To be perfectly honest, comparing this game with nine developers and a small budget against big name industry titles and developers really isn't fair. I do admit that the quality of this game falls short of what it could have been. However, it got much closer to the impression I had of the end result than No Man's Sky did. Because I don't feel completely cheated as is the norm these days, I'm going to be optimistic about what I've judged to be a surprisingly acceptable game. As an aside, I do feel the need to mention that Dante's Inferno is still a better representation of Hell. I just wish Madmind could have enlisted some talent from Visceral Games to make everything smoother and more enjoyable. That way you get the good story telling, animations, art, gameplay, and have a first person torture simulator in a way that hasn't been done before.
Getting to the premise, you are some guy (who's name I forgot. Some guy curses you and yells your name 5 times while he burns to death.) and nothing has been made very clear the entire time I've been playing. The thing is, I don't mind that as much as I mind the horrible lip synching and voice acting. Dark Souls is one of my favorite series and none of them have very detailed story-telling. I would have to say the voicing is much better integrated in the Souls series though. In terms of how well aware I am of the story and its progress, I can't say that I am aware at all through any part of the game. From what I do know, the story so far could be more compelling and is almost a good one, but it's still not one I could find myself reading about in depth such as the lore of Dark Souls or Bloodborne. I really enjoy the stories that are bigger than the game/movie I'm involved in. It really allows me to stretch my imagination and ponder upon the complexity of the events. If anything, this is the most disappointing part. I've been waiting for a good Hell game since Dante's Inferno and I have become extremely excited to see a version of said Hell with a strong H R Geiger inspiration. If they could have gotten a hair more support for animation/writing/beta testing, we'd have another Indie hit that deserves several sequels. Alas, this is not that, and the game is rather for those who just want to have some fun sneaking around the fiery depths and taking in the visuals.
There's quite a few people to beat this horse already, but I can't leave it out. The so-called "clunkyness" you experience in the game is actually a form of artificial difficulty. For example, when you move the stick without pressing "R3", you walk at a snails pace. Not to mention that the camera control isn't smooth by any means. So I understand why the machanic is as such, though it could have easily been better if it were someone else's job to make. Personally, I would make a jog the default and make "R3" a real sprint. Then I would base level designs and challenges off that. This way you can feel like your character doesn't actually want to die by big breasted and alluring Martyr demons gouging out your eyes. I almost forgot to mention that these folks who say the UI is "outdated" are insane. What the hell does that even mean? Sure, they're using some old medieval font and some very PS3 era looking animations, but it's perfectly functional and I wouldn't shame the game for it.
On the other hand, what the game does well is art, character design, and sound. I don't think this game would get anywhere without it's artists. Most games don't but I do say these guys saved the game. As earlier referenced, the H R Geiger look and style is already grotesque, but when you add in the disgusting footsteps or sounds of flesh ripping apart, it really reminds me what I bought the game for. For this reason, I'm actually not going to return the game.
I'd also like to applaud Madmind/PlayWay/Maximum Games for not censoring all of the content like I know a big publisher would have. To be honest, this wouldn't be Hell if there weren't endless hordes of sexualized souls and demons getting slaughtered and tortured. Sex is one of societie's biggest hush subjects (and some things for good reason to be sure) but, if a piece of art in video game format wants to deliver both that and sadism/torture into one package because that's what a swath of people would enjoy privately in their own time, there's no reason not to. It bothers me that an "Adult Only" rating would be stricken from stores and removed from online services. I just feel like our society isn't mature enough to handle what other people spend their free time doing. One day the ESRB will be defunct just like the Comics Code Authority and at that time we'll truly get an opportunity for a polished and realistic version of Hell with this much violence. One day.
Frequently bought together
- +
- +
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
Find secret patterns and draw them with your own Blood on the sacrificial Stones, collecting ancient artifacts along the way and using their powers to discover hidden paths in another dimension
Surpass the limits of your mind and exploit every shadow to hide and survive as you test your nerves of Steel and Venture into the most secret realms of hell
Customer reviews
I don’t know why Agony has bad reviews it’s a great game with time and effort spent into every detail. I have the Agony wallpaper and everything as you can see from my photo xD
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Good, if you like horror
Reviewed in Canada on February 26, 2020Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
MICHEL
Ótimo , excelente
Reviewed in Brazil on January 25, 2021Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Ótimo , excelente
Reviewed in Brazil on January 25, 2021
Muito bom , chegou antes do prazo determinado já comprei outro jogo do mesmo vendedor e espero que chegue tudo bem
Reviewed in Brazil on January 25, 2021
Images in this review
Shane Saiyan
Not good. Not good at all.
Reviewed in Canada on June 22, 2018Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Luis Adolfo Muñoz Padilla
Aburrido
Reviewed in Mexico on January 5, 2019Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
Jose Manuel Mendez Marquez
Decepcionante entrega
Reviewed in Mexico on November 15, 2018Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Verified Purchase
