HROT - Quake-inspired shooter set in socialist Czechoslovakia

[SilentMRG]

Dusk uses Unity and runs horribly on a potato. Unity + Potato just doesn't mix. HROT, despite being younger than Dusk, runs beautifully on a potato, this is because the developer was not lazy and rolled up his sleeves to build his own engine, something rare among indie developers. It may seem silly that I'm talking about PCs (potatoes), but, for those who own potatoes, these things make a difference.

Overall, I found HROT to be more fun than Dusk and much faster in gameplay. One of the things that bothers me about Dusk is that no hands, I don't know, maybe the Dusk developer was thinking about VR? Because playing Dusk is like playing a game designed for VR due to the lack of the character's arm holding the gun. HROT doesn't have this weird art direction decision or whatever. The only thing that bothered me a little was the color, brown everywhere, but that's a detail that doesn't make much difference. Anyway, I hope that HROT receives more episodes and expansions, this title has a lot of potential to burn over the years.

 

[Ivan]

One of the things that bothers me about Dusk is that no hands, I don't know, maybe the Dusk developer was thinking about VR?

lol what a silly thing to complain about

 

[Ivan]

Picked this up during summer sale. Some quick impressions:

Levels have a great pacing and the game has a lot of personality.

The aesthetic is so brown that I've now more than a few times become lost/stuck b/c there was a switch or panel that blended in too well to the brown walls. These moments do amount to tedium but they are pretty few and far between. There was one time where it wasn't a well camouflaged panel but a an electric switch I didn't notice

Sound is pretty weak with regard to weapons, but the game does a great job of establishing an eerie atmosphere. It sometimes reminds me of the first Silent Hill. I love being surprised by what next will turn out to be an enemy.

Movement mechanics are very limited, there's no sprinting, crouching, and the jump is also very limited. I like the exploration and I'm having to make use of those hidden items to survive/replenish my ammo.

The moments where my play sessions end are usually a result of me not understanding the level design/must be missing a brown switch somewhere in the brown walls or an electric panel.

 

[Ivan]

From my STEAM review:
I never thought I'd use the word "charming" to describe a Quake-inspired FPS, but here I am. HROT has a ton of personality and I enjoyed it's compact levels. I always felt like it was keeping me on my toes: the enemy roster will surprise you, the game sound design may baffle you, but it all comes together. It's a short romp but a damn fine enjoyable one.

I particularly enjoyed:

Spoiler

the farting heavies. I didn't know that you could recharge the elec gun by shocking yourself. I didn't know about the kicking back of grenades. the whole final sequence was a lulzy experience. And I loved the level where you lose your weapons and have to rely on the dog.