Summary
Developer — Rowye
Publisher — Rowye
Platforms — PC (Reviewed)
Review code provided by Developer
NOTE:
The following game is being reviewed in an Un-Complete Early Press Preview State, the game may change after the release of this review, this review reflects the game at the time of publishing. Due to the Early Preview , the following review is unrated.
We’re seeing more and more solo developer projects these days, and that’s fantastic! It means game-making is becoming more accessible, and we get to see more titles with that purity of vision that comes from a single creative mind working on a project.
Enter Darkenstein 3D: a retro-inspired shooter created by one person. While it’s still in development, the game’s alpha build is a wonderful example of how much work a solo dev can accomplish, and that not every artistic vision will resonate with all players.
Set during the peak of WW2, you take on the role of the Hobo Guy—a down-on-his-luck American who has somehow found himself deep behind enemy lines. To make things even worse for the poor guy, his faithful canine companion is stolen by Nazis. You’ll have to shoot and kick your way through Nazi soldiers, zombies, and more to get your good pal Gunther back.
It’s an outlandish premise, yes, and it immediately brings the irreverent wackiness of Wolfenstein 3D and its infamous Mecha-Hitler to mind. While fans of classic Wolfenstein titles might enjoy the absurdity, it certainly isn’t for everyone. In fact, the majority of the game’s tone isn’t for me.
Personally, I think the game’s attempts at humor always fall flat. Hobo Guy has a strange fixation on both pie and piss. If he isn’t spewing a random line about pie, it’s a random line about piss. Or, of course, there’s the incredibly odd piece of dialogue that mentions “piss-soaked pie.” Coupled with the uneven voice acting, I found all of these so-called jokes only made Hobo Guy increasingly annoying over time.
Again, some folks might enjoy the crass humor accompanying their boomer shooter action. Speaking of which, Darkenstein 3D is doing a fine job on that front. Weapons feel nice and distinct from one another, enemy variety is introduced at a nice pace, and the level design, while simple, is laid out smartly enough to encourage some light exploration.
My biggest nitpick for the gameplay is that you have to reload your guns. That might not sound like a big deal, but this is a boomer shooter and I’m a boomer shooter maniac. Something about fast-paced FPS combat being interrupted by a reloading sequence makes my skin want to turn inside out. It’s just not natural!
However, the no-reloading idea might work best for fantastical settings like Doom and Quake. I understand that with the WW2 setting, Darkenstein 3D might want weapon reloading to ground itself in reality a bit. That’s fine, if so, but the game really ought to learn the difference between clips and magazines.
While it’s not completed yet, I have to say that the amount of work already poured into Darkenstein 3D is admirable. Fans of retro FPS titles will undoubtedly find a lot to love with the game’s punchy weapons, pulpy action, and quick pacing. Yet, for me and a few others, the game’s tone and obnoxious writing soils the experience.
