Halls of Torment has rapidly made a name for itself in the gaming community, achieving remarkable sales during its early access phase. Now that it is officially released, this bullet-hell roguelike, adorned with ’90s RPG aesthetics, is being hailed as one of the top-rated games of the year. The blend of nostalgic visuals and engaging gameplay has attracted considerable interest from both players and critics.
The gameplay of Halls of Torment draws significant inspiration from Vampire Survivors, offering a survival roguelike experience where players confront waves of enemies in an underworld setting.
As players progress, they encounter increasingly dense hordes while skillfully avoiding a chaotic onslaught of projectiles and pixelated blood. The game captures the essence of Diablo 2 through its retro graphics and integrates modern gameplay elements, including a quest-based meta-progression system that enhances player engagement.
After an impressive 17 months in early access, developer Chasing Carrot officially launched the game on September 24. The game was immediately met with widespread acclaim, attracting over 900,000 players during its early access phase.
With more than 23,000 user reviews on Steam, it has garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback, highlighting its addictive gameplay loop and securing its position as one of the best roguelikes of 2024.
In Halls of Torment, players must confront “unholy horrors” and survive relentless waves of enemies, ultimately facing powerful bosses known as tormented Lords. As they progress, players can enhance their characters with a variety of traits, abilities, and items, allowing for the creation of unique builds for each run.
The expansive underground environments encourage exploration and the discovery of new items that enrich gameplay and motivate players to venture further into the game.
Looking ahead, Chasing Carrot has not provided a clear post-launch roadmap, expressing some uncertainty about future updates. Nonetheless, the team is committed to delivering smaller updates and potentially introducing new features over time. With over 500 quests already included, players can expect a wealth of content to keep them engaged as they explore the richly designed world of Halls of Torment.
