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Hellboy Web of Wyrd

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Hellboy Web of Wyrd
Developer(s)Upstream Arcade
Publisher(s)Good Shepherd Entertainment
Platform(s)
Release18 October 2023
Genre(s)Beat 'em up, roguelike
Mode(s)Single-player

Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a beat 'em up roguelike game developed by Upstream Arcade and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 October 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Gameplay

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Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a third-person beat 'em up with elements from roguelike games. Hellboy can chain physical attacks with ranged attacks to create combos. Both Hellboy and other enemies in the game are protected by "Toughness", which is a recharging buffer that temporarily shields them from permanent damage. If Hellboy takes too much damage, he can unleash a special attack named "Payback", allowing him to inflict devastating damage on nearby enemies. The players also need to investigate areas occasionally.[1] In the game, Hellboy must venture to the "Butterfly House", which has doorways to a peculiar dimension known as "The Wyrd", to locate a BPRD agent who is missing in action. While the Butterfly House serves as a hub area for the player, levels in the game are procedurally generated.[2]

Development

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Hellboy Web of Wyrd is an original game based on Dark Horse Comics' titular comic series. It was revealed at The Game Awards 2022, and has a hand drawn style that replicates Mike Mignola's art.[3] British studio Upstream Arcade collaborated closely with Mignola when working on the game's narrative.[4] It is also one of Lance Reddick's final posthumous roles.[5] The game was released worldwide for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 October 2023.[3]

Reception

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Hellboy Web of Wyrd received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[6] Metacritic listed the PlayStation 5 version the seventh worst game of 2023.[7]

Mitchell Demorest from PCGamesN praised its art direction and voice actors' performances but criticized the combat system for being too basic for a roguelike video game.[8] Ken Talbot from Push Square said that it "is created by people with a reverence for Mignola's work", stating the achievement to translate the visual style to a 3D environment.[9]

Yahtzee Croshaw gave the game a scathing review in his series Zero Punctuation; however, the review was released with the game's title and identifying elements redacted from the review, as the game's press embargo date was pushed back last minute, and Croshaw didn't have any time to replace it with a different game.[10] He'd confirm the "mystery game" in the review being Hellboy Web of Wyrd a few weeks later during a livestream,[11] and later on he placed it as the third-worst game of 2023 in Fully Ramblomatic's Best, Worst and Blandest of 2023.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Fingas, Jon (December 8, 2023). "Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a stylish brawler that takes its cues from the comic". Engadget. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  2. ^ Pursloow, Matt (August 22, 2023). "Hellboy Web of Wyrd - The First Preview". IGN. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Sal, Romano (December 9, 2022). "Hellboy Web of Wyrd announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  4. ^ Wales, Matt (July 11, 2023). "Hellboy Web of Wyrd debuts "roguelike action brawler" gameplay in new trailer". Eurogamer. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Squires, John (March 20, 2023). "Hellboy Web of Wyrd – Lance Reddick Voiced Hellboy for Upcoming Video Game". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "Hellboy: Web of Wyrd". Metacritic. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  7. ^ Dietz, Jason (December 19, 2023). "The Worst Videogames of 2023 - #7: Hellboy: Web of Wyrd". Metacritic. Fandom. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  8. ^ Demorest, Mitchell (October 18, 2023). "Hellboy Web of Wyrd copies Hades' homework but still gets everything wrong". PCGamesN. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Talbot, Ken (October 18, 2023). "Review: Hellboy Web of Wyrd (PS5) - Visually Striking, But Fails to Inspire as a Brawler". Push Square. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Croshaw, Yahtzee (October 11, 2023). "El Paso, Elsewhere and ? - Zero Punctuation".
  11. ^ "An Introduction to Second Wind with Nick and Yahtzee". November 8, 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  12. ^ Second Wind (January 3, 2024). "The Best, Worst and Blandest of 2023 | Fully Ramblomatic" – via YouTube.
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