If you already know you don't like 'Survivors'-type games, Entropy won't change your mind. That said, what the devs have made here is such a clean execution of the formula that puts more of a focus on the multiplayer aspect that really makes it stand out in what's quickly becoming a crowded genre. Here's some highlights:

- The game never lags, connecting to lobbies always works, players can drop in and drop out of runs (and it saves their build), really can't emphasize enough how well the multiplayer works
- Rewards are constant, the achievements are achievable and the devs even have a Hard Mode if you just can't get enough of the game
- Builds pair well with one another. So if you have a favorite and your friend have a favorite, you can expect to feel really powerful working together
- Some upgrades feel immediate and impactful while others feel like you're slowly tipping the odds in your favor, really smart game design

Bottom line is that if you're looking for a multiplayer 'Survivors' game, you can't go wrong here. If you're strictly playing alone, this game is going to feel lonely. Maybe pick this up on a sale and try *hopping* into an open multiplayer lobby. That is a frog pun.

Before I say anything else, I think this game has a lot of heart. Nice job dev and keep it up. I'll play your next one. It does a lot of things that a decent rail shooter should do and if you're here reading this review that's probably what you want to know. Is it good? No. Could I recommend this to literally anyone that isn't desperate to play a new rail shooter? Also no. But again, you're only here if you ARE that person.

What it does well:
- Dev understands rail shooters, the game does move in 'scenes'. Camera moves, locks, enemies pile in, you shoot them, camera moves, locks, enemies. You get it. It's not like Darkside Chronicles where the camera is whipping you around like crazy.
- The game has a reload animation so you can't cheese reloads. So more thought went into making a modern rail shooter here than House remake.
- The game has bosses and they're totally fine. There's even a cute little QTE mechanic where you have to shoot directions in sequence to dodge. This isn't overused. Reminds me of turning the wheel in Deadstorm Pirates.
- An actually decent amount of enemy variety. You don't just kill those eye dudes the entire game. I was pleasantly surprised to see new enemy types on each stage
- The game has plug and play lightgun support that works fine. You can even disable the reticle. WOw

Rough bits:
- I suspect the dev tuned the game's difficulty timing around playing with a mouse. On a mouse the game feels very easy, but on a lightgun, the game feels nearly impossible at points. There's a boss that asks you to make a skill shot over and over again or you die instantly. You'd be forgiven for putting the gun down and just using the mouse on this part. The game has liberal checkpoints which feels like the dev throwing up their hands and saying "is this part too hard? Too easy? I don't know anymore. Have a checkpoint."
- There appears to be one sub-weapon and it's not very useful. Reloading it takes forever and by the last stage, I just stopped finding ammo for it. You're almost better not even using it
- There are two endings but determining it is literally the last input you make, so there's really only one route through the game (which is again, standard rail shooter length)

Hell Clock is basically a proto-sequel to Diablo 3 that evolved the ARPG genre in a dramatically different direction. Like, okay. By the end of Diablo 3's run, that game kind of found its flow as the low impact frictionless ARPG where you jumped in, blew stuff to gibs on whatever Torment your bootleg DIY build landed you in, only coming up for air just to empty your bags and do it all over again. It was just fun.

Hell Clock asks a question. What was so wrong with that? As it turns out, nothing. This game proves there's plenty of untapped potential in this style of ARPG. I hope the studio makes another one with multiplayer and more classes.

Absolum is open and shut case proof that no genre is ever dead. It's just waiting for the right devs with the right ideas to make it shine again. A playable dwarf helps too.