Project Warlock is a first-person shooter originally released in October of 2018 on PC that is being ported to console this month. This retro-style shooter provides an uncanny Wolfenstein or Doom vibe, with a few more modern era enhancements that let it stand on its own. In addition to very satisfying gunplay carnage, there is also a unique spell system, leveling attribute points, and a perk upgrade system to enhance players’ individual playstyles. Project Warlock effectively achieves an old school vibe, but manages to achieve modern-day relevance via clever game design, fast-paced play, and outrageously high amounts of chaos.
The story of Project Warlock is hilariously simple, which adds to its charm. As a classic FPS shooter, the main character, an unnamed warlock, wants to take his guns and magic and destroy all evil. This journey takes him through five main areas to eradicate evil, starting in a medieval castle setting, then to the chillingly sinister Antarctica, on to an Egyptian world, a post-industrial cyborg zone, and finally, hell.
The gameplay is retro, yet crisp. Masterfully concise, with maps littered with gold treasure, or similar loot which can be used to upgrade weapons, magic, or other stats when reaching pre-determined save points throughout the game. After completing clusters of levels, players can return to the warlock’s workshop to save the game, and depending on how much treasure was found in the preceding levels, upgrade accordingly. For good measure, the warlock will frequently sound off with classic phrases like, “Groovy” and “Let’s Rock n’ Roll.”
Port To Console
While the game has been out for nearly two years, the port to consoles provides some interesting mechanics to highlight. Classic shooters like Wolfenstein and Doom are famously good at providing an abundance of ammunition, high caliber, and even make-believe weaponry, and ample enemies to use them on. With a mouse and keyboard, it is relatively easy to achieve macros to support the chaotic harmony it takes to bring it all together. For the console port, developer Buckshot partnered with Crunching Koalas to port the mechanics to a wide console release, including Xbox, Playstation, and Switch.
In large part, the port seems seamless. However, in the early stages of the game, the weapon wheel on the Xbox One is incredibly glitchy and frustrating. Otherwise, the wheel allows fast switching of weapons to meet the needs of oncoming enemy hordes and neatly divides magic controls to the left side of the controller, and all weaponry to the right side of the controller. The levels offer a novel and complex approach to maps, usually via combinations of keys and toggle switches that alter access or change the map barriers entirely. The other oddity on console is that it isn’t obvious that there are more weapon upgrades available other than the first four. With a mouse, it was easy to accidentally scroll down, but on console, it would be possible to miss, save for a very small green dot indicating more pages may follow (which again may normally stand out, however, the 2.5D graphics and retro look make it easy to miss).
Peace Through Violence
The gameplay on Project Warlock is delightful. Except for the first level, which is nearly hard enough to consider walking from the game altogether. When the warlock begins his journey, he has a pair of scissors and a scepter that shoots some sort of light. That first level, before any additional weapons or upgrades, can feel impossible and requires perhaps the highest level of strategy and finesse to wield your scissors through a maze of medieval bad guys.
Next, players can decide if they want to head down the magic/warlock tree, or build out their weaponry, health, and speed. In our run-through, we pursued a melee and hit point build, which was incredibly effective until about three-quarters of the way through the game. Early on, players can choose to upgrade their axe hits to restore some health. Combined with increasing strength when talent points were earned, they can hit harder, and consequently, get more life back each hit. The next 30 to 40 levels can breeze by with thousands of axe swings and very little concern about health or ammunition.
A Journey Through Evil And Time
With nearly 60 levels to play through, Buckshot does a nice job mixing up the five segments of the game to be completely different. Right about the time medieval demon knights are feeling tedious, a surprisingly active boss battle gives way to demon hunting on the antarctic peninsula. Not feeling the cold? Good juxtaposition of design transports the player next to an Egyptian blocky landscape, then a post-apocalyptic cyborg universe, and ultimately, to hell.
Each stage provides all-new enemies, weapons, spells, and thus an overall feel to the game. The core gameplay mechanics of keys to unlock doors to unlock the next phase of gameplay remain the same which provides necessary continuity, but each stage feels refreshed. Eeven the digital rock music is unique to each stage and level, with bad guys not returning for a second appearance until the hell levels, and custom songs lasting well past what it should normally take to complete each level.
Carnage Writ Large
The chaos created by the developers is perfect, and not only encourages players to use all the weapons in their arsenal but requires it. There are numerous situations per stage where things go from well under control and nearing predictable, to walls disappearing and revealing an overwhelming force that will likely kill you if distracted. In the midst of the chaos, players have the opportunity to stumble upon other adventurers’ corpses who may have had a different outcome, a gratifying and rewarding easter egg discovery in each stage. These little details make the game. For those looking for a classic trigger happy shooter where killing is the only goal, this is it.
This game shines and stands out from other games with significantly larger budgets and developer teams. Project Warlock is definitely worth a couple of thousand shots at demons and is as enjoyable on console as it was on PC.
It’s time to Rock N’ Roll.
An Xbox One copy of Project Warlock was provided to TheGamer for this review. Project Warlock is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.