a clash between divine will, human choice, and the curse of the beast within, creating a tone that is brooding, mythic, and deliberately oppressive.
The setting unfolds in a fractured land shaped by gods, spirits, and forgotten legends, where the player’s role is not clearly heroic from the outset. You are thrust into a world that reacts to your decisions, both narratively and mechanically, and the game leans into ambiguity rather than exposition. Lore is scattered through environments, NPC encounters, and symbolic imagery, encouraging players to piece together the world’s history through observation rather than dialogue-heavy storytelling. This approach reinforces the sense that you are navigating a place ruled by fate and ancient forces, where every step deeper into the world carries weight and consequence.
Gameplay is built around precise, stamina-conscious combat that rewards patience and learning rather than aggression. Enemies are dangerous, often capable of killing careless players quickly, and encounters are designed to test positioning, timing, and awareness. Dodging, parrying, and committing to attacks all come with risk, and success depends on understanding enemy patterns and choosing the right moment to strike. Boss fights in particular emphasize this philosophy, acting as skill checks that demand mastery of the game’s mechanics rather than raw statistics. While challenging, combat rarely feels unfair, as failure is typically the result of misjudgment rather than randomness.
A defining feature of Volkolak is the transformation system tied to the protagonist’s cursed nature. Embracing the Volkolak form fundamentally alters how the game is played, unlocking new abilities, combat options, and traversal mechanics. This transformation is not merely cosmetic; it represents a meaningful gameplay and narrative choice that influences progression and playstyle. Players can lean into the power of the beast for aggressive builds or resist it in favor of a more grounded, disciplined approach, and these choices ripple outward into both combat strategy and story outcomes.
Exploration follows classic metroidvania principles, with interconnected regions that gradually open as new abilities are acquired. The world is dense with hidden paths, optional challenges, and environmental storytelling, rewarding thorough exploration and curiosity. Areas are designed to loop back on themselves in satisfying ways, creating a sense of place rather than a sequence of disconnected levels. Verticality, environmental hazards, and traversal puzzles are woven naturally into the map design, ensuring that movement and exploration feel as intentional as combat.
Visually, the game adopts a hand-drawn 2D art style that emphasizes texture, shadow, and motion. Character animations are weighty and deliberate, giving attacks and enemy movements a sense of physical presence. Environments are rich with detail, often bleak and decaying, reinforcing the game’s grim atmosphere. While still evolving through development updates, the visual direction already feels cohesive and purposeful, prioritizing mood and readability over flashy effects. Sound design complements this approach with restrained but effective audio cues, helping players read combat situations while maintaining tension during exploration.
Narrative ambition further elevates the experience. Volkolak does not offer a single linear outcome, instead allowing player choices to influence the path taken and the ending reached. Moral ambiguity plays a key role, with decisions framed less as good versus evil and more as submission versus defiance, control versus surrender. This thematic focus aligns well with the game’s mythological roots, reinforcing the idea that gods, monsters, and humans are all bound by forces they only partially understand.
As an experience, Volkolak: The Will of Gods is clearly aimed at players who appreciate demanding combat, atmospheric world-building, and slow-burning storytelling. It is not a casual or immediately accessible title, and its difficulty and deliberate pacing may alienate those looking for fast gratification. However, for players willing to engage deeply with its systems and themes, it offers a compelling journey shaped by skill, choice, and mythic tragedy. Even as development continues to refine and expand its content, the foundation already reflects a strong creative vision, positioning Volkolak as a distinctive and promising entry in the dark action RPG and metroidvania space.
Rating: 9/10
