![]() ![]() Holy Hell is both a teardown and a rebuild, and while it isn't always an easy listen, there is some hard-won catharsis to be found in its attempt to distill the messiness of grief into four-minute blasts of sonic demolition. Hell Architect is a game about building and managing your own hell. Architects are aptly named, as their knack for blowing shit up is equaled only by their appetite for construction. The towering "Mortal After All," which features one of the band's best riffs in years, impresses as well, as does the fractured "Royal Beggars" and the soaring closer, "A Wasted Hymn," all three of which push the needle into the red without sacrificing melody. ![]() Vocalist Sam Carter finds access to more firepower than usual, raging against the dying of the light on standout cuts like "Doomsday," "Hereafter," and "Death Is Not Defeat," with the expected rawness of someone who just lost his best friend. Hell Architect Review Score Definition We tell you, it’s a good game It’s not average It might have some problems here and there, but you have to admit it is a Good game. Structurally, Holy Hell mirrors its predecessor, with atmospheric chamber-core synths and strings giving way to meaty riffs - new guitarist Josh Middleton ( Sylosis) makes an impressive debut - and seismic breakdowns - Dan Searle remains one of the genre's most dynamic drummers. Simultaneously defiant and utterly broken, the 11-track set is spilling over with invective and despondency, but there is a shaky through-line of hope that imbues every down-tuned bend and primal scream with the faintest of glows. They’re all pretty chill down there.The British metalcore stalwarts' eighth full-length effort, Holy Hell is the follow-up to 2016's brutal and wildly nihilistic All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, and the first Architects release to not feature founding member and lead songwriter Tom Searle, who passed away in 2016 after a three-year struggle with cancer. The Mad Welshman doesn’t mind visiting Hell. I can’t ignore the emotional component of playing a game, however. For me, however, it just didn’t gel, even if that feels unfair to say, even to me. Maybe, if you like strategy/management/building type deals, you’ll find pleasure in this. Wh-whoah-whoah-whoah-whoah-whoah… They actually do have needs? Well, shit…Įven so, this is one of those times where, despite my heavy dislike of doing this, I can’t help but compare it to another game, and find it wanting in comparison. Hell, it still is, perfectly serviceable, lots of playtime ahead, things to look forward to, tortures, etcetera. And this is the thing… If I didn’t have this comparison, it would be an alright game in my book. No congratulations, devs, this really should be normal across the games industry), but the cutscenes are visually appealing, what’s what is pretty clear, the music’s fitting, and the voice acting’s solid.īut it’s lacking the same character I saw in Oxygen Not Included, except with the torture devices. UX is a little small, even on max scaling (upside: It has UX scaling. The game being Oxygen Not Included (review here.) Always fond of a wee cutscene, and I do like the painted aesthetic on display…Īesthetically, it’s alright. All well and good.Įxcept… I can’t help but compare it to an earlier game, not only because of the (very) similar gameplay, but because it’s precisely why I feel so dissatisfied. It’s one of those pauseable real time management and building deals, in which you take care of your sinners while torturing them (sinners, apparently, still need food, drink, and proper toilet breaks (to make drinks) in Hell), building various things to look good to your boss (Lucifer, naturally), set underground (again, this is natural and common imagery of Hell), coming with a sandbox (the most commonly played), a solid tutorial, and scenarios to play with. There is, on the surface, nothing wrong with Hell Architect. Hahaha, clothes? Why would you need clothes in hell?… I bet you’re all 1%ers too, how does it feel to lose your underwear, let alone your shirt? But what I can say is that I felt… An odd sense of disappointment with it. Much like describing my issues with demons/Lucifer as tempters, knowing where the hell (ha) to start with this review has been difficult for me. ![]()
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