Info about VOIN:

Official game description:
Just Updated
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The ground trembles and melts beneath your feet. A new force has awakened. Elemental fire itself has been summoned to aid you in cleansing the land of _HER_ abominations and twisted magic. 
**Forge your power with the New Itemization System**
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**Ground-breaking itemization system** that redefines the genre. Every weapon and item you discover is added to your Catalogue, charting both your progress and your spoils. Forge, combine, and upgrade your arsenal in the Hub through a single streamlined interface, free from tedious inventory management with endless goals to pursue and **more than 59,000 possible item combinations to master**.
**Wield New Skills and Combat Style**
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**Parry attacks** and stagger enemies with perfectly timed counters, turning their own aggression against them. Each weapon now bears its own unique powers, waiting to be unleashed. Cleave your enemies apart with the sweeping strikes of greatswords, crush entire hordes with the devastating slams of heavy warhammers, or carve through foes with the swift and merciless daggers. Which path of destruction will you choose?
**And Much More:**
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*   New movement and weapon animations
*   Reworked monster spawners
*   Gameplay improvements and fixes
The path to cleansing continues. More challenges, expanded world activities, and even greater battles lie ahead.
About the Game
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In this shadowed world, secrets lie buried deep, and dangers wait in silence. Hordes rise against me, yet I cleave through them with elemental fury. I master the primal forces, bending chaos to my will. In this moment of convergence, I discover my true self, a being forged in both fury and beauty.
This is my dominion now.
I am the essence of ancient storms, summoned by a force beyond mortal comprehension. Born of the will of a faceless mage, I exist for one purpose alone: to become the weapon that reshapes a world ravaged by plague. My creators remain hidden, shrouded in mystery, yet I feel their command burn within me. This world is broken, and I am its reckoning. For I am VOIN.
Every strike I make is a hymn to destruction. My movements are a sacred dance within the heart of chaos. My blade sings as I sever through their ranks, executing perfect strikes, untouchable. I walk this path with purpose—will I remain unscathed?
The wind bends to my will. I leap across the ruins of once-grand castles **with ease and** soar above rivers raging far below. My fury rains down on them from the sky, leaving nothing but silence in my wake. I was never meant to crawl—I was born to be unbound and untethered.
I dive into the abyss, seeking the power that lies within. I claim weapons forged in the depths of darkness, gear that pulls me closer to my truest self. Yet this is only the beginning. I return to the Master’s Citadel, cleansing what I’ve gathered, sharpening the edge of my soul. And once more, I plunge back into the fray, unbroken, stronger than ever. This cycle defines me—the unyielding, ever-reborn.
They stand before me—titans of flesh and fury, living monuments to annihilation. Their eyes gleam with malice, their tactics ruthless. They believe they will break me. But I face them without fear. For I am no mere mortal standing in their shadow—I am the force destined to shatter their dominion. I walk among gods and monsters, and I do not tremble.

Release date: Dec 10, 2024

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Action RPG, Character Progression, Weapon Customization, Soulslike Combat, Exploration, Multiple Endings, Dark Fantasy

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game performs well on the Steam Deck, with users reporting smooth gameplay and acceptable frame rates. The overall experience on this platform is positive, with no major issues reported.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has received mixed reviews on the Steam Deck. While some users praise its performance and gameplay, others have highlighted significant issues with limited graphics settings and broken upscaling options. Control remapping and gameplay tweaks are also mentioned as areas for improvement. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further optimization for a better user experience on the Steam Deck.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $14.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows a mix of opinions regarding the game's price. Some users find the $20 price tag steep or hard to justify, while others believe it is worth the price, especially considering future updates and the quality of the game. The general sentiment suggests that while $20 is a common point of discussion, many users find it acceptable and worth the value, particularly when considering the game's potential and the support for a solo developer.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 39.0h
  - Story completion: 11.0h
  - Session length: 13.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct mentions of playtime. One user mentions spending 39 hours over 3 days, which gives a strong indication of session length and total playtime. Another user mentions that about 3 of the 11 hours they played were spent on a specific quest, indicating a significant portion of gameplay dedicated to particular activities. Additionally, there is mention of extensive exploration and repeated engagement with the game, suggesting a high level of immersion and potentially long play sessions.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Players generally find the game fun and engaging from the start, particularly enjoying the combat and progression systems. The initial friction involves understanding the difficulty settings and learning curve, but once past the tutorial, the game becomes highly enjoyable.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Completion of the tutorial and initial exploration.
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Learning curve; Understanding difficulty settings
  - Unlock drivers: Customizable difficulty settings; Progression systems
  - Conditions: Enjoyment of combat; Exploration mindset; Customizable builds
- Player Archetypes:
  - Solo Dev Supporter (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting a solo developer and enjoying unique, passionately crafted experiences.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys customizing difficulty and builds, appreciates detailed and passionate game design.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: supporter; fan of indie games
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Vermintide 2
  - Dark Fantasy Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking challenging and immersive dark fantasy experiences.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys skill-based combat and immersive, challenging gameplay.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Dark Souls fan; old-school gamer
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Vermintide 2
  - Exploration Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Exploring vast open worlds and enjoying fast-paced combat.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys exploration and fast-paced combat in a dark fantasy setting.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: explorer; fan of open-world games
    - Reference games: Elden Ring; Skyrim


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Excellent combat mechanics (weight 0.63): The combat system is praised for being fun, fast, fluid, and responsive. Players enjoy the high-intensity combat, tight controls, and satisfying combat flow, making it a standout feature of the game.
- Extensive build variety (weight 0.42): The game offers a vast array of build options, including unique builds, weapon variety, and extensive customization. Players appreciate the flexibility and depth in creating different character builds and playstyles.
- Fun and enjoyable game (weight 0.35): Players find the game to be incredibly fun, cool, and addicting. The overall gameplay experience is highly enjoyable and engaging, making it one of the best games in its genre.
- Satisfying and addictive gameplay (weight 0.34): The gameplay is described as satisfying, addictive, and enjoyable. It features good controls, a great gameplay loop, and a high level of replayability, with a focus on timing, agility, and special abilities.
- Diverse weapon options (weight 0.27): The game offers a wide variety of weapons and equipment, allowing for different weapon types and combinations. This diversity enhances the gameplay experience and provides players with numerous options for customization.
- Impressive art style (weight 0.24): The game's art style is described as stunning, beautiful, and otherworldly. The visuals are highly praised for their unique and impressive design, contributing to the overall aesthetic appeal of the game.
- First-person hack and slash (weight 0.23): The game excels in delivering a first-person hack and slash experience. Players appreciate the melee-focused gameplay and the satisfying combat mechanics that blend classic first-person fantasy with Souls-like elements.
- Engaging exploration (weight 0.21): The game features a large and fun world that encourages exploration. Players enjoy traversing maps, finding hidden treasures, and experiencing the liberating and rewarding exploration mechanics.
- Exceptional audio design (weight 0.15): The game features great audio and sound design, including an amazing musical score and exceptional voice acting. The soundtrack and atmosphere are highly praised by players.
- Large and interesting maps (weight 0.13): The game features huge and expansive maps with great design. Players enjoy the large maps filled with secrets and interesting elements, enhancing the exploration experience.

Common complaints:
- Lack of content variety (weight 0.17): Players report a lack of content, including enemy variety, music, and specific areas like training and multiplayer modes. This makes the game feel incomplete.
- Graphical issues and style (weight 0.16): The graphics are criticized for being rough and potentially eye-straining. The visual style may not appeal to everyone and has areas that need improvement.
- Enemy AI and visibility problems (weight 0.15): Enemies lack variety and have poor AI, making combat feel repetitive. Additionally, poor enemy visibility and unclear graphics make it difficult to see enemy actions.
- Combat system flaws (weight 0.14): The combat system is criticized for being boring and poorly designed, with issues in mechanics and enemy interactions.
- Insufficient tutorials and guidance (weight 0.14): The game lacks detailed tutorials and guidance, making it difficult for players to understand mechanics and progression.
- Translation and optimization issues (weight 0.11): The game suffers from poor translation, with some text being unintelligible. There are also optimization issues affecting gameplay.
- Repetitive gameplay loop (weight 0.1): The gameplay, including combat, becomes repetitive over time, reducing player engagement and enjoyment.
- Map and navigation issues (weight 0.09): There is no map in certain locations, making it easy for players to get lost and confused about where to go.
- Invisible walls and barriers (weight 0.07): Players encounter numerous invisible walls and barriers, which can be frustrating and disrupt the gaming experience.
- Boss design issues (weight 0.07): Bosses in the game are described as boring and lackluster, with few encounters that stand out.
- Tedious grinding mechanics (weight 0.07): Grinding in the game is time-consuming and tedious, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- Confusing and harsh early game (weight 0.05): The early game is reported as being harsh, challenging, and confusing, which can be off-putting for new players.
- Lack of updates (weight 0.05): The game has not received updates for several months, leading to concerns about its development and support.
- Enemies and loot bugs (weight 0.05): There are bugs where enemies and loot chests get stuck in rocks and walls, affecting gameplay and immersion.
- Unbalanced difficulty (weight 0.05): The difficulty sliders are unbalanced, making the game feel unfair even on the lowest settings.
- Vague item descriptions (weight 0.05): Item descriptions are unclear, making it difficult for players to understand the purpose and effects of different items and upgrades.
- Uncertainty about game continuation (weight 0.05): Players are uncertain about the game's continued operation and progression after reaching certain points, such as the big gate.
- Enemy hitbox issues (weight 0.05): Enemy hitboxes feel off, and enemies are perceived as too tanky, leading to frustration in combat.
- Lighting and physical mechanics (weight 0.05): The game has issues with pure lighting and physical mechanics, which can affect gameplay and visual clarity.
- Slow character progression (weight 0.05): Character progression and leveling are reported as being too slow, which can make the game feel unrewarding.

Gameplay feedback:
- Fast-paced and satisfying combat (weight 0.4): The game features a fast-paced, fluid, and enjoyable combat system that includes mechanics like charging, parrying, and dashing. Players appreciate the high-intensity, melee-focused gameplay that creates a high-paced action experience.
- Variety in builds and weapons (weight 0.32): Players can create and experiment with a large variety of builds and weapon types. The game offers diverse weapons and build customization, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- Exploration with rewards (weight 0.32): The game encourages exploration through its level design, which includes hidden areas and rewards such as chests containing valuable items. This makes traversing the maps and discovering secrets an enjoyable experience.
- Hack and slash gameplay (weight 0.29): The core gameplay loop revolves around hack and slash mechanics, combining elements from various genres like roguelite and RPG. This blend creates a unique and engaging first-person combat experience.
- Weapon and item leveling (weight 0.27): The game features a progression system where weapons and items can be leveled up and upgraded, becoming stronger with use. This adds a layer of depth to the gameplay and character development.
- Combination of game elements (weight 0.24): The game combines various elements and genres, such as hack and slash, roguelite, and RPG mechanics. This blend creates a unique and engaging gameplay experience that appeals to a wide range of players.
- Customizable difficulty settings (weight 0.2): The game offers flexible and customizable difficulty settings, allowing players to adjust various aspects such as enemy HP, quantity, and quality. This feature enables players to tailor the difficulty to their preference.
- First-person melee combat (weight 0.16): The game offers a unique first-person perspective on melee combat, combining elements from games like Doom and Dark Souls. This perspective enhances the intensity and immersion of the combat experience.
- Large and varied maps (weight 0.11): The game offers vast and numerous maps that make full use of the movement options available to players. The large locations provide ample space for exploration and combat.
- Diverse enemy types (weight 0.11): Players encounter a variety of enemy types with different AI behaviors and modifiers. This diversity requires players to adapt their strategies and play styles.
- Retro-style graphics and gameplay (weight 0.11): The game's visual style balances modern graphics with a retro aesthetic, creating a unique and appealing arcade-like feel. This style enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- Dark medieval fantasy setting (weight 0.09): The game is set in a dark medieval fantasy world, featuring a gothic atmosphere that appeals to fans of dark fantasy. This setting enhances the immersive experience of the game.

Performance notes:
- Excellent performance and optimization (weight 0.47): The game is highly praised for its performance and optimization across various systems, including low-spec and older PCs. Many players report smooth gameplay with high and steady framerates.
- Minor bugs and issues (weight 0.12): Some players have encountered minor bugs and issues, such as initial instability, freezing during tutorials, and specific glitches. However, these issues do not seem to be widespread.
- Animation and frame rate feedback (weight 0.08): Players have provided feedback on animations and frame rates, with some mentioning steady framerates and smooth transitions, while others report janky animations and FPS drops.
- Mixed feedback on visual effects (weight 0.06): Some players have noted issues with weapon effects obscuring vision and pitch-dark screen bugs. Additionally, there are mentions of graphical hiccups and rough edges.
- Criticism of graphical fidelity (weight 0.03): Some players have mentioned that the graphics are not of the highest quality, describing them as not godly and pointing out specific graphical problems.
- Hardware issues reported (weight 0.02): There is a rare but serious issue reported where an NVME M2 drive died after launching the game. This is an isolated incident but noteworthy due to its severity.

Recommendations:
- Strong general recommendations (weight 0.28): Many players strongly recommend the game, often without specifying particular features. They encourage others to try it and support the developer.
- Recommended for specific player types (weight 0.15): The game is recommended for players who enjoy customization, brutal combat, high-intensity combat, and specific genres like souls-like mechanics, hack and slash, and RPG elements.
- Suggestions for game improvement (weight 0.14): Some players suggest adding more content, such as minibosses, maps, and improving the game world. Others recommend a more detailed tutorial and adjustments to difficulty and enemy numbers.
- Worth the price (weight 0.11): Several reviews mention that the game is worth its price, and future updates are expected to add more value.
- Support indie development (weight 0.1): Players emphasize the importance of supporting indie developers and the single developer behind this game.
- Potential for future updates and coop (weight 0.04): Players are excited about future updates and see potential for cooperative gameplay, which could enhance the game's value and popularity.
- Technical and platform-specific recommendations (weight 0.04): The game is recommended for specific platforms like Steam Deck and suggests technical improvements like adding vibration feedback on Xbox controllers.
- Mixed purchasing advice (weight 0.03): Some players advise researching gameplay before buying or suggest buying and refunding if disliked, indicating mixed confidence in universal appeal.
- Desire for increased visibility (weight 0.02): A few players believe the game could reach higher fame if popular streamers like Asmon play it, indicating a desire for increased visibility.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.33): Players are thrilled by the game's combat mechanics, build variety, and customization options, which allow for a wide range of playstyles and powerful builds. The exploration and potential of the game, combined with its unique mix of open-world and rogue-like elements, also contribute to the excitement. Additionally, the anticipation for future updates and content adds to the overall enthusiasm.
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Players are frustrated with various aspects of the game, including combat mechanics, enemy difficulty, and poorly designed quests. Issues such as bugs, unclear quest progression, and confusing UI also contribute to the frustration. Additionally, some players find the game too difficult due to age and slower reflexes, and others are frustrated with the stamina system and enemy swarms.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.17): Players enjoy the game's combat mechanics, build variety, and exploration. The addictive gameplay loop, smooth combat, and high build variety are also highlighted as enjoyable aspects. Additionally, the game's unique combination of different elements and the dark fantasy atmosphere contribute to the overall enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.14): Players are satisfied with the game's combat systems, progression, and variety of build options. The smooth movement and combat system, along with the game's completeness and diversity, contribute to the overall satisfaction. Additionally, the well-balanced difficulty and fair gameplay, as well as the feeling of progression and getting stronger, are mentioned as satisfying aspects.
- Admiration (weight 0.11): Players admire the game's quality and the effort put into it by the solo developer. The unique features, graphics, and combat system are also highlighted as admirable aspects. Additionally, the developer's passion and love for the game, as well as the impressive achievement of creating the game single-handedly, contribute to the admiration.
- Impressed (weight 0.1): Players are impressed by the game's quality and depth, especially considering it was made by a solo developer. The combat system, build depth, and graphics are also mentioned as impressive aspects. Additionally, the game's potential to be one of the best of the decade and the unique mashup of game styles contribute to the overall impression.
- Excited (weight 0.07): Players are excited about the game's potential and future updates. The anticipation for more content and the game's mechanics contribute to the excitement. Additionally, the game's visual beauty and the detailed gear system add to the overall enthusiasm.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Players are disappointed with the game's combat mechanics, enemy variety, and the lack of certain weapons. The game feeling undercooked and not meeting expectations set by other games also contribute to the disappointment. Additionally, issues with specific locations and grinding, as well as the lack of multiplayer, are mentioned as disappointing aspects.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Players are enthusiastic about the game's combat mechanics, variety, and overall quality. The addictive and fun gameplay, along with the detailed description of game features, contribute to the enthusiasm. Additionally, the game's style and performance, as well as the enjoyable combat and variety, are highlighted as enthusiastic aspects.
- Hope (weight 0.03): Players have hope for the game's potential and future improvements. The anticipation for future updates and more content, as well as the belief that the game will get better, contribute to the hope. Additionally, the potential for the game to be a masterpiece and the hope for its success are mentioned as hopeful aspects.
- Hopeful (weight 0.03): Players are hopeful for the game's future development and improvements. The anticipation for the final version and the belief that the game will get better contribute to the hopefulness. Additionally, the hope for the success of the project and the looking forward to more content being added are mentioned as hopeful aspects.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Players feel nostalgic as the game reminds them of classic games from their childhood. The game evokes long-forgotten emotions and is reminiscent of earlier games, contributing to the nostalgia. Additionally, the mention of following the game's development since school days adds to the nostalgic feelings.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Players are eagerly awaiting more content and future updates from the developer. The anticipation for future development and additional content contributes to the overall anticipation. Additionally, the looking forward to future updates and more content adds to the eager anticipation.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Players experience joy from the fun and enjoyable gameplay, including the combat and build variety. The addicting gameplay and immersive experience, along with the rewarding gameplay, contribute to the joy. Additionally, the fun exploration and the combination of different game elements add to the overall joy.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the game's combat mechanics, weapon variety, and the effort put into the game by the solo developer. The deep, rewarding leveling system and the old-school vibes contribute to the appreciation. Additionally, the talent of the solo developer and the overall quality of the game are mentioned as appreciative aspects.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players are frustrated with issues related to weapon progression, quests, and game crashes. The loss of entire inventory and frequent game crashes contribute to the frustration. Additionally, issues with quests and game progression, as well as problems with visibility of frozen hearts, add to the overall frustration.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Players find the game seriously addictive due to its overall gameplay experience and the exciting new combinations of perks and synergies. The addictive gameplay and the thrill of discovering new builds contribute to the addiction. Additionally, the engaging gameplay loop and the variety of gameplay mechanics add to the addictive nature of the game.
- Amazed (weight 0.01): Players are amazed by the fact that the game was developed by a solo developer and is better than most triple-A games. The overall quality and price of the game contribute to the amazement. Additionally, the impressive achievement of creating such a high-quality game single-handedly adds to the overall amazement.
- Addicted (weight 0.01): Players are addicted to the game's combat and movement mechanics, as well as the depth of the gameplay. The exploration and the variety of gameplay mechanics contribute to the addiction. Additionally, the engaging gameplay loop and the thrill of discovering new builds add to the addictive nature of the game.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Players are concerned about the lack of recent updates and the uncertainty about the game's future. The lack of updates and developer communication contribute to the concern. Additionally, the uncertainty about the game's future development and the lack of recent updates add to the overall concern.}