Ever since Vampire Survivors seemed to take over the world (well, my world at least), the search has been on for the next big genre hit. There have been some good entries in the genre, and there have certainly been some poor entries in the genre, but now a new challenger has appeared – Whacking Hell! from Sanuk Games.
Taking the familiar Vampire Survivors gameplay and making just enough changes to ensure a lawsuit is unlikely, the question we are gathered here to discuss is whether it is capable of taking it to the leader, or if it should be seen as just another wannabe.
The story of the game is simplicity itself, which can be both a blessing and a curse. The story goes something like this: The gates of Hell have opened, a load of monsters have come flooding out, and someone needs to get rid of them. Or “whack” them as the street parlance would have it. That someone is you… Story over! Short and sweet, eh?
Presentation is slightly different from the usual look of these games. The enemy sprites, and our hero as well, are a lot larger than other games in the genre, and the camera seems to be zoomed in tighter to the action. This works well, as the enemies are well designed and very numerous; seeing them up close and personal does help with the atmosphere of the game. The camera angle is slightly different as well, not being a straight top-down style, running more of an isometric view – and this brings issues. You see, the angle that the camera is at makes the hit box for your character bigger than you think it should be, and you will keep getting hit when you would swear you were well clear of any foes. You can adapt, but initially it is very tricky.
In Whacking Hell! there are different biomes or levels to choose from, and they all have a distinct look, coming across as fine. And the sound is pretty good too, with pleasing tunes that enhance the atmosphere, alongside the usual kind of fighting and dying sound effects you would expect. One sound bite I really like is the little “ahh” your character utters when you pick up a healing item – this never fails to bring a smile to my face. All things considered, the presentation (apart from the weird hit box angle issue) is all good.
So let’s address the gameplay, shall we? And suffice it to say that if you have played that other game that I keep comparing Whacking Hell! to, you’ll be right at home. As is usual in this style of game, you first of all choose your hero, from multiple to unlock, with each one having slightly different stats, such as higher starting health or more damage with a base weapon, for instance. After this, you have to choose the weapon, yet in a slight deviation from the norm, there are again five to unlock and try out, ranging from a bow to a sword. From there, you make your choice as to the levels you wish to challenge.
Once all of this is done, the run starts, with us dropped into level one with a weedy weapon, all before being swamped by enemies. As these guys are killed though, they drop some little “wisps” or whatever they are meant to be, and picking these up gives your character some EXP points. Collect enough of these and you’ll level up, before choosing from a selection of upgrades to help us on our way.
Those upgrades are decent, taking us from the standard weapon, through new magical attacks such as lightning bolts, all the way to upgrades for our character; extra health or enhanced EXP gain. Picking the right things at the right time will help you stay alive, and the way that the weapons you choose get upgraded, means that becoming more powerful before gaining an ultimate version is pretty cool.
However, the weapons in Whacking Hell! aren’t quite as powerful as they are in that other game, and this means you’ll rarely feel like you can just stand still and slaughter anything that comes towards you. Keeping on your toes is vital.
An interesting extra dimension to Whacking Hell! come in the form of the things that the enemies you kill drop. In addition to the expected gold, they also drop wood and iron. As you collect these resources, in between runs you can repair and level up various buildings back in your village, in turn allowing the opportunity to buy extra things to help you on your next run. The Blacksmith gives extra weapons, for instance, and the Town Hall allows you to purchase extra stats for your characters. Again, as things level, new tiers of perks become available. In this way, the circular nature of the gameplay is brought home, and the whole grind becomes actually quite enjoyable. Just like another game I can think of…
There is no doubt that Whacking Hell! does have a portion of that gaming X factor that keeps you coming back for just one more go, as minutes turn to hours. There is a lot to work towards, as the game economy is pretty tight, but as you get better, stay alive longer and bring more resources back, it really does begin to open up.
If it wasn’t for the weird camera angle and the oddly shaped hit box, Whacking Hell! would be getting dangerously close to Vampire Survivors territory. But as it is, it just falls short.
Whacking Hell! Brings Top-Down Shooter Action to Xbox – https://www.thexboxhub.com/whacking-hell-brings-top-down-shooter-action-to-xbox/
Buy Whacking Hell! from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/whacking-hell/9N77QPFDJ5DC
