Project Warlock, A Game that Hurts so Good

By: GeekyGamerGirl87

Every so often there is a game that a gamer comes across, that makes you rage so hard, but even though you rage you are still determined to play the game because raging is part of the experience of the game. Then there is the satisfaction of getting over those parts that make you rage, that helps strokes your gamer’s ego, and lets you say, “I knew I was an awesome gamer” or at least something along those lines.  When I first saw Project Warlock being played, I was immediately drawn into the art style of the game and filled with nostalgia as it reminded me of the old school fps games I played back in the day. Therefore, it overfilled me with joy when the developers reached out to thedailygamepad.com on our Facebook page (TheDailyGamepad Facebook Page) and offered us a free copy of the game to play for an article review. Therefore, I would like to take the time to thank the developers Bucksoft Software and the publisher gaming company for providing thedailygamepad.com with a free copy of Project Warlock, so that I could write a review for this awesome game.

You start off the game as a warlock, who seems to have to fight creatures of the underworld. Much like in older FPS such as Doom and Hexxen. The game does offer three different modes. There is the Casual Mode which provides the gamer with unlimited lives and you don’t lose any progress. When you die in Casual Mode you restart at the beginning of the level and can only go to the workshop if you choose to do so. The next mode that is offered is Standard Mode. Standard Mode provides the gamer with three lives. You also can find other lives, and you get a game over once you run out of lives. Another thing that should be mentioned is that this does not restart your progress. You will start back in the workshop upon losing all lives. Then there is Hardcore Mode. In Hardcore Mode you only get one life, the enemies move faster, you take double the damage, and once you die the progress resets. So, unlike the other two modes that either start you from the beginning of the level or in the workshop;  you will have to start the game from the beginning.

Now what sets Project Warlock aside from Doom and Hexxen, is unlike those games where you could save anywhere on the level there is no save feature. However, I think the game not having a save feature makes it more entertaining and gives it its own identity. I was a little uneasy about not saving, but then I looked at it as a challenge and realized I like that challenge of not being able to save when willing. To me not having the save feature gives you more satisfaction of completing the level. The only time the game saves is when you finish the level (at least in Casual  and Standard modes.) I would admit for me  I would have still liked the save slots. I’m not saying the game should do this while in the game, but it would have been nice to have the slots to save for each of the modes. Of course, this is with the exception of Hardcore Mode because it doesn’t save progress. However, it’s not a deal breaker. I will just warn you and restate that you need to make sure you know the mode you want to play and be committed to it. After the end of each level, you are then taking to the workshop in which you also have the option to upgrade your warlock. You can upgrade stats, weapons, and spells for your warlock. There is also a device in which you select your next level. There appear to be five episodes for the game with each episode showing five stages, so the game has a lot to do and will keep you busy and entertained.

When it comes to the controls you can play with either controller or Keyboard/Mouse ( KB/M.) Ironically, for myself, I enjoyed playing Project Warlock with the KB/M controls. I say ironically because when I have played FPS’s such as Doom, Wolfenstein 3D I usually just play with the keyboard. However, I found that it was a lot easier to play with KB/M with Project Warlock. For me, the controls flowed a lot smoother than the controller. I did try it with the controller, but one of the things I did not like about the controller controls was I found it a little difficult to aim with the weapons. I did find out that you can lock the Y axis that makes it easier to aim, but to me, the controller feels a bit clunky. This could also be done to my gaming preferences when it comes to FPS’s as well. I have always played them with KB/M and so that made it simpler. You can still lock the Y-Axis to make aiming easier if you so choose. However, another thing I liked about KB/M,  is that you can use the mouse to freely aim at the enemy and the scroll wheel to change weapons; which allows for a faster response time.

Another thing I do love about the game is that the music is well done and does very well setting the atmosphere for the game. When you do get the game, you can download the OST for free as DLC. The OST has over 105 tracks on it and that is awesome because the game’s music is intense at times but also really relaxing to me.   I also really love the graphics of the game and it adds more character to the game. I would also like to take the time to warn you that the game also has some flashes of light that if you are prone to epileptic seizures then you should be careful before playing it. The game does take the time to warn you about the lights.  You should always play with caution because even if you do not have a history of epileptic seizures, there is a chance that it could occur. Just remember if you experience any of the following symptoms: temporary confusion, staring spell, uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs, loss of consciousness or awareness, cognitive or emotional symptoms, such as fear, anxiety or déjà vu; you should stop playing the game (or any game for that matter) and consult your doctor.  Your health is always important.

If you are an achievement hunter, you will be glad to know that the game does offer nineteen different achievements to collect.  As the game does provide a bit of a challenge it will be even more fruitful obtaining these achievements.  If you are a trading card collector, it does not appear that the trading cards for the game are available yet. I only say yet because it does take some time for trading cards to become available for games on Steam. There is also the chance that as the developers went with a retro vibe for the game, they may not include trading cards. Again, if you would like to see trading cards take to the forums and let the developers know.

Overall, I can say that if you are a fan of old school Doom, Wolfenstein 3D you are most definitely not going to want to pass up on Project Warlock. I highly recommend this game. Currently, the game is only available for PC. It would be interesting to see if they decide to adapt the game to the consoles. If they do, I would love to see how it fares on the consoles. If you are a console player and want to see it on console take to the forums and let the developers know. If you would like to play Project Warlock you can purchase the game on Steam and GOG.com for $12.00 USD.