Hope Deferred

Hope Deferred is an oppressive, abstruse and hostile game. It is an unconventional horror game. The game involves platforming when the engine very clearly does not want to be used for platforming. It is clever, witty, and cruel. Escape the Red Hell and realize things have only just begun...

Hope Deferred is a psychological horror game made on FromSoftware's Sword of Moonlight engine, which, in laymen's terms, means it was created on one of the most archaic and ancient pieces of software one can still make games on. Now, there are some tools in place to help make it a more user-friendly experience for modern audiences, such as mouselook and modern keyboard bindings, but you need to go into this with the proper expectations and know the limits of the engine itself. Go into this knowing there will be bugs, know that there might be some jank, and know that it is all the better for it. I thought to myself several times while playing Hope Deferred, "Man, if SoM had had the same grassroots boom that RPGMaker did, this would be one of the all time greats that people talked about". My favorite thing about playing fangames or RPGMaker horror games or a game like Hope Deferred is that you get these really beautiful glimpses into the creator of the game, and what they're inspired by. Importantly, I love games like this because I know that I'm not getting what I want, I'm getting exactly what the creator wants me to get. Just as much a work of art as it is a playable video game, an outlet for one individual to express themselves and their Being. With this idea in mind, it's a no-brainer why the person who created this game chose to create this story in Sword of Moonlight. Using Sword of Moonlight for your game is cool as hell, of course, but on top of that, the friction it provides to the player is intended, and to some extent, needed. This game wouldn't work if you didn't struggle at least a little bit. Hope Deferred is a game about Sin, about Guilt, about Religion, and Loss. There's a connection this game makes of Religion, Sin, and how your upbringing, depression, anxiety, etc. can make you believe you're a bad person, going to hell. In my mind at least, the idea that the universe of the game wants me to suffer, and that I deserve to suffer, only amplifies these connections for me. Aside from the gameplay itself, which is exactly what you would expect from a SoM game, Hope Deferred absolutely nails it's aesthetic goals time and time again, every frame of this game is gorgeous, and every level fully drenched in it's own unique color adds a lot to the style. Clunky platforming aside, the setpieces in this game were really beautiful and some of the spots in this game blew me away. There is a lot more to this game than what I saw on my single playthrough, and I'm sure there is at least 3 endings, but there's probably more. A lot of secrets I only saw glimpses of. Once you know what you're doing, it's not too long to push through most of the areas of the game, and I look forward to seeing everything else this game has to offer.

[b]This game is mysterious. What appears to be a deeply personal expression of one's self told through the limited medium of an archaic engine built to make King's Field games.[/b] This game functionally plays like one of those because it is using the [i]Sword of Moonlight[/i] engine, and, if I'm not mistaken, uses a lot of the assets that come baked in. Which creates this dissonance, as visually the world is a medieval fantasy, but half the dialogue spoken will reference pay phones and cars from our modern world, while half is grounded in that fantasy. I feel the dissonance works in the game's favor as it makes the world feel alien in a way that piques your curiosity. [b]If you enjoy games inspired by King's Field made in the King's Field engine, you're good to go. [/b] But if you don't care for the difficulty of King's Field-likes, but you are the sort who enjoys art that is raw, suffering through the game is worth the effort. The worst aspect is probably going to be the combat, though the lack of direction can occasionally be a close second. The combat is all over the place. At first it was atrocious as enemies took 30 hits or more to kill. It got so bad I just started running past everything cause killing it wasn't fun. But then I got to the Catacombs, a confusing maze jam packed with skeletons. Finally I decided it would be easier to clear out the enemies so I could take my time and create a better mental map (there is no in game map, very easy to get turned around) But it takes so long to kill them, I think I should just try leveling up, so I go back to the Castle, grind up to 1000 EXP, and this... makes things tolerable, but skeletons are still taking a minute of circle strafing and stabbing their ass to go down. I wish the game gave ya more loot, or at least weapons. Cause you get a 1 dmg knife and a 2 dmg club. In the 4th level, the Towers, you find a guy who's selling a sword, but I didn't have enough money... plus by then I had 50dmg spells that were 1 shotting everything, so combat being slow and boring was no longer and issue. But that was sort of a problem with the back half of the game. It goes from it takes 5 minutes to kill something to everything is a 1 hit kill and I don't have to try. There's a real lack of progression in the challenge. Thankfully the game has other strengths holding it up. There is a real sense of exploration and excitement when you find the puzzle piece that will allow you to progress. There is also a lot of optional spaces to find. Not sure how one goes about exploring those space though, as I feel I got a key for the Sewers at the Towers, but due to the rigid progression forced by the platforming there, I couldn't simply walk back to the Town to access them, and the end of the Towers seemed to lead directly into Heaven. There is also allegedly multiple endings, and outside exploring the optional content, I have no clue what decides your fate. [spoiler]Based on my ending, being told I was a bad person who had perpetuated harm, and that I was left behind in this entity's rapture,[/spoiler] my theory was that I had to do a pacifist run, only to discover that was impossible, as the game basically forces you to do a murder in order to progress. Alternatively, my only other theory was how one answers a series of questions at Heaven's Gate. While the whole game alludes to traumas, I feel like a bulk of it is dumped onto the player in the last minutes of the game. It takes what was subtext and turns it into text. It's a lot to take in. And with a lack of in game character to ascribe these feelings to, it's hard not to interpret them as literal to the developer and psycho analyze the contents. [b]All in all, I think this will appeal to the niche of players who like King's Field-likes, and those who enjoy games that devs poured themselves into. So long as you don't mind the rough edges of the Sword Of Moonlight engine, bad combat progression, or not being given any real direction in game.[/b] I appreciate the dev for sending[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45463802-Haunted-PS1/] the Haunted PS1 curator group [/url] a copy for review. This absolutely fits the vibe.

The story hits more through emotion than straight-up explanation, and each level feels like you're diving deeper into your own head. Combat's not really the main thing it’s more about the heavy atmosphere and that quiet kind of horror that sticks with you even after you're done playing. The sound design definitely gets under your skin. Gold’s super limited, so when you finally buy something useful, it actually feels earned. It’s rough around the edges, sure, but if you just let yourself get into it, it’s an experience that really sticks.

A fever dream from hell. I recommend Hope Deferred if you want something a little different. This game plays with what we expect from a videogame at all, and extends the spectrum of experiences one can have in the genre. Is it Horror? Is it a dungeon crawler? That's kind of up to you. It is unsettling, I'll tell you that much. ... if you know a thing or two about religion(s): It's downright fascinating.

An engaging work of art with no shortage of vibes to soak in. A very interesting play unlike much else out there. A must-play if you're a fan of the Sword of Moonlight engine.

This is a good game. Play it. I really wanted to get at least 2 endings before writing a review, but screw it. This is one of the most disturbing pieces of media I've experienced. Expect an uncomfortably personal, gut-wrenching story told in a non-linear souls-esque style, covered in a very interesting depiction of religious themes. All wrapped up in the beautifully crusty King's Field engine. I'm not the most empathetic person, but playing this game is unnerving. When you start at least somewhat relating to the stuff in the game, it really gets to you. It's fascinating and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up, and I love it for this. Also, funnily, this game made me start reading Philip K. ♥♥♥♥. Good stuff, unsurprisingly. I really hope that this game will get the attention it deserves, and I hope that the dev is in a good place now (very chill and friendly person by the way, you can talk to them on the Sword of Moonlight Discord). I hope to see more projects from them. And yeah, I'm definitely going in back for seconds.

[h2] Briefly [/h2] Incredible game that takes you back to your childhood. [table] [tr] [th]+[/th] [th]-[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Atmosphere[/td] [td]UI[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Gameplay[/td] [td]-[/td] [/tr] [/table] Total 9/10 [h2] Full review [/h2] In today's world, it's pretty unusual to see a game like this. I was pleasantly surprised that the game managed to evoke that sense of exploration. The gameplay is simple yet exciting. You need to explore locations time and again to find new places you hadn't noticed before. The atmosphere of old games is conveyed perfectly. I recommend this game, although I realise that not everyone may like it.

A fascinating game rife with secrets, grotesque art, chilling stories, and sincerity. Paired with the engine it's using, the game is one of a kind, and I found myself coming back to it looking for answers multiple times. If an uncomfortable horror game with multiple playthroughs that begs you to keep digging deeper sounds like your vibe, absolutely keep this one in mind.

You probably think, like I did, that you have a good grasp on what this game is before you play it. It's made in the Sword of Moonlight engine, it's described as a 'PSX inspired dungeon crawler', it's one of those Kings Field tribute games right? Well, no not quite. It's more like a world that has sat rotting for thousands of years and now reality is beginning to bleed into it. A soul pulled out of the wreckage of a car crash and inserted straight into a nightmare. Always more to it than you assume. Really cool work