Haunted: Attack of the Dead Men

Great, i like it!

Absolutely sucks cant load Artillery shells into my Rifle or carry an artillery battery. (Actually really good despite Being lost in Map 04 forever, Worth it!)

I want to preface this review with a stern warning that this is a genuine throwback. This game looks, plays and is designed exactly like something that escaped from 1994. It is on the same level as camp classics like Isle of the Dead, Fortress of Doctor Radiaki and Killing Time. This means you'll be dealing excruciating key hunts, janky weapons and instant-kill ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ traps. However, that's exactly what makes it fun. Its kind of rare that someone can hit that sweet spot of games you can only do on DOSBox. There's a lot of love peeking out from every corner of this game and despite how (intentionally) rough everything is, it's extremely endearing.

I don't know if i'd call this game a diamond in the rough or a rough diamond, It has a lot of amazing qualities and a criminally unexplored inspiration but it has consistent flaws that make playing it misery. Firstly the map designs are terribly confusing with key locations that make no sense, Expect to spend a long time in a single map listening to a short looping 2 minute song. Secondly a lot of the weapons feel weak, become useless insanely fast, i honestly only used the Trenchgun,Revolver and Flamethrower. Thirdly the boss fights felt underwhelming with the final one taking place in a large room that spawns mostly melee and explosive enemies that i could outrun. However despite that i still couldn't help but love this game and enjoyed clearing rooms of Russians out 7/10 (also map 11 is bugged and you'll have to wait 10 minutes for the elevator to spawn when you're finished)

It's kinda funny how there's at least two FPS games taking place in WW1, both with a heavier focus on action and also have zombies, while also having some flaws. Haunted: Attack of the Dead Men is a Retro FPS developed by GameBeast Productions. It follows a unnamed German soldier in the Great War. While doing the obvious plan during that time of not dying, stumbles across seemingly a sprouting zombie presence. As such it's up to them to fight tooth and nail through horde of undead while trying to discover what caused this outbreak. The game manages to represent it's setting pretty successfully with fitting gameplay to boot that mixes both trench warfare with the usual faster pace that retro FPS games usually capitalize on. It's when the game leans away from that basis is when it starts to rock the boat poorly. Gameplay wise, Haunted has the classic Retro FPS structure. Featuring level by level progression, complete with lots of enemies, plenty secrets to find, and in-general some nonlinear elements in the level design. Levels can get pretty expansive and while you do have a automap. Sometimes a required key can just get lost in the clutter. The guns are pretty accurate to the time period with stuff like luger pistols, bolt-action riflea, trenchguns, flamethrowers, etc. Unlike something like later Wolfenstein games or NecroVision, who's in the same WWI, the game never goes super outlandish with the weaponry. Solid weapons that for the most part get the job done. The enemies though to compare it to anything are more like, what if Doom was just the zombie enemies. Since they're all humanoids using all the weapons you can get just on you. But there are a few unique types like the flamethrower, or sword wielding zombies that shake things up from how you deal with them. Easily the game's biggest strength is having you explore around a level at your own pace being able to take out these foes in enclosed, cramped locations. This is a note I've made a effort to point out cause sometimes the game decides to just include very slaughtermap-esque enemy placement and level design. In the since you're in a big open area with a stupid amount of enemies that you need to kill. Normally this isn't a problem in say, a Doom map, since there's plenty of elements of that game's structure that makes the task manageable in most circumstances. Haunted however, doesn't have this kind of basis. While there's thankfully no hitscan, enemies don't seem to be able to hit each other with gunfire and more importantly infight. Normally this isn't a issue, but in the few levels when there are a lot of enemies in close proximity. It just becomes an absolute slog. One level stands out cause there were so many of the rifle zombies with barely any cover, that they basically were shooting rifle rounds at the rate of a minigun. Really doesn't help that your weapons are intentionally, sans grenades and the flamethrower, made for smaller sized enemy to enemy combat. I think that's why I found the pistols more useful than the machinegun you get simply cause it's a better crowd control weapon cause it's shoots faster. And I wasn't crazy for this cause literally the next level after the rifle zombie superhell was a interior level with cramped hallways and equally cramped combat encounters and the gameplay loop drastically improved. The game has a solid gameplay loop but whenever it tries to lean away from that with challenge it wasn't built for it starts to struggle and sour. Hilariously, that NecroVision game had the exact same problem, great basis being ripped apart by too many conflicting gameplay elements. Stylewise, here's something that that game absolutely nails. As Haunted is obviously trying to replicate the vibe of old Retro FPS games, the game looks the part. A pixely abstract depiction of WW1 countryside trenches, faclities and whatnot. Being that this game runs in the Godot Engine, it's a pretty impressive feat that it's able to replicate that aesthetic pretty decently. Some crack do show that it's a way more powerful engine, like the water effects, lighting, and the use of models but it absolutely serves to enhance the environments. All the weapons and the enemies are seemingly pre-rendered sprites which are fitting for a game like this and are pretty well done. Especially with all the animations of drawing/holstering weapons as you swap between them it's nice stuff. I will also mentioned that you should probably have Vsync enabled as that improves the performance drastically and be wary of crashes as a few levels did cause that, mostly just having large amount of enemies in one place. Overall, I enjoyed Haunted: Attack of the Dead Men when it stuck by what it seemingly was built around. Fighting zombies using cover and tight corridors with slow but usually powerful weapons. It's when it tries to replicate design in something like Doom is where it starts faltering as the guns we're really made to be moving constantly against ludicrous hordes of enemies. It's a pretty short campaign with only 14 levels and one secret but there is a decent amount of replayablity with the achievements. Though as the game does get those difficulty spikes and the fact permadeath is one of the various modifiers you can add to your run, I am content with my playthrough. I think the best way to test this game would be to try the demo since it's the first 4 levels and if you dig what it's putting down, spring for it then. Heck, it went on a deep discount reaching to just 1-2$ during a sale so at that price I'd say it's worth it if you're able to handle it.

Crunchy old school FPS with great vibes and satisfying combat. The obvious comparison is Doom 1918, but that's not the whole story. There is full 3D moving and aiming, and even a jump. Tho the key hunt, mazes, and monster closets are here in full effect. Unfortunately the most frustrating levels are front loaded, but I feel it's worth pushing through, as the atmosphere in the rest of the campaign is great. Good enemy diversity, bosses, and a fun arsenal. Definitely committed some war crimes here. Recommend for FPS and boomer shooter fans.

En toute honnêteté j'aime beaucoup ce jeu, je le trouve vraiment intéressant surtout et admirable comme tous premier jeu de GameBeast Productions, cependant j'y trouve deux gros défaut premièrement sont prix que je trouve un peu cher mais encore ont peu en discuté a ce niveau et en vrai il ma bien occupée Non pour moi le véritable problème c'est sa difficulté non pas des combat même si que certains passage je les trouve particulièrement hard en normal voir quasi impossible sans utilisé de stratégie assez débile surtout en permadead, mais bien de certains niveau qui sont une véritable horreur à navigué et qui plombe le jeu j'en pense surtout aux niveau 2 pour une clé qui particulièrement bien dissimulée dans un trou et qui ma couté 40min de ma vie et d'une solution sur internet, le niveau 4 avec sont labyrinthe bien que fort amusant et l'horrible niveau 12 encore un Labyrinthe mais que je trouve complément affreux qui a eux raison de moi a me perdre pendant 2h et sans cartes bien que visiblement j'était tombé sur l'un des quelque bug plus ou moins chiant, donc je suis tombé oui car j'en n'est eux plusieurs donc certains lier aux sucées steam certains ne se sont pas débloqué et d'autre l'ont fait tous seul Bon après les niveau quand ont connais ils se rush assez facilement Niveau armes ont va détailler un peu car y a des truc a dire - Luger : Rien a dire de particulier dessus -Revolver : Très agréable a utilisé -Le Fusil: Il est un peu pourrir mais très abondant en munition, son attaque secondaire totalement inutile -Le Pompe : J'ai l'impressions qu'il tire plus loins quand les zombies me fusille, -La Mitrailleuse: assez peu utilisée -La grenade nulle a chier -Le Lanceflamme un peu foireux -L'épée c'est génial Niveau bestiaire je trouve que c'est un peu pauvre avec 8 zombies, dans le sens que j'aurai bien vu plus d'ennemi aux corps a corps autre que le cosaque, genre des chiens, des chevaux ou juste des zombies plus classique par exemple Par contre je trouve que certains ennemis donc le type aux fusil a pompe ont des porté assez ridicule, et que j'ai l'impréssions qu'il est quasi impossible d'esquivée les balles Mais en soit malgré ces défauts je le conseille car il est vraiment sympathique