As someone who has a deep-seated love for the big red lug, we’re rather excited about the prospect of a Hellboy game on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5 and Nintendo Switch. When it has the involvement and key art of original creator Mike Mignola, we get even more excited. That’s Hellboy Web of Wyrd.
Publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment and developers Upstream Arcade used The Game Awards to announce the collaboration, showcasing Hellboy Web of Wyrd as a roguelite action adventure game. It features a completely bespoke, never-before-seen story from Mike Mignola, and – most importantly – it features the dulcet tones of Lance Reddick, perennial Hellboy.
If you’re a Hellboy comics fan, then you’ve had a hard time of it recently in modern media. The 2018 Hellboy movie was a steaming pile, and Hellboy: The Science of Evil wasn’t much cop. But we’re in good hands here, particularly as the art style seems to be reminiscent of the comics, aided by some artful cel-shading, and Mike Mignola’s involvement can only be auspicious.
The plot centres on the Butterfly House, a mysterious manor built by occultist Pasquale Deneveaux, as a gateway to the Wyrd. This is a vast inter-dimensional web of wondrous and horrifying planes of existence (gosh, everyone loves a multiverse right now, don’t they?). When a BPRD agent gets lost in the manor, they call on the most famous agent of them all, Hellboy, alongside his team. It’s not clear yet who is in this team, but we have a list that we hope includes Abe Sapien, Liz and Homunculus.
The different realms house a separate investigation that needs to be completed. This is in itself a positive, as it’s often easy to forget that the BPRD and Hellboy were created to investigate and learn, not just boff demons and giants on the head. But there is still combat to be found, as forgotten godforms and ancient evils lie festering in the Wyrd. You need to put a stop to them reaching the Butterfly House and settling on Earth.
“Adapting the Hellboy comics to a game is a dream project for all of us. The opportunity to create something authentic — that’s something we take very seriously,” said Amanda Kruse, Publishing Director at Good Shepherd Entertainment. “Our partnership with Mike Mignola and the creative team at Dark Horse has been inspiring. The support and trust they’ve given us has allowed Upstream Arcade to bring their vision to life. Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a bold new work we are excited to share with fans of the comics and action-adventure games alike.”
“We are extremely excited by this amazing new Hellboy game developed by Good Shepherd Entertainment,” said Mike Richardson, CEO of Dark Horse Media. “Mike Mignola has created a hero and world unique in comics, and this game gives fans a new way to share in his supernatural adventures.”
Key game features will include:
- An Authentic Comic Adaptation: Experience gripping storytelling, visuals and atmosphere that evoke the distinct style of the original comics, crafted in collaboration with series creator Mike Mignola. Every moment looks and feels like it was ripped right from the comics.
- A New Story Inspired by the Hellboy Universe: Unravel a sprawling, spine-tingling original adventure true to the spirit of the comics and brought to life with the illustrious voice of Lance Reddick as Hellboy.
- Become the Legendary Hellboy: Explore the secret depths of the Wyrd, discovering wonders and terrors beyond your imagination. Chain together hard-hitting melee and ranged attacks in challenging combat against a nightmarish menagerie of otherworldly monsters to survive.
You can probably tell that we’re excited about this one. It looks authentic to the comics, and all the right decisions seem to be being made. While we don’t even have a release year for this one, we’re mentally logging it as one to watch.
As a reminder, Hellboy Web of Wyrd is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5 and Nintendo Switch. It’s available to wishlist now on Steam, and you can head to www.HellboyWebofWyrd.com to find out more information.
