The Desolate Hope Review Summary

A stunning visual treat with a fresh narrative and rewarding combat, though clunky controls, vague storytelling, and repetitive grind dull its potential.

Beautiful and unique visuals: The game features great visuals, beautiful graphics, and an exceptional art design. The visuals are original, well-crafted, and contribute to a distinctive and memorable visual identity.

Compelling and unique story: The game features a unique and interesting story that is compelling and thought-provoking. Players find the characters memorable and the atmosphere eerie and different, contributing to a satisfying ending.

Challenging and satisfying combat: The combat system is complex yet understandable, offering a challenging but masterable experience. Players find the battles fun, intense, and satisfying.

Amazing sound and music design: The game is praised for its incredible music and sound design, which includes an amazing OST. The soundtrack is highly praised and fits the game perfectly.

Fun and varied gameplay: The gameplay is described as fun, varied, and engaging, combining platforming, shooting, and RPG combat. Players enjoy the unique and fast-paced combat system.

Control problems: The controls are criticized for being confusing, poorly explained, and in need of improvement. Some controls are also described as unconventional.

Epilepsy warning for visuals: The visual effects, including flashing lights and colors, may cause issues for players with epilepsy or those sensitive to stroboscope effects.

Gameplay quality issues: Many players find the gameplay confusing, poorly executed, or not special enough. It is often described as simple and not engaging.

Story and mechanics unclear: The game's story and mechanics may be difficult to understand without reading the documentation, and they may not be fully grasped on the first playthrough.

Grinding required: The game involves a significant amount of grinding, particularly for money, which can be tedious.

Hybrid gameplay styles: The game combines RPG, platformer, and arcade elements, creating a unique mix of gameplay styles. Players experience platforming, shooting, and turn-based RPG combat.

Complex combat system: The game features a complex and fast-paced combat system with RPG elements. Boss fights are challenging and require strategic planning.

Side-scrolling and exploration: The game includes side-scrolling platforming sections and Metroidvania-like exploration. Players can enjoy 2D side-scrolling shooter segments similar to Mega Man.

Day and night cycle: The game features a day and night cycle system, adding variety to gameplay. Different sections and challenges are present during day and night.

Easy to learn, hard to master: The game is designed to be easy to learn but difficult to master. This makes it accessible to new players while offering a challenge to experienced gamers.

Game crashes and freezes: The game frequently crashes and may lag or freeze during gameplay. This significantly impacts the user experience and needs urgent attention.

Performance issues and stuttering: Players report stuttery performance and various performance considerations. These issues affect the smoothness and overall enjoyment of the game.

Runs on low-end hardware: Despite some performance issues, the game can run on low-end hardware, making it accessible to users with less powerful systems.

Poor performance on Linux: The game runs poorly on Linux systems. Users on this platform experience suboptimal performance, which may limit the game's accessibility.

Minor bugs present: There are minor bugs reported by users. While they do not significantly impact gameplay, they should still be addressed for a smoother experience.

Highly recommended for unique gameplay: The game is praised for its unique and engaging gameplay mechanics, making it a standout title for those seeking something different from traditional RPGs and platformers. It offers a rewarding and thought-provoking journey for players willing to embrace its unconventional design.

Try the game for free: Given that the game is free, many players recommend at least giving it a try. It is considered a must-try for the price of free.

Worth playing despite flaws: Many players find the game worth playing despite its flaws and imperfect gameplay. It is considered a valuable experience even with its janky mechanics.

Recommended for fans of Scott Cawthon: The game is highly recommended for fans of Scott Cawthon's work and is considered his masterpiece. It is suggested for those who appreciate his unique style and contributions to gaming.

Recommended for story and music: The game is recommended for its compelling story, music, and character style. It is particularly suggested for those who enjoy sci-fi and a good narrative.

Community fair range: $3.99 - $7.99.

Game completion: 6.5h.

Story completion: 6.5h.

Session length: 2.5h.

The game initially feels confusing and tedious but becomes enjoyable and addictive once players understand the mechanics and progress further.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Lack of tutorial; Steep learning curve; Initial confusion; Tedious gameplay at first.

Artistic Connoisseur: Enjoys exploring the game's artistic and stylistic elements, appreciating the blend of different gameplay mechanics. Motivation: Aesthetic appreciation and unique gameplay. Stance: buy.

Story-Driven Challenger: Focuses on mastering the game's challenges and immersing themselves in the story. Motivation: Engaging story and challenging gameplay. Stance: buy.

Strategic Grinder: Uses strategic gameplay to minimize grinding or embraces grinding to fully upgrade and enjoy the game. Motivation: Flexibility in gameplay approach. Stance: sale.

Steam Deck: The overall user feedback indicates a positive experience with the controls and usability of the game on the Steam Deck. However, there are notable issues with language barriers and system understanding for non-English speakers. The game mechanics, while complex, are manageable with some guidance.