project warlock

content/articles/e3-2021-pc.md

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ The summer of 2021 is here: not only the sun, but also hope is in the air. Most
 
 Indeed!
 
-Project Warlock, one of the surprise underdogs for me personally, is not [only about perseverance](https://brainbaking.com/post/2020/06/about-perseverance/) but also a true love letter to all things Wolfenstein 3D. In a sense, it's frantic shooting action pre-Duke3D era: no jumping and straightforward level design, but with one thing that they absolutely nailed: a double barrel shotgun that fires as satisfying as DOOM II's. I was very excited to watch the trailer for its successor, **Project Warlock II**:
+[Project Warlock](/games/switch/project-warlock), one of the surprise underdogs for me personally, is not [only about perseverance](https://brainbaking.com/post/2020/06/about-perseverance/) but also a true love letter to all things Wolfenstein 3D. In a sense, it's frantic shooting action pre-Duke3D era: no jumping and straightforward level design, but with one thing that they absolutely nailed: a double barrel shotgun that fires as satisfying as DOOM II's. I was very excited to watch the trailer for its successor, **Project Warlock II**:
 
 {{< youtube HLM9VzWv1GM >}}
 

content/articles/retro-shooters.md

@@ -137,4 +137,4 @@ Here's a nice graphical summary in the form of a FPS family tree I found at [red
 
 Wikipedia does a [better job at rendering a tree](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/FPSChart.svg) but it's a bit complicated and not every game in there is that remarkable.
 
-At least now I know what retro shooters I still need to replay. What do you call a "retro shooter"? Leave a reply in the comments below. In a next article, I hope to take another quick look, this time at the resurgence of retro shooters recently released such as Project Warlock and DUSK. 
+At least now I know what retro shooters I still need to replay. What do you call a "retro shooter"? Leave a reply in the comments below. In a next article, I hope to take another quick look, this time at the resurgence of retro shooters recently released such as [Project Warlock](/games/switch/project-warlock) and DUSK. 

content/games/switch/ion-fury.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Do you remember the nineties? You know, big CRT screens, laptops of 10 kg and lo
 
 Every single game was a big step forward and had me completely hooked during my childhood. Since Jefklak's Codex is a retro codex, and since retro gaming is becoming more and more popular, I thought, "_hey, why not cover the resurgence of nineties shooters?_" 
 
-For each of the above generations, there have been lots of recent re-imagines and re-releases - but some are quick moneygrabs, so naturally I was a bit hesitant. For Wolf3D, there's [Project Warlock](https://www.gog.com/game/project_warlock), for Quake and Redneck Rampage, there's [DUSK](https://www.gog.com/game/DUSK), and for Duke lovers, there's Ion Fury, also published by 3D Realms.
+For each of the above generations, there have been lots of recent re-imagines and re-releases - but some are quick moneygrabs, so naturally I was a bit hesitant. For Wolf3D, there's [Project Warlock](/games/switch/project-warlock), for [Quake](/games/switch/quake) and Redneck Rampage, there's [DUSK](https://www.gog.com/game/DUSK), and for Duke lovers, there's Ion Fury, also published by 3D Realms.
 
 ## "Talk shit? Get shot."
 

content/games/switch/project-warlock.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+---
+date: "2023-10-07"
+title: "Project Warlock: a Modern Wolf3D"
+tags:
+    - 'retro shooters'
+    - 'FPS'
+score: 3
+howlongtobeat_id: 48457
+howlongtobeat_hrs: 6.6
+game_name: 'Project Warlock'
+game_genre: 'FPS'
+game_release_year: '2018'
+game_developer: 'Buckshot Software'
+---
+
+I played through _Project Warlock_ [in June of 2020](https://brainbaking.com/post/2020/06/about-perseverance/) but forgot to collect screenshots and add a review here, so after being done with [Nightmare Reaper](/games/swtich/nightmare-reaper), I picked it back up to see how similar or different both retro-inspired shooters were, since both games gave me heavy _Blake Stone_ and _Wolfenstein 3D_ feelings. 
+
+Contrary to _Nightmare Reaper_, _Project Warlock_ is a very conventional dungeon crawling shooter that feels almost exactly as playing a pre-DOOM game on DOS: it doesn't have a vertical axis (although there are elevators in a few occasions)---making this shooter a rare recommendation for consoles such as the Switch version I played---, it doesn't rely on lightning the way DOOM did, and most of the levels are maze-like key hunts filled with tight corridors (although there are open areas in a few occasions). If you're having trouble conjuring up an image of such a game, take a look at this screenshot:
+
+![](sewers.jpg "Yes, there are sewer levels!")
+
+Claustrofobic walls? Check. Maze-like levels (the mini-map on the top-left is barely visible here)? Check. It feels strange to play this game in 2020+, which, perhaps even stranger, is powered by Unity to do its high-tech raycasting tricks, although once you read up on [the game's history](https://brainbaking.com/post/2020/06/about-perseverance/) that started as a textured Catacombs 3D/Wolf3D clone project of a high school hobbyist, its design starts to make sense. 
+
+Not that there's anything inherently wrong about _Project Warlock_'s design choice to go back to a pre-DOOM era: it's fairly unique precisely because of it, and it wears its influence on its sleeve. The (purposely?) rudimentary level design does wear me down as I make progress, but at least I know where that's coming from. Besides the Wolf3D-esque influence, _Project Warlock_ tosses in a few modern shooting mechanics: stats, leveling, specializations, and most importantly, weapon upgrades. Loot and special stars representing XP points collected in stages can be utilized to boost the Warlock's defence, ammo pickup rates, etc---just like [Nightmare Reaper](/games/swtich/nightmare-reaper)'s mini games, although a lot less intricate so.
+
+The weapon upgrades come with binary choices: do I convert my submachine gun into a nailgun that fires bouncing nails (that will damage myself, which I regretted!), or into a dual wielding uzi? Do I convert my boomstick into a semi-auto shotgun or one that also spits out napalm? 
+
+![](shotgun.jpg "The double-barrel shotgun is a very satisfying one: the game passed my most crucial shooter criterion!")
+
+Speaking of guns, they're undoubtedly the highlight of the game, and since this one's a retro-inspired _boom-boom mwahahaha_ game, I think it's safe to say that it passes the most important criterion. The shotguns feel very satisfying to use, the pistol, once upgraded into a .50 caliber handgun is still capable of turning enemies into mush in later levels, and the variety is big enough to mix things up if you're low on SMG ammo or shotgun shells. Although _Project Warlock_ is not the kind of game to go crazy on originality---the only thing that stands out is a magic-firing trident ala Hexen---I didn't miss this at all. 
+
+Next to weaponry, the Warlock also has magic formulas to his disposal which can be found throughout the campaign. If you pay attention to the screenshots, you see two values next to the avatar on the lower left: one for magic and one for health. I liked the Hexen influences, but the execution of these spells falls flat once you realize most are not even half as useful as a good ol' blast with your boomstick. The one I relied on the most was an ice blast that freezes enemies, making them shatter (including a very satisfying sound) once shot. This also helps conserve ammo, since the game can get stingy at times, especially in the later levels when you really _really_ want rockets, but all the game offers you are pistol bullets. Sure, I upgraded my axe, but my melee weapon stands little chance against heaps of rocket-firing sentry bots from afar.
+
+![](secret.jpg "Oooh, a breakable wall stuffed with ammo and XP-gaining gold!")
+
+In-between levels, you can inspect and tweak your stats in "The Hub", a small safe area that is essentially a glorified level selector---which doesn't let you re-select previously visited locations. For that, you have to go back to the main menu, which felt a bit strange. Since I initially had a bit of trouble evading projectiles in small corridors and wasn't fully equipped yet, I decided to dump most points into life-gaining stats.
+
+_Project Warlock_ is divided into different worlds: you start in a medieval-themed dungeon, move on to an abandoned lab on Antarctica, then somehow get transported into Egyptian tombs, only to flash forward to an industrial cityscape, ending---of course---in hell. Each world comes with a unique feel: enemies, music, and even potion textures are very different, which is one of the high marks of the game. I appreciated the art direction and use of color (major shades of purple, red, and yellow) more than the visual variety the random levels of [Nightmare Reaper](/games/swtich/nightmare-reaper) has to offer. Of course, as soon as you start to compare it to a game with superb level design such as [Ion Fury](/games/switch/ion-fury), it all kind of falls flat. _Warlock_ is essentially a short and fun throwback shooter and shouldn't be treated as anything else. It's actually one of the rare few that resembles its ancestors the most---for better or for worse. 
+
+![](stats.jpg "I picked the 'shotgun expert' perk, which nets me additional shells.")
+
+When it comes to sound and music design, except for the gun and gib effects, I wasn't that impressed. The music quickly disappears into the background, and while each enemy has its own unique "scream", I often noticed these way too late, for example when they were flaking me or shooting me in the back. These just aren't that powerful, even the Warlock's _No!_ when you try to open a locked door somehow is barely audible.
+
+I'm glad _Project Warlock_ exists, and I'm looking forward to the successor that seems to have dropped the Wolf3D act entirely, but after replaying it a few hours in 2023, it felt like just another forgettable retro shooter. To me, there's too little incentive to go back and replay it, even though the weapons are great, as is the pixel art work. Ultimately, I think its lineage is both its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. While it is highly entertaining to shoot stuff in the face and plow through the game, its cramped maze-like level design and very basic gameplay can start to feel dull.
+
+Still, I have no problem recommending this game, but it will also come with a fair warning.
+
+![](mechs.jpg "These security drones (more in the background) make quick work of me...")
+