12.2 hours played
Written 22 days ago
Not for the faint of heart, this GZDoom FPS is something a little more special than most "boomer shooters" these days.
To start, the heart of any DOOM mod project always beats with the blood of real, honest passion, and an authentic DOOM game play feel. What I mean to say is, you're buying purebred DOOM goodness. No doubt about the quality of craftsmanship, either in the good bones laid in the 90s, or the effort that went into what Hedon is today.
But, in Hedon's case, you're really buying a special game. Not just a special game, but TWO special games. Hedon: The Crystal Heart, and Hedon: Bloodrite. While there's no dramatic difference between the two games, it should be noted that there is a different structure to Bloodrite's design when compared to Crystal Heart's. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
You may associate the title with "hedonism", see the half-orc, half-demon protagonist, Zan, on the store banner, and come to some pretty negative conclusions regarding this game, but I'm here to dismiss those misconceptions. This game is not a cringe fantasy-themed "Gooner game". Hedon may have a number of orc and elf babes starring in the central conflict, but it's not really focused on fan-service.
What makes Hedon special is its meticulous world building and elaborate level design. More than any other retro FPS I could name, Hedon's world is a joy to experience. Hedon is most interesting because it really does what id Software's early games failed to do, making up for lost potential. YES, I said FAILED. Hedon creates a world for you to inhabit, fight for, and allows you to become invested in its fate. This is done through a variety of ways, including typical DOOM intermission text, but also utilizing interactive NPCs and companions, a journal, readables, and even brief scripted sequences. The story is also built upon by Hedon's approach to crafting a believable fantasy world.
Levels serve to make you feel as though you're playing an early 90s FPS game in some of those master-class environments from the late 90s imsim scene. In fact, Hedon's level design is most reminiscent of the multi-layered, objective based missions found in the Thief series. The atmosphere and readables found throughout each level only cement that feeling of wonder I often associate with the Thief trilogy. The work done to elevate Hedon from being "just another DOOM clone" allows it to stand apart; Hedon's world feels lived-in, while also being well-designed for DOOM-style combat encounters.
The difference between Crystal Heart and Bloodrite is that CH is much more mission-based, and as I said before, more Thief-like than DOOMy. BR initially plays the same until you reach a certain point early on and hit your FIRST open-world level. Yeah, the level design really opens up and allows you to basically pick a direction and figure out each area as you see fit. From what I've experienced, this doesn't mean the previous style of level design hasn't been thrown out, nor does it mean the open-world level design is a frustrating mess to navigate; the game won't ask you to trek back and forth over the entire map for the sake of progression. In fact, Zan is given a journal to keep track of mission objectives and side-quests.
That being said, I would not recommend this game for anyone expecting your typical DOOM clone. This is a bit of a different beast. On higher difficulties especially, you will be challenged to follow one thread to another to solve objectives. Notes will often point you in the right direction, you will be required to use quest items in your inventory in the location that they are needed to be used, and you will have to put two-and-two together. There are plenty of your typical door-key hunts, but these are the simplest form of progression-gating, while your other objectives will require more thought, observation, and sometimes reading. Don't play this if you expect to blaze through mindlessly. You're going to go nuts wandering levels if you don't pay attention.
Hedon really resembles Heretic or a Hexen game, with magical implements of death and an inventory of handy items and powerups to utilize as you see fit. That being said, this is "crystal punk", so while there is plenty sword and sorcery to be found, there's a certain amount of mechanization and steampunk-ish guns as well. Nothing recognizable, no MAC-11s, but they serve similar purposes, albeit with a creative flair for the fantastic. There's even a separate difficulty with its own melee-centric arsenal, for a real challenge. Combat itself is very much inspired by Brutal DOOM; bad guys burst into guts and gore, gibs galore, and it's no less satisfying here than in Brutal DOOM. You will sometimes encounter NPCs that can be recruited as a companion, and who can be told to stay put when interacted with. It's a very fun, and admittedly pretty tough game at times. If you're not careful and not using your inventory to its full potential, you can get shredded before you even comprehend the danger you're in.
Like I said earlier, Hedon is not for the faint of heart. I highly recommend dipping your toes into Crystal Heart to familiarize yourself with the game's design before going near Bloodrite, because it's really a rewarding journey, if you find the game's style suits you. Hedon is undoubtedly special, and is easily a modern classic. It manages to carve its own unique path, blending satisfyingly chunky, modernized DOOM-style combat, with the sort of story and attention to detailed level design that id Software could have never even dreamed of in the early 90s. Eat your (crystal) heart out, Johns Carmack & Romero.
But please, buy this game, and buy it now. Did I mention it has hot orc ladies?
