Project Warlock 2 is an absolute blast whether you are a fan of old school boomer shooters or not. This fast-paced, explosively fun title is bolstered by its solid gameplay mechanics and some of the most stunning 2D pixel-based graphics that I have ever seen. All of this comes together to form an experience that is a ton of fun to play through.
Project Warlock 2 will be available on Steam and on the Epic Store when it launches and you can check out the demo for the game right now.
The game immediately launches the player into the action without feeling the need to dwell on tedious nonsense like plot setup. Project Warlock 2 knows what you are here for and it wastes absolutely no time in delivering on that request. Once you are dropped into the action and given your sword and your first firearm, gun-blazing chaos ensues almost immediately.
As mentioned in the intro, Project Warlock 2 will undoubtedly appeal to fans of old school FPS titles like Doom, Wolfenstein and Unreal Tournament. However, even if you have never played those titles, the game’s control scheme is simple enough to wrap your head around. The button inputs feels responsive and the default button-mapping is pretty intuitive for the most part.
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I played the game on PC using a controller, (that is likely a blasphemous statement to any old school Unreal Tournament fans,) and I did have to significantly turn my aim sensitivity down in order to maintain any level of accuracy. I also had to re-map one button and that was the button to open the map. For some odd reason, the default button for opening the map is the same button used for a special fiery ability.
With all of that being said, it should be noted that Project Warlock 2 is still in early access, so all of these kinks could be completely absent when the game officially launches next year.
There is a fantastic sense of pace present in Project Warlock 2. Flying through levels at a breakneck speed whilst dispatching waves upon waves of monstrosities is an absolute joy. The feeling of adrenalin felt is palpable when the screen is filled with bloodthirsty enemies and the game also has a fantastic sense of replay-ability.
However, there are a few times where that pace is broken. Instead of making the path ahead clear, Project Warlock 2 follows the old school sensibility of allowing the player to work it out for themselves. Though, the problem with these sections is that they are not difficult enough to merit a sense of achievement when completed.
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Due to the non-challenging, but time consuming nature of these segments, they feel more like an obligatory inconveniences than anything else. Whenever I encountered these whilst playing Project Warlock 2, images were conjured up in my mind of a dog running around and having fun before the extended lead around its neck is violently yanked back.
Not only is Project Warlock 2 a much better looking game than its predecessor, it may be the best looking 2D pixelated boomer shooter that I have ever laid eyes on. From the striking character designs, to the gorgeous environmental lighting effects, to poppy use of colour, Project Warlock 2’s visuals are stunning to behold.
Alongside those awesome visuals, the game’s audio is also on point. The sound effects chosen perfectly compliment what is being seen onscreen in any given moment and the electronic soundtrack gives the game a sense of rhythm which I did not expect going in. There is something which just feels inherently good about bobbing along to a cool synth beat whilst mowing down pixelated demons.
As long as you are okay with the excessive amount of backtracking that the game makes you partake in, then Project Warlock 2 is absolutely worth your time. The game is currently in early access and there is also a demo available on Steam which is well worth checking out. This will definitely be one to watch when it launches next year.
Project Warlock 2 was previewed on PC with a code provided by Press Engine.
