Sometimes you can tell how a game will play at a first glance, with the huge explosion of Hades clones generally easy to recognise. I went into my first experience with Hell Clock fully expecting a take on Supergiant’s classic but what I found was actually something far more original and interesting, albeit not without some issues and flaws. While it shares the general rogue-like approach of Zagreus’ adventures, the actual gameplay is far more in keeping with classic Diablo, and scratched a nostalgic itch I didn’t realise I had.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the game is its real historical backdrop, taking place 8 years after Brazil’s War of Canudos, a tragic event in which tens of thousands of refugees were slaughtered by the new Brazilian Republic in the 19th century. This is a historical event about which I was totally unaware before coming across this game and it shows how well games can educate alongside entertain. This is exactly the kind of experience that my erstwhile colleagues are looking at in the forthcoming ‘Playing With History’ book and I’ll be recommending they take a gander at Hell Clock.
This real world context doesn’t mean that the game is hyper realistic, however. Indeed, such is the depth of historical trauma surrounding the War of Canudos that the game’s dark fantasy aesthetic feels like a metaphorical attempt to come to terms with those memories. This is most obviously seen through the monstrous bosses that represent major figures in the invading army. These are truly grotesque and prove extremely challenging until you’ve refined your build.
While the general tone of Hellclock is dark the graphics benefit from an excellent balance of light and shade. A cel-shaded comic book effect helps enemies and backgrounds to stand out and there is a decent range of environments across the various stages – although the layouts themselves tend to repeat relatively quickly. Depending on your choice of skills and powers there can be a vast amount of visual effects on display soon and this can be both a blessing and a curse. Fully powered up attacks look incredible but can bring the framerate crashing down – particularly in the last main area of the game.
Performance as a whole here was decent until that last area (one that I won’t spoil here) where the solid 75fps gradually dropped until it fell off a cliff. The one time I beat the final boss was a battle of attrition with 5fps and took fully 35-40 minutes whilst watching a YouTube video. This is not what the game is intended to play as though and says a lot about my general stubbornness and desire to see the ending for this review.
In fact, the main loop of Hellclock is all about speed and min-maxing your builds. The standard mechanics include the titular Hellclock which constantly counts down towards your death – only pausing during boss battles. At first you have a measly 7 minutes but there are upgrades to unlock that increase this and bosses also drop extra time pick-ups when defeated. This mechanic ensures that every run is a test of your dps rather than skill which clearly appeals to the Path of Exile and Diablo players but is a far cry from the Hades style I was expecting.
There is an option to disable the clock and play the game in a more strategic way but after completing the game this way I would advise against it. While this mode does prevent the constant time pressure it ends up becoming a war of extreme attrition and the resultant drawn-out kiting of damage-sponge enemies can quickly sap your enjoyment. I would go so far as to suggest that the devs should probably remove this option and stick to their preferred approach.
Playing as a resurrected victim of the massacre, you’re armed with a revolver that serves as your primary weapon. I was a little disappointed that there are no alternatives here (rifles, shotguns, or sabres could have mixed things up build-wise) but you can level it up and apply buffs through equipped relics to increase your damage. Basic shots are free but all other attacks require mana to activate so there is a balance to be drawn between attacking and allowing your mana to recharge. The real build strategy comes in choosing from a wide range of spells to add to your arsenal.
These skills range from support effects such as dash and shield to more offensive abilities such as rapid fire and high damage explosives and all are well designed to fit in with the general aesthetic. Each set of skills is unlocked as you progress through the game’s acts but some of the early skills remain useful right up to the end. I found a combination of magical crosses that surrounded my character and life steal from equipped relics was overpowered as it meant I survived far longer than my damage output should have allowed but I think this has been balanced in part through patches (and of course would not have helped with the Hellclock in play).
