Indie Gems: Project Warlock

Build engine. The engine that fans of first person shooters hold especially dear. The engine that made several classics in the mid-to-late 90s possible. Yes, I'm talking about Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Shadow Warrior, Redneck Rampage, and a few others. Then, there are also Outlaws, Hexen, Doom, Quake and, of course, Wolfenstein 3D - games that were created using other engines, but the gameplay remains very similar (and engaging). So, why am I mentioning all these nostalgia-fuelled shooters? Well, it just so happens that there's a new FPS title by Buckshot Software that tries to recapture this magic. Its name? Project Warlock.

A GOG exclusive for the time being, Project Warlock is not about world wars, touching personal stories or being the leader of a growing resistance group. Not at all. You're simply given a knife, an axe and a bunch of standard FPS weapons, along with several (mostly average) spells. Your only mission is to kick hundreds and hundreds of monster butts over the course of 60 levels. And truth be told, it's quite fun.

Why you should play it

• Created by a 19-year-old dude.
• A nod to FPS classics we play and love to this day.
• Lack of focus on story is refreshing in the genre.
• Five different worlds with their own sets of monsters.
• Skill points and upgrade points that can be used to upgrade your character and weapons.
• Very fast pace, ideal for speedruns.

What might put you off

• Engine used (Unity3D) is a hit-or-miss thing.
• Too dark at times (although the developer mentioned it will be fixed soon).
• Music does get a bit on the repetitive side.
• Level design is good, but lacks a bit of depth.

Plays similarly to

90% of the classic FPS titles from the mid-to-late 90s that we all know and love (read the intro of this article).

I'd like to point out that this is not the only game that draws inspiration from the aforementioned classics. There are several other games that are still in early access, but are also being developed with one clear goal in mind - bringing back the glory of action-packed first person shooters from the 90s. Check out DUSK, AMID EVIL and Ion Maiden (a game running on the beloved Build Engine). You'll be glad you did.