Hellbound

Hellbound is a rip-roaring homage to classic Doom that hits almost all of the right notes.

Hellbound is a fun shooter that’s got all the hallmarks of what made the 90s FPS genre so great. Unfortunately, just like the 90s games before it, it’s pretty dated in both optimization and graphics. There’s a large number of bugs and game-breaking glitches to be experienced, all of which tarnish what is otherwise an incredible experience.

Hellbound's core gameplay loop is punchy, satisfying, and cathartic. It's just a shame there's so little of it.

The saving grace is Hellbound‘s price. At just £11.39/$14.99, it’s not terrible value for money. But there are better old-school first-person shooters available for not much more. Still, there’s a good few hours of fun to get from Hellbound‘s campaign. Maybe even more if you’re the type that wants to discover every secret and beat every par time. And the game’s survival maps offer yet more hours of gameplay. It’s just a shame that it feels more like a starter than a main course.

An earnest but empty love letter to Quake and Duke Nukem 3D that never gets around to doing anything to call its own.

Don’t be fooled. Hellbound doesn’t straddle the line between inspiration and imitation. Instead, it dives headfirst into the shallow end. There’s enough marketing and nostalgia on the surface to lure you in. But once you start playing, you’ll just be thinking about how you could be playing Doom instead.