Hellpoint

honestly?
it's one of the best non-fromsoft souls likes in the regard that it feels a lot like dark souls 1 or demon souls. it's clunky, it has a bunch of little mysteries, the balance is wonky and there's clearly some loadouts that surpass others but. it has so much charm, it has a lot of neat worldbuilding, and the environment is gorgeous.
is it a good game? yeah honestly i'd say so.
is it a game most people would enjoy? no, but neither was demon souls.
if you really like souls-likes, i think give it a try without comparing it to others and you'll have a fresh and unique experience, if sometimes frustrating.
if you aren't super in to souls-likes but you're into games you really gotta struggle through, you'll also probably have a good time - the game is punishing and almost unfair at times, but there are ways gear-wise to make it easier, and if you explore (or get a co-op partner) you'll find a way through almost any gate that tries to block you.
tl;dr: lacks polish and has clear issues (with both balance, bugs, and gameplay decisions), but so did dark souls and everyone praises that game. it feels genuine and unique, and it's worth giving it a shot if you want that sense of mystery and difficulty that pioneered souls-like games.

This is how you make a game inspired by the souls series.
I am loving most aspects of this game. fans of deadspace, lords of the fallen and other titles should enjoy this gem of an amazing game.
the free aim controls for shooters feels nice and responds well, especially on teleporting enemies that the auto-target might change your movement as the camera field adjust.
the weapon skill system is paired nicely into the game
the omnicube is a genius addition both adding light and puzzles along with other useful utilities like warping without losing your stuff.
death has other penalties in addition to losing you acquired axioms a copy of you haunts the area for you to fight... your weapons and their bonuses as well.
there is so much i love about this game and so little i dislike but be ready it truly is hell while the game can be completed in various forms i would be impressed to see a "perfect ending" with a no hit run.

Pretty interesting souls-like with unique mechanics story and gameplay, but i can see it not being everyones cup of tea. Feel its more for people that already like Souls-like. A controller is strongly recommended to play Hellpoint.

This has been one of my guilty pleasure games. I loved exploring in all the souls-borne series, finding all the secret paths and hidden weapons. I felt right at home going into this wonderful indie experience as that it does not hold your hand and lets you do all the piecing together of the lore. If you can get past some of the jank it flows quite nicely, by jank i mean your character will freeze in place sometimes and will not move ending some battles with some annoyance but not enough times to make me rage quit. Would highly recommend this sleeper title to any souls fan. 9/10 atmosphere, music, build variety.

This is a good soulslike but with considerable jank. Enemy hitboxes are really not clear and dodges feel kinda inconsistent. Still it is very fun to play once the jank shock settles. Otherwise the atmosphere is amazing, weapons and armor are really cool, game has a cool sidearm mechanic where you can just have a gun, upgrade system is great cause you can upgrade just one item and switch it between your weapons, and more cool stuff inside. I think the map has got to be one of the most confusing I've ever played though, with a TON of secrets that are easily missed. Still I'd overall recommend it.

Good game but definitely needs an update.
Sometimes you get stun locked, but it doesn't unlock so you're just a training dummy for enemies until dead, with a full bar of stamina and no debuffs.

This game came out around the same time as immortal unchained which I bounced off once they introduced teleporting enemies. I'm pretty mad at myself for sleeping on Hellpoint back then just because of the similar aesthetic. Would've been a great a great way to scratch the itch during the great soulslike drought in the years leading up to Elden Ring. Heres hoping they release a sequel even if its just a modest iteration