We played these spirits between science fiction and horror

Dolmen is an Action RPG that, like many titles, is inspired by the series Evil spirits. However, the game stands out for its somewhat Lovecraftian inspiration which primarily takes advantage of the vocabulary of the sci-fi genre to provide us with a different framework and landscape than what is done and seen in the world.

Thus, a lot of comparison has been made to him with the license dead space. main games visceral games Based on of software To be famous to say the least, let’s hope the title was developed by Mega Action Studio Stand out and deliver a rewarding experience. After we’ve had the chance to pre-test the game via a preview, we’re giving you our feelings below.

Preview terms: We played Dolmen on PC via Steam. The preview was done with 3 and a half hours of gameplay allowing us to complete the two areas provided from the demo as well as being able to observe the few systems already set up in this demo like crafting for example. Previewed on a PC with 32GB of RAM, an RTX 3080 and i7-10700k running at 3.80GHz.

Context and the first step

After a short scene revealing the first lines of the game’s story, our character is transported to Revion Prime: a mining station plagued by multiple attacks from violent beings. A first look at the station already reveals the dilapidated state of the place. However, if creatures and place can, to a minimum, suggest a dead spaceThe level design is very similar to what can be found in similar spirits. The horror aspect is actually less realistic and the comparison is less clear with games visceral games.

The last few lessons, fans of this genre will not be too confused. We find somewhat similar mechanisms. At least a small demarcation, there is an energy gauge and you can tap on it in order to heal yourself, to use your weapons from a distance, or to activate a temporary mode that allows you to boost your attacks by powering them up. primary. Obviously, these qualities make it possible to coat the enemy with side effects that can slow him down or poison him, for example.

For now, the feel is certainly not perfect but it still holds true because the mechanisms are well thought out. The chemistry between melee combat and long-range combat is well established. Levels and power meter prevent excessive use of long range attacks, and the various equipment we were able to test show that weapons and specializations offer a variety of play styles and enjoyment. However, small hiccups do exist.

We note for example the stiffness in some of the animations which is sometimes unpleasant in combat. The use of potions is also frustrating for two reasons. First, because the use time is very long. Second, because they regenerate the scale of energy used to heal you, it’s an even more frustrating step if you want to heal urgently. Finally, the visual feedback of shield deployment does not occur immediately, which makes the guard very unintuitive. In short, a player’s or player’s defensive choices are subject to a lot of small concerns that would be good to be resolved.

Collections, history and level design, where are we?

Let’s take a look at the visual envelope of the title. From what we’ve seen in the game now, the sci-fi inspiration is definitely clear but it’s still hard to say that the title is truly unique. The creatures seen in the two areas don’t really shine through and the graphic aspect of the title is respectable but won’t impress visually. Besides its history, dolmen He does not hesitate to deliver his hero’s voice and involve some of the characters in his story. In fact, here it was possible for us to host a character on the ship of the protagonist that serves as the center of the game.

Hopefully the storytelling will be exploited more than we’ve been given a vision because only a few interactions with the rare text boxes or dialogs allowed us to learn more about the game’s lore. With three different sections, this preview was an opportunity to partially explore the first two of the game and see the overall approach proposed in dolmen.

We were able to discover a first somewhat labyrinthine section and a second more open with slightly different mechanisms. However, it is difficult for us to make a real judgment after only 3 hours of playing. For example, it would have been easy to guess that the starting level we encountered was part of a much larger context.

Finally, we can emphasize the very drab and lackluster HUD display and the brief presence of some bugs. Likewise, it would be nice to do a full review of the character inventory interface and wording that is hard to digest today. But these points do not worry us at all, as it would make sense that they will be subject to improvements or overhaul by the time of release.