Helltaker is a puzzle game where the protagonist collects a harem of demons after going into hell.
It has a relatively short and simple story with the focus being on completing the puzzle levels while collecting your harem of demon girls during the process. The art style of the characters takes inspiration from more modern anime like Boku no Hero Academia during the visual novel like scenes and chibi character designs during the puzzle gameplay. Helltaker makes good use of these two art styles by presenting them independently.
The puzzles also feel like they have a nice difficulty flow except for the final level which does not follow the puzzle gameplay of the rest of the game. This last level can be quite frustrating to complete as it tests the players reaction time instead of strategical approach. Helltaker also offers some hidden objectives which will unlock steam achievements, which is nice for a small, free indie Steam game.
The gameplay is relatively simple with the end goal of reaching the demon at the end of each level. The top-down view is rather unique and does make the game feel different from other puzzle games and platformers.
During the top-down section of gameplay the player is provided with a limited amount of moves with traps and enemies taking away moves while movable blocks restrict player movement. After getting to the demon on each level the demon will present the player with two options to choose from.
Choosing the correct option will have the demon joining your harem and lead to the completion of the level. Choosing the incorrect option will however lead to you being killed and having to redo the puzzle level. While this can be frustrating if you struggled with completing the puzzle level, it does provide an extra layer of gameplay which ties the harem collecting and puzzle aspects together. The endings in Helltaker finish the relatively short story well or reveal some interesting things about the characters depending on what you choose to do.
Helltakers soundtrack composed by Mitssies plays an important role in the games atmosphere, has been done really well and is worth a listen to even if you are not a fan of the premise or gameplay of Helltaker.
Helltaker OST (Official)
Overall Helltaker is a fun short puzzle game that can be completed in about two or three hours. I would recommend it to anyone who just wants to collect some demon girls into their harem. Oh and those who tend to like puzzle or visual novel games as well. ;)
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