Halls of Torment

Halls of Torment's specific aesthetic couldn't be more attuned to my sensibilities as a child of the ARPGs of the late '90s and early 2000s. Give me two honking great orbs representing my health and mana and a protagonist who has no articulating joints in his legs and I'm a happy man, and HoT makes me very happy indeed with its lo-fi heroics and diffuse, stygian levels. If I could play this thing on a beige CRT while Rob Zombie screamed in my ears I wouldn't know it wasn't 1999. Actually, wait, I can do that. If anyone needs me, tell them I'm busy for the next… foreseeable future.

Halls of Torment offers tons of replayability with minimal fuss, and is just challenging enough to keep you engaged for every moment.

Halls of Torment is truly a blast and it's right to call it that, straight out of the box, to emphasize how many things it can do so well. Played since day one of its release in Early Access, the creation of Chasing Carrots, a team of five people, is ready to carve out a significant slice of the market and consequently create a new myth in the roguelike genre. What makes it incredible is the total customization even in the game design itself, as if it were a video game within a video game that can be played as you prefer.

Halls of Torment offers a good take on survival action mechanics. Many players will pick it up not only because of the strong core loop but also because of its presentation, which evokes Diablo in all but the smallest details. Anyone who loved the Blizzard titles and appreciates fast-paced combat with a focus on good upgrade choices will have fun. But nostalgia will not be enough for those looking for innovation in a crowded genre. The game’s world feels limited and the meta-progression mechanics aren’t enough to ensure the moment-to-moment action remains fresh. Halls of Torment does not transform its genre but can quickly become addictive for players who are into the mechanics and the general Diablo vibe.

Halls of Torment is more than simply Vampire Survivors wearing Diablo’s clothes. It’s a clever and engrossing Survive ‘em Up that uses RPG trappings to add a ton of versatility and rewarding complexity to what would still be a fun game without it. There’s a pile of quirky character classes and a massive number of ways to build them during each run, just a big pile of content and not a shred of it feels like padding.

Halls of Torment is an addictive and entertaining bullet heaven that, while not groundbreaking and with a slower start, rewards players with a great atmosphere and a wealth of customization options for both the game and character playstyles. The items bring a fun twist, and over time, the reduction of randomness allows you to tackle the toughest challenges with an optimal build. Each arena is unique, and the heroes’ distinct base traits require specific strategies. All in all, it's another solid entry in the survivors genre.