I know, I’ve even said it myself, Dark Souls 1 (Remastered) is the game you should start with for your Souls journey but hear me out when I say that Hellpoint could be the game for those who want to get in but are finding Souls 1 too tricky still!
In my official review (giving it an 8) I brought up the points about why the game is like Souls and why does and doesn’t work for me:
So there were some things they did differently, you know because they couldn’t just completely rip off Souls, and for me although some decisions made them stand out they felt odd to me. However if you’re not a Souls fan, but want to be, the changes they’ve made could be what you need; here’s why….
Some of, but not all of the combat
So Hellpoint has done this weird thing where they’re decided to copy the combat but not quite done all of it, for example there’s no parrying or back stabs – which is a big part of it for me. But you know this is a great way to ensure you master just the stamina management, dodging and blocking; especially a this is your only option. Sure it’s not as refined but it really isn’t that bad, if I can enjoy it being a bit of a Souls fanatic I’m sure you can too! If you want to see even more of the combat (shameless plug I know) you can see my playthrough here:
An easier path to health….kinda
In all of these other titles that I’ve played you’ve had to go back to your bonfire/lantern/medbay to get your health kits back (which also bring enemies back) but in Hellpoint it’s different. Although it took some getting used to you build up a meter which builds up towards getting your health injections back, so provided there are enough enemies around and you don’t die too much you can keep working towards getting this back. Making that boss run that little bit easier. I’m hoping there are upgrades later in the game to make this process easier.
Pretty simple gear and weapons building/upgrading
Although Souls doesn’t have the most complicated gear system in the world it can get some getting used to, you need to look out for weapons that scale with your highest attribute (such as strength or dexterity) and then also upgrade them or enhance them with items found on/in(?) enemies. Hellpoint makes this damn simple as you get a blueprint and it tells you how much material you need, generally other weapons or armour can be used to get this and sometimes you need a base weapon (picked up everywhere) too build it. Oh and it seems to give you the strength boosters on weapons early on without you really having to think about it.
It’s just easier, and you can make it even easier still!
There’s no 2 ways about this one, it’s simply easier than anything else I’ve been told is like Dark Souls, and much easier than Souls itself. I’m already at a point where the general enemies running about don’t cause me any fuss and it’s only the bosses that cause me grief. Now I understand that once you’ve learnt the soul system and stamina management etc etc it all becomes a lot easier (and I’m really no expert) but this is a good stepping stone as it’s undoubtedly easier. In Souls if you’re mobbed by 3 or more enemies you’re gonna get killed, in this you can survive the mobs; in fact it’s at a point where it tips more towards 3rd person action at times. And what’s more if you’re still finding it tough after a few deaths it gives you the option to make it easier!
Hellpoint is a decent game and I’d definitely reccomend it to anyone who wants to get into souls or already is. Have you played Hellpoint yet, do you completely disagree with me? Let me know below!