Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a third-person beat 'em up roguelike game developed by Upstream Arcade and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 October 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Gameplay
Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a third-person beat 'em up with elements from roguelike games. Hellboy can chain physical attacks with ranged attacks to create combos. Both Hellboy and other enemies in the game are protected by "Toughness", which is a recharging buffer that tempoarily shields them from permanent damage. If Hellboy takes too much damage, he can unleash a special attack named "Payback", allowing him to inflict devastating damage on nearby enemies. The players also need to investigate areas occasionally. In the game, Hellboy must venture to the "Butterfly House", which has doorways to a peculiar dimension known as "The Wyrd", to locate a BPRD agent who is missing in action. While the Butterfly House serves as a hub area for the player, levels in the game are procedurally generated.
Development
Hellboy Web of Wyrd is an original game based on Dark Horse Comics' titular comic series. It was revealed at The Game Awards 2022, and has a hand drawn style that replicates Mike Mignola's art. British studio Upstream Arcade collaborated closely with Mignola when working on the game's narrative. It is also one of Lance Reddick's final posthumous roles. The game was released worldwide for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 October 2023.
Reception
Hellboy Web of Wyrd received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.
Mitchell Demorest from PCGamesN praised its art direction and voice actors perfomances, but criticized the combat system for being too basic for a roguelike video game. Ken Talbot from Push Square said that it "is created by people with a reverence for Mignola's work", stating the achievement to translate the visual style to a 3D enviroment.