The term “Lovecraftian” refers to the works of H.P Lovecraft, and could also be known as cosmic or eldritch horror. Lovecraftian typically invokes themes of the unknown and the insignificance of humanity when considering the vast, unknowable wonders/horrors of the cosmos. Probably the most recognized figure in Lovecraftian horror is the eldritch god, Cthulhu, known for inducing madness in the minds of humanity. There seems to have been a boom in Lovecraftian horror in video games starting in early 2000s and continues to this day. Though my own video game collection doesn’t delve too deeply into this genre, it’s still something that fascinates me. I could easily get invested into a Lovecraftian game’s lore and oddities.
HYPERVIOLENT is a newcomer to the Lovecraftian genre and I believe it holds up well. This retro, first-person boomer shooter takes the player on a journey of mystery and…well, violence. Developed by nfoPRINCE and Terminist Arcade, and published by Fulqrum Publishing, the game had a full release on September 23rd, 2025. HYPERVIOLENT takes the approach of a retro sprite-based 3D FPS from the 1990s, similar to games such as Doom and System Shock. With 14 stages and 4 difficulty settings, the player must shoot through hordes of zombie-like creatures as they make their way through a mining facility. So, get those severed appendages equipped because it’s time to discuss HYPERVIOLENT!
Short Disclaimer: At the time of writing (10/03), there is a game-breaking bug on stage 3 that unfortunately does not allow me to progress. The developers are aware and working on a fix. Though I wish I had a bit more gameplay to go through, I feel as if I have enough information to give a decent review.
The Story: A Story of the Unknown
The story begins by introducing us to a mining facility in space. Here they mine a rare, coveted and highly volatile matter known as “Nihlium.” We have responded to a distress signal coming from the facility, but shortly after arriving we find the place has been plagued with violence amongst its workers. Something, or someone, has caused them to turn zombie-like and extremely aggressive. They will attack or shoot the player on sight. With some assistance from an AI guide named Paige, we must traverse through the facility to discover what exactly is going on. The player will come across corpses that hold data pads which give us small pieces of lore.
The developers crafted the world building exceptionally well. I love piecing the story together myself through data logs, rather than being told everything up front. The game did a great job at not just pulling me into the story, but keeping my interest throughout. Some messages are from people who are just expressing their thoughts on their jobs. Others, such as the image above, are more cryptic and show their minds going mad. Even though HYPERVIOLENT would probably not be considered a “horror” game, the overall tone is still creepy. It certainly made me feel uneasy as I was playing. The developers did an amazing job with the atmosphere! They created an enticing story that made me want to know more, despite what horrors may be lurking around the next corner.
I do have one big question and it’s not about what is happening, but rather who are we playing. Our protagonist is a responder to the distress signal, makes deep grunts when kicking and is extremely jacked (even the body on the HUD has abs). My best guess is that this was done intentionally to be reminiscent of the meat-head alpha-male figures of early games similar to this. However, as a fan of characters, I want to know a bit more about who it is I’m playing. Give us a name at least!
The Gameplay: Shotguns and Severed Arms
The controls in HYPERVIOLENT are super simple to grasp when using keyboard and mouse. You are able to equip items into both the left and right hand and can use the corresponding mouse button to use the item you are holding. Some items require both hands to equip, such as the trusty shotgun. You control movement with the WASD keys, though it might take some time to get used to. Turning seems to be very sensitive on default settings. However, after a few minutes of whiplash, I was able to get the hang of things and progress forward.
As you travel, you will come across a items and loot to pick up and take with you. There is a wide variety of weapons. This includes ranged guns such as a LMG or Compakt (pistol) and melee weapons such as Shock Batons and my favorite, severed appendages. Guns do require ammo, so it’s best to have a few backup weapons just in case. There are also some utility items to equip, such as a ballistic shield or the sometimes much required flashlight. Equippable items such as these have durability that will go down over-time as you use them, rendering them unusable. You can repair these items but picking up some repkits and stripped materials. Of course there are healing items as well, such as “much colas” and health vials. There are also a few other items to collect, like grenades and empty vials too.
With so many items to pick up, inventory management plays a huge factor in this game. You only have a limited space to carry things. This might require some planning to make sure you have the right equipment on hand at all times. I usually choose melee weapons in most games, but sometimes the situation forced me to pull out a gun. Much like the weapons, different types of enemies will have different types of attacks. Some will rush at you and take things up close while others shoot from a distance. In rooms with a few ranged enemies, its probably best to take up the gun rather than try to beat them down with the baton. Enemies also have different, unseeable, health bars as well, requiring more hits to kill.
You must unlock certain doors using corresponding colored nanocards. It scatters save points throughout the map, freeing you from relying solely on autosaves. Rooms feature multiple levels that you can reach by jumping, taking an elevator, or parkouring your way up.
Overall, I think the gameplay is decent and I had fun playing! However, the AI in enemies is not the brightest. They usually came at me in a single-file line or turn away mid-combat to reposition, allowing me to take them down easily. Enemies are also the type that will stay static from where they spawn in the world. They only moved once I made my presence known. Again, this could just be for the sake of nostalgia and theme, but a little more of a challenge would not hurt.
I also felt that there was an unbalancing when it came to finding items, at least in the few stages I was able to play. I ran out of ammo constantly, and not just for one gun, but for all my guns. Even though some enemies do carry guns themselves, they don’t guarantee looting ammo. What I did have a surplus on was health vials, which made the game perhaps a bit too easy. I generally had over 20 in my inventory, each healing for roughly 20 points of damage. It was super easy to just run away mid-fight, heal up and then come back, without changing my strategy too much. In the games defense, I was playing on standard difficulty, not brutal which promises less loot and a tougher challenge.
The Graphics & Audio: MILDVIOLENT
As mentioned before, the game takes a retro 3D pixel-based style reminiscent of games in the 1990s. Growing up, I didn’t really play games like these, but even I still had that nostalgic feeling. Popping heads off and watching the bodies fall felt super satisfying with headshots or watching them explode from close-up shotgun kills was pretty cool. Pixelation softens the impact of seeing gore—bodies strung up or innocent women lying dead on couches don’t feel quite as disturbing.
The audio follows along with the nostalgic feeling as well. Enemies made simple screams or grunts when they attacked. The music is a nice balance of intensity during battle and quieter to build suspense during tense moments of exploration. I did feel at times they added “generic creepy sounds” such as ghost children laughing. I don’t believe there were ever children present in this facility, but this I can forgive. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of dialogue either, but the one human I came across sounded realistic and believable.
Like I said before, the developers did a great job at creating an effective atmosphere to make me feel uneasy. However, for a game called HYPERVIOLENT, I found myself wanting more violence. There’s a small mechanic of wiping blood off of your visor, but I never used it. Any blood that did show was small, unnoticeable and went away on its own. Also, because enemies stayed where they spawn, they did not interact with the environment. Let me enter a room and see a small group feeding on one of the strung up corpses. They could make noises outside of combat to create the illusion that they’re chasing, even though they’re actually in another room. Simple things like these would certainly add to the overall experience and make the game feel more violent.
The Future: Multiplayer, PVP and other Wishes
I can’t seem to find a post-release roadmap to confirm what will be next for HYPERVIOLENT. However, I was able to find some small things the developers stated in my research. They wanted to include a multiplayer option with the full release, but were unable to implement this—yet. I believe the plan is to still add multiplayer functions later on. It will be interesting to see how this might affect things such as looting. The game does seem set up to include it, as before even starting the game, you must select single player. I also believe I saw something about a possible PVP mode, though I’m not sure how this might look.
Among my other wishes I mentioned throughout this review—loot balancing, more violence, slight uptick in challenge—my other big wish is for a map or mini-map on the HUD. Objectives will inform you of what to do next, though unless I’m missing something, there is no way to remind yourself of what the objective is. They also do not tell you where to go, which is why a map would be super helpful. I often got turned around and lost, wandering aimlessly through rooms I already explored. The map is certainly not as huge as it seems, which is why a simple mini-map in the upper right hand corner of the HUD would be super helpful—even if it’s one that you have to discover yourself so that it doesn’t give you the way to go immediately.
I also think it would be nice for the data logs to have audio rather than being text only. It sort of takes me out of the moment to sit there and read a data log (some of them are quite long too), and would like to instead keep chugging along as I listen to the lore. This would especially be cool to have for the more cryptic ones where people have already started going into madness.
The Conclusion: More to Discover
As the disclaimer states, the game breaking bug unfortunately blocked me from progressing further. I can see in the game’s trailer so much I have not discovered. There are boss fights, spaceship shooting and more lore to the mystery of what’s going on in this mining facility. Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised by nfoPRINCE and Terminist Arcade‘s HYPERVIOLENT. Although I see a few areas for improvement, the positives clearly outweigh the negatives. Overall, the develops did a great job with this one!
Will this be a game a come back to once the bug has been fixed? No, probably not, but that’s only because this isn’t my type of game. However, I would highly recommend this to anyone who is still or was a fan of games like this growing up. I may not have grown up playing System Shock or Doom, but I can tell that HYPERVIOLENT does a fantastic job at emulating them, giving even gamers like me a strong feeling of nostalgia and simpler times. Maybe sometimes all you need is a good story, easy mechanics and a bunch of enemies to mow through. Having had a full release not too long ago, I will certainly keep my eye on what comes next!
I’m gonna go mine some Nihlium now, thank you for reading!
