Hellboy: Web of Wyrd Review (PS5)

Mike Mignola created not just one of the most popular antiheroes in comics history, but also a visual style that is maybe the most recognizable from all visual novels to this date. 15 years after he last graced the displays of our gaming systems, Red returns with the signature visual style, that brings the comics to life. But is it enough to convince us to open our wallets in the middle of the fall stuffed with game releases?

Thanks to Ron Pearlman, Hellboy is no longer a niche comic, and it is almost as well-known as the Marvel or DC heroes. The movies took some liberties regarding the look of the universe and the characters themselves, and although received mixed critical reviews, the fans adored it. This lead a greater penetration of the Dark Horse franchise in the mainstream, opening the door to productions that are much closer to the original vision of the creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola.

Enter the stage left, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, a game that, at first glance, is the interactive version of the comics, that relies on roguelike gameplay. But while the looks still the show, the gameplay mechanics seem to have been lacking focus. As a result, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd as a game is even more minimalistic than the visual style it sports, and this hurts the experience in the long run.    

The entire game revolves around an original story that will see our hero explore again and again and again a weird parallel dimension, called the Wyrd. This unexplained phenomenon creates a lot of anomalies around the world, that raised the attention of BPRD. Shortly after sampling the wonders of Italy and falling down into this alternate dimension, red will start encountering powerful beings, some helpful, some more inclined towards sending back our hero to hell.

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Although the premise sounds good and there are some obvious references to the Thousand and One Nights, overall, the story delivery fells flat. The plot is in no way detailed, rather left as a sketch thrown on a napkin to be looked at later. The characters are loosely tied into the story, robbing the players of any chance to form any kind of connection with them. Even Hellboy himself is presented assuming that you know his past and his story. If you are new to this universe, this game will not help you make any sense of it.

Talking about Hellboy, I have to mention that he is brought to life by the late Lance Reddick. Although the interpretation is exceptional, it needs a lot of getting used to, because the voice of the actor is not a natural match for Hellboy – it is more like an acquired taste that you will get used to. Due to the way the story is presented, a lot of the great interpretation feels unanchored in the events unfolding on the screen.

This lack of focus continues with the gameplay as well. The roguelike action games with randomly generated maps, and battles relying both on melee and weapon combat sound good on paper. But it all leads to an experience that feels very limited. Starting from choosing your preferred weapon and amulet down to the level design and combat mechanics, it feels overly simplified.

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Although there are power ups along the way and the ability to improve your gear in order to make subsequent runs easier and easier, in reality it all comes down to smashing the attack button hoping to win. You will have more problems with the camera that tends to stick in impossible angles, rather than with the enemies. Sure, some bosses will make you sweat a bit, but more often than not you will miss your hits or dodges because of the poorly placed camera.

Once you were introduced to all gameplay mechanics and you start your struggle through the roguelike system, you will find the entire game very repetitive and stiff, where you are pushed in 1v1 battles, even if multiple opponents surround you. Hellboy does not seem to handle anything else well, so he focuses his entire might on a single enemy until he destroys them.

Visually the game is a real tribute to the comics, bringing to life the style from the graphic novels. The minimalist design conjures a familiar and cozy feeling in those who like the style of Mike Mignola, but they are not for everyone. The voice acting is great, but as mentioned it needs some getting used to. The soundtrack fits the surreal world and works well with the visuals to create an immersive atmosphere.

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The Good

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