Darkenstein 3D: Total Trampage is a high-paced retro shooter inspired by classics such as Wolfenstein and Doom. Developed by solo developer, Rowye, and published by MicroProse Software, Darkenstein 3D was originally released on October 21st, 2025. The first DLC, Total Trampage, was released almost one year later on October 14th, 2026. Players play as Hobo Guy, an American drifter in 1940s Germany. All is well until Guy’s dog Gunther, his most loyal companion, is taken by Nazis. Hobo Guy goes on a mission to rescue Gunther, standing up against all that gets in his way. With an old-school style of gunplay, players will need to keep pace with its intensity using sharp movements, precise aiming and quick thinking.
I’ve reviewed/played a handful of these style of games before and there is one thing that Darkenstein 3D has that the others do not — a free price tag. On that basis alone, I recommend giving the base game a try, especially now that the developer has improved the overall experience. However, my general desire for this genre is that I’m waiting for one to really wow me and unfortunately, I’m still wanting. Darkenstein 3D has great high-paced action that keeps players on their toes. Where it takes its combat seriously, its plot line is anything but. The only reprieve from the combat are the occasional absurd cutscenes. Each level hides a variety of secrets, and while later stages expand their scope, the game generally keeps its level design focused and linear.
In my opinion, Darkenstein 3D: Total Trampage is good, but flawed in ways. I felt like most new weapons obtained were situational at best. I ended up using the same few and only taking out the others when needed. There could have been a mini-map of sorts to give me direction as it can be easy to get turned around on some levels. Overall, I believe the desire to keep with the classic style of a retro shooter lends itself to not rewrite the “rules” of the genre. This alone isn’t an issue. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to a formula, but that particular approach doesn’t do much for me, which left me wanting something more. Even so, I know my preferences shape that reaction, so I’ll be sure to highlight what the game gets right.
Total Trampage
I just want to briefly mention what comes with Darkenstein 3D‘s DLC, Total Trampage. The DLC adds five remixed levels featuring new layouts, encounters, and secrets; 11 endless maps that challenge players to survive for as long as possible; new weapons and enemies; challenge modifiers; additional music and achievements; and a New Game+ mode that lets players tackle tougher enemies while carrying over previously unlocked weapons.
The base game also received a large update along with its DLC to bring it “up to par”. This includes many bug fixes and quality of life improvements, such as in enemy AI and graphics. It was a massive update so if you have played Darkenstein 3D previously, it is definitely worth while checking out again, with or without the Total Trampage DLC.
I won’t go into a deep discussion about the Total Trampage specific game modes as my experience stayed mostly in the game’s original campaign. I spent some time with one of the remixed levels and sampled the Endless mode, but I’ll focus primarily on the main game since Darkenstein 3D has not previously been reviewed here at Movies Games and Tech.
Hobo Guy, Gunther and the Nazi Regime
It is 1940s Germany and Hobo Guy is a wanted man on the run. With no money or food, Hobo Guy wanders the streets of Germany with his dog, Gunther. One day, Nazis confront Hobo Guy, beat him up and steal Gunther away. Hobo Guy vows to save Gunther and goes out to find his most loyal companion. He sneaks his way onto a truck that’s on its way further into enemy territory.
As a lone man, Hobo Guy makes his way through the encampment and comes across a wounded American soldier. The soldier reluctantly gives Hobo Guy his boots but there is one thing that took me a little off guard. The military sent the soldiers to clear the encampment, but Nazi forces and the strange creatures lurking within quickly scattered them.
This is the first instance where we learn that something more is going on here—something deeper and darker than just Nazis. A note within the encampment tells of turned men with skin falling off. The Nazis themselves are unsure about what is happening and need help from these ravenous turned men. Shortly afterward, you encounter some of these creatures: half-decayed Nazi soldiers that shamble relentlessly toward you. That’s right, it’s zombies.
The zombies are just the first type of creature Hobo Guy encounters on his journey. He will need to fight through hordes of enemies, ranging in variety of movement and attack. Some shoot from a distance while others prefer to charge you. Hobo Guy is truly a lone man against an army of enemies and Darkenstein 3D does a good job at reminding you of this constantly. Many enemies burst out of doors and are not immediately visible when heading down a corridor. These moments don’t rely on traditional jump scares, but the darkness that blankets many levels, fitting for a game called Darkenstein, and the flashlight’s limited reach keep players on edge. I greatly prefer this approach rather than just having static enemies waiting for you to cross a threshold before attacking.
The plotline of Darkenstein 3D does not take itself too seriously, but I do appreciate how they go about telling it. Hobo Guy doesn’t meet many NPCs throughout the adventure, so the game relies on notes and letters to fill in the story and explain what’s happening. The occasional cutscene occurs at the end of a level, with the first one showing Nazis performing experiments on Gunther. I am fine with a slightly absurd plot and don’t think they needed to do anything different here. This is more so just something to be aware of if you are wanting a deep or more serious plot.
12 Levels of Old School Gunplay
Darkenstein 3D has a decent level of challenge on its normal difficulty that I think worked well. In the beginning, players can select out of three difficulties if they want an easier or more difficult experience. I played on Normal and found that the game maintained a strong sense of intensity from start to finish. Combat constantly pushes players to stay on the move, as standing still for too long quickly leads to being overwhelmed. With limited resources of health and ammo, players will need to be smart and accurate with each shot.
There’s a huge focus on getting headshots in this game. In the bottom left hand corner is a bar with a scope. With each headshot, you will hear a little bell ding and this fills up the bar. After I believe 25 headshots, the bar is full and you can activate Homicidal Rant. This slows down time by 50% and gives you infinite ammo—a similar activation that many retro shooter games have. Of course headshots are also the easiest way to gun down enemies, so its worth aiming for.
Another useful tool in your belt is your rat companion. Players can rescue this bloodthirsty rat early on and hurl it at enemies like a grenade. It will latch onto an enemy and attack them, and will always return to you. I found the rat most effective against distant enemies, especially since the game offers few long-range weapons that combine accuracy with reliable damage. As mentioned, though you can get new weapons later on, I felt most were situational. For example, heavy weapons are great for dealing high damage across multiple enemies, but they slow down your movement. However, any time I hoped to use one, I easily became overwhelmed and took way too much damage. It felt like the best time to use a heavy weapon was only when you had Homicidal Rant ready.
Personally, I stuck with a shotgun (my typical go to gun for most games) and a pistol for backup. Ammo can be scarce at times, but usually I was able to get along fine with these two. I can’t help but wish there was an even bigger variety of weapons though and perhaps more flexibility when it comes to actually using them. The game hides some weapons behind secret areas, so players aren’t guaranteed to find them all. However, the scorecard at the end of a level includes the number of secrets. I suppose if you did miss any you could go back and replay the level.
Speaking of secrets, there are quite a few throughout each level. Finding hidden levers or buttons can open up secret passageways.. Sometimes it seems like you can also need to just walk up to the wall and it’ll open. Secrets reward you with various items, such as records for music or extra lives and may contain an easter egg. One you can find early on has a tribute to the voice actor for Hobo Guy plus an extra life.
Beyond finding secrets, most levels stay pretty narrow. Commonly this involves finding a blue and red key, unlocking those doors and proceeding. The game could have benefited from a mini-map. Some levels made it surprisingly easy to lose track of where I was going. Enemies don’t respawn so there would be minutes of just wandering through already explored corridors and rooms before finding the correct path forward. Sometimes a level will include a challenging boss fight. If you do perish at any point, you will respawn at your most recent checkpoint if you have a life. If not, you will need to restart the level.
There wasn’t anything in Darkenstein 3D‘s combat that really surprised me. It stays true to a classic retro shooter and does not try to rewrite the formula (besides the rat companion, that feels different). This is not a negative on its own, but I can’t help but feel a tad underwhelmed. I would have loved for there to be something different here that didn’t feel like a recycle of what has already been done. I think sticking heavily to the classic formula may have hindered my own enjoyment. This could also easily just be me. Admittedly, I was never the biggest fan of this genre so perhaps my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt.
“We’re all here for the headshots :)”
Overall, I think Darkenstein 3D: Total Trampage is a fine game, but not something I’d personally play. I think fans of retro shooters, especially of the classics, will absolutely enjoy this one. The base game’s free price tag for sure helps with this recommendation as there is literally no harm in checking it out for yourself. I think the high paced, intense combat sticks true to a classic retro shooter formula. Racking up headshots has a payoff with the activatable ability and this is what players come here for. Sure, it may not be trying to rewrite that formula and has its flaws, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the time.
Darkenstein 3D: Total Trampage does not take itself too seriously and is for simple, mindless, fun. Despite the wishes I had for the game, I still had some level of enjoyment that I usually have when it comes to this genre. It is probably not one I will be revisiting in the future, but that’s due to my own personal preferences rather than the flaws in the game. I can see the developers passion for the classics in their work and I think Rowye does them justice.
Thank you for reading and get psyched!
