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Anung Un Rama: Web of Wyrd

Okay, so, I'll be up-front by saying that I have a shit-load of praise coming up for this game, as well as a sizable chunk of criticism.
I'll be really harsh on this game, but this is not because I hate this game, it's only because I hope to see the game & future projects by the devs to become better through honest feedback. And with the devs' active interactivity with the community, I hope there's a chance they'll be reading this review.
Firstly, this is the first Hellboy media I've consumed since falling asleep half-way through the first shitty-ass live-action Hellboy movie over a decade ago.
So in a way, this has been my introduction to the Hellboy franchise. And I duly truly appreciate it for that, since I first picked up this game I've now also watched both animated Hellboy movies, watched all 3 live-action movies, tried out both other Hellboy games (they are bad!), read half-way through the main comics, and been checking out some Hellboy novels as well.
My Hellboy content library has since exponentially grown & continues to do so at a rapid pace as my love for the franchise continues to expand... I'm even writing short, personal Hellboy stories just for fun... I'm deep in this rabbit hole of a franchise now... there's no turning back now...
And just like the devs of Web of Wyrd themselves describe, this game is very welcoming for newcomers to the Hellboy franchise, but also equally rewarding for veterans of the franchise as well. And I want to even go the extra mile & say this game is a great piece of introductory media in itself for those interested in dedicating themselves to the Hellboy media.
Not only does this game canonly take place before the main comics (thus not spoiling anything), but it is also very lenient on side-character interactions & instead focuses nearly wholly on Hellboy himself. This gives great breathing room & lessens the probability of feeling overwhelmed by tons of characters.
And since Hellboy as a character is not only strong enough... but arguably shines the brightest when alone, this leniency doesn't feel impactful for established Hellboy fans.


Two-Punch Goodbye

The combat of Web of Wyrd is a complicated issue.
When everything about this game just works in absolute harmony during combat, then it truly reaches GOTY potential -- but that's not always the case...
Standalone, the combat is absolutely wonderful.
The satisfyingly addictive consecutive punches during a combo, only punctuated with the tightening of your iron's trigger, is some of the best gameplay I have played this year.
The movement feels tight, snappy, and focused.
I'm really trying to avoid the IGN trope of regurgitating "This game really makes you feel like (insert character here)", but it honestly does here...
Web of Wyrd really makes you feel like Hellboy.
The devs really nailed the combat Hellboy performs, but obviously translated into the restrictive nature of games' gameplay.
The biggie bad guys are great.
They're repetitive, yeah, but they nevertheless feel continuously feel great to fight against.
Just make sure to turn on the (might I add) very well-made attack indicators in the settings of the game, as attack indicator animations can sometimes be lost in the intensity of combat.
But there is just nothing as satisfying as pulling off such a great combo on a big baddie, so hard that you stun them, then whirl up a super punch & blast them across the arena into a pillar, forcing the entire thing down upon them, dealing vast amounts of damage. It's hard, but damn is does it feel good.
And you know what's the greatest part of this game? punching Nazi-scum in the face. Never gets old.
A lot of the side-grades are also a lot of fun to play around with!
My favourite charm being the knife, especially when applied with the stun upgrade. Now, that's a monster worth cowering for...
I also really just like how there are no definite options in the game, as even your starter gear is basically equally as viable late-game as any late-game unlocks. The unlockables are side-grades that instead focus on minor different play-styles for those who prefer such.
Also, just gunning Nazis down with your Good Samaritan never gets old...
A small issue I'm having is how the game resets your tutorial options upon every launch. Every time I boot up the game I have to disable tutorials in the settings. It's a small thing, but damn it can be distracting if you forget it.
However, the largest issue the game has of now is your input & the camera.
I play this game using a controller, that's what felt most comfortable to me. So that's what I am speaking on the behalf of.
But dodging attacks, a necessary procedure to surviving until the end, can feel really feel unresponsive at times.
Sometimes you just keep flicking your thumbstick back & mashing 'A'; with nothing happening. That is a serious issue. It has led to many, many deaths. This is the largest problem the game has of now.
No other inputs in the game feels unresponsive or delayed or whatever, only the dodging. And that's super annoying.
Secondly, the camera is (politely said) complete ass.
It uses that God of War 2018 camera where you can't see shit for the life of you.
Your field-of-view is so tight & cramped that it can feel genuinely disorienting at times.
This is only worsened when you're running or have lock-on on an enemy, as then the camera zooms even further in...
And the camera moves so goddamn slow. It can take forever to turn around, while is a necessity during combat when you're being attacked from the back by enemies that you also can't see since the camera is so close to Hellboy.
Half the time I can't even see Hellboy's feet during combat, which can feel disorienting as you lack any honest feedback of your positional awareness, so I often fall down ramps & ledges mid-combat as I couldn't see that I was close to the edge.
This is tedious.
And until the devs fix both the unresponsive dodges & tedious camera; then it is unlikely that I will return to this game.
I could bear it for one playthrough, but beyond that & I refuse.


Growing Shadows & Glowing Praise

Web of Wyrd absolutely knocks it out of the park when it comes to its art-style.
It perfectly captures Mike Mignola's iconic art-style from the Hellboy comics, with the thick shadows & crooked look to it all.
The looming shadows that in return sharpens the eye-catching, bright colours & gorgeous details... all represented here wonderfully.
And the game achieves all this without generally impacting the visual comprehension of its gameplay, which is great!
I don't know what else to say, it's just great.


Conclusion

Hellboy: Web of Wyrd is a fantastic game that's sadly suffering from vast down-sides.
I really do recommend this game. I'm harsh on this game, but I really do mean all the praise that I serve it.
There's a reason I nominated it for so many categories in this year's Steam Awards.
I will continue to be thankful for the introduction to the Hellboy series of which Web of Wyrd has presented to me.