Ever had a bad day at work? Did you think something shady was going down in your company? Were there labs experimenting on chimps? Was your boss the devil? No… Well how about you play High Hell and take down Pitch Corp in a frenzy of door smashing, wild shooting, money burning destruction!
Developed by Terri Vellmann and Doseone, High Hell is a fast action FPS game that gives you the opportunity to rampage through office blocks kicking and shooting all over the place. With its vivid colours, surreal visuals and electronic beats it really gets your blood pumping. Back in 2014 Terri Vellmann gave us ‘Heavy Bullets’ with a unique take on FPS, a vibrantly neon game that was as difficult as it was fun and it’s great to see that style being upgraded in High Hell. Doseone, who made the soundtrack for ‘Enter the Gungeon’, brings an awesome score that adds to the chaotic nuance and keeps you pumped through the fast paced action.
Another notch in the belt for publisher Devolver, who have brought us a range of fantastic games like Broforce, Talos Principle and Absolver.
You play a masked woman with revenge on her mind as you shoot your way through different office buildings whilst trying to complete a main and secondary objective. These vary in the game to stealing a Portrait of the boss, blowing up statues, burning flags to saving virgin goats and sabotaging their wiener pumps. With little other plot in the game you get to enjoy this mad satanic world they have created and find numerous Easter eggs and secrets in the maps. This game has been designed more for its frantic nature with quick levels which leans it toward a speed run style of game.
It’s absurdly entertaining to play through and most demon balaclava wearing goons go down with one shot. You can take a few hits and each kill returns some life energy so you can just keep surviving, barely. When you kick down a door and run madly into a room with a few goons shooting at you and clean them out with a flurry of shots aimed roughly where you saw them (or through attempting the level several times and learning their position) you get to just kick lab equipment around or shoot up the bags of coke lying around everywhere. Why stop there? How about destroying a goons birthday party on the roof or killing helpless naked, but armed, goons in the shower. Seeing their ragdoll bodies fly all over the place for your kicking entertainment. Complete the objective and to finish the level just jump of the building and parachute to safety.
In its cell shaded style the grey office buildings really mimic reality and aid the bloated shape of the goons in black and crimson. It has this 90’s style of slight colour blur that feels like you’re watching old movies. It all blends together to create a really nice looking game that is more about its style and game play. Add a fast paced soundtrack that helps you keep your quick fire timing zoned, turn up the speakers, and power through High Hells 20 levels.
The game is designed for speed runs as there are so many ways to complete objectives quickly and move on and with a quick search online you can quickly find someone who has mastered this run and gun game. Its controls are simple, run, jump, duck and shoot. No reloads as you have infinite ammo and finding the quickest way to clear the level or kill a few bosses can keep you going for hours. This game has no controller support so mouse and keyboard only. This helps the speedy style and precision aiming.
After completing a level you are treated to odd little mini-games while the next level loads. They are ridiculous but well within the humour of the game. In a point and click style you can spray paint the bosses portrait, turn chimps into mind-controlled killers, throw anything and everything into a ball pit and even scare goats with an air horn. It adds a really nice touch to the game and keeps you active between levels to keep you on your toes.
There are collectible DMEN dolls in the game that are very well hidden and sometimes difficult to reach but collecting some and even all of them unlocks some achievements. With only 21 achievements available it shows there isn’t a lot to do in the game but trying to beat some of the achievements is incredibly hard (well it was for me). For example beat level seven without getting shot, or speed run the game in less than 20 minutes. Just playing through the game can take a couple of hours but if you want that 100% you may end up sinking plenty of hours in.
Playing High Hell was a complete rush, replaying levels again and again to improve and better your self was addictive. With its simple game play, solid sound and visuals it’s an experience to be had. At £8.99 on steam it’s a steal. It’s time to put on your kicking shoes and stick it to the man, one demonic goat at a time.
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