Hammerfight

2 That's a flail, thank you
As a proof of concept, Hammerfight seems amazing – a mouse-based arena fighter with armed steampunk helicopters – and indeed, it is an intense and occasionally satisfying experience. However, what holds it back is a chronically uneven difficulty curve, several obtuse design choices, and a generally haphazard combat system.

Stylistically, Hammerfight exudes the endearing conscientious jank of European games, with a sparse but somehow coherent story and antiquated grammar accompanied by grainy portraits. At times, the amount of dialogue prior to each mission can become irritating (particularly ones you’ll be replaying multiple times), but the writing is competent, and even comical on occasion.

Unfortunately, such jank also extends into its gameplay. While landing a solid hit with a mace or warhammer is infinitely gratifying, combat is often restricted to a small screen or arena, without much room to maneuver or swing weapons. In combination with the amount of coins, projectiles, and debris flying from the combatants, can often turn fights into laggy, unintelligible exercises in repetition, with deaths coming from nowhere and depleting the player’s meager health. Worse, lack of distinction in the background may cause players to accidentally crash into scenery, losing speed and becoming vulnerable to enemy weapons.

And yet, the fact that this doesn’t define the entire game only makes it worse. The difficulty in Hammerfight is grossly unbalanced, with an early escort mission being nearly as difficult as the final boss battle; players will be able to breeze through a series of levels, only to get stuck on a particularly unfair challenge, and be unable to progress. Upon a series of deaths, the game does offer the option to skip the level, but at the cost of all the player’s cash earned in battle. Yet this is a last resort, as gold is essential to gearing up for the later levels – which doesn’t explain with this option is the default one in the death menu.

Not only could Hammerfight do with difficulty setting, but level replays, as well – there is no way to revisit past levels in a saved game, and worse, any weapons or items (even unique ones) discarded or dropped by enemies in arena fights or missions will be lost forever upon the victory plaque, making the player scramble to pick up loot before the “Level Complete” screen and paranoid as to where it is safe to store unused weapons (there is a Hall available for training and storage, but the player is never told of the latter).

As a closing thought more than a criticism, Hammerfight is also sorely lacking multiplayer functionality; with its focus on customizable gear/weapons and arena combat, this game would have been a remarkable local or online game. Considering the lack of replay value the core game has, it’s a rather regrettable omission.

Hammerfight certainly had the potential to be a great game; with its unconventional battle mechanics, visceral combat and potential for multiplayer, it could have breathed new life into the 2D-medieval-sci-fi-helicopter-gladiator-combat genre. But as it stands, it’s just a poor way to spend $5…or however much Steam’s hawking it for right now.