Rising Hell | PS4 Review

Lucifer. We all know the story of his fall. How he fought against Heaven's army, and fell alongside his fellow angels who had similar aspirations. Well, enter "Rising Hell". A new take on that biblical account. One where Lucifer is trapped inside a tower of a tree's root for punishment sake awaiting rescue from the fallen who are also imprisoned with him. In this telling of the age old tale you take on the role of Arok, a sinner, and two other hell bound characters with imbued powers. Guiding them to the top of the root prison from the bottom up as you face off against the gatekeeper Mephisto's minions, and the bosses that lie in wait. All for a chance at escape. Amassing power per collected souls as you ascend making you more prepared for the increasingly difficult challenges ahead. 

Gameplay in 'Rising Hell', as it were, is a rogue-lite experience with mild Metroidvania elements. As one of three different named characters you begin your ascent from the bottom of Lucifer's root prison, and work your way up layer by layer as you collect souls from downed enemies, limited use power-ups, permanent buffs, and earned relic gems. It is with these items, and your abilities that you'll either be able to succeed in your mission or not. Starting off as a sinner with a demonic gauntlet named Arok you have the choice to play on increased difficulty settings (Think Diablo 3), and with some resurrections (continuations) at the cost of souls gained per resurrection. You can either play with the latter option set or a straight single life playthrough alternative where fun is fun, and done is done. 

As the playable trio of main protagonists you have attacks that can be combo chained for bonus souls, and a boosted alphabetical ranking at the end of a chapter via a performance tally. Think "Devil May Cry" with the gruff announcer voice included for extra measure. Along with the basic attack, and combo potential comes a powerful uppercut, and a teleporting dash for dodging. Those things being mainly for the initially available character. Other characters you will unlock do have different base weapons and attributes, and do control differently. Learning what they can do is part of the given grind, as one might expect. With it being a Metroidvana style experience wall jumping is also a crucial part to the gameplay loop, especially in the parts where the Hell rises up underneath you as you try to dodge hellions and hazards on your way up. Utilizing the character abilities efficiently is but one part of the gameplay loop.

When it comes to the gameplay loop itself you ascend floor by floor, and branching path by branching path while killing off enemies that lie in wait. This includes standard enemy types, and the occasional boss fight. Between the start, and finish of each chapter lies various opportunities to trade gained souls for buffs that alter things like damage taken or given as well as life, and attack power. Each item helping you to be better suited for the battles ahead. Re-rolling the offerings is also an option supposing you are willing to trade your relic gems/purple diamonds for the chance at something better. Also along the way you'll find power-ups, and portals to power-ups. The portals named after the 7 deadly sins. Things like Avarice. These limited use weapon modifiers or power-ups will help you deal with the enemy minions and bosses easier. In addition to the souls and power-ups comes a relics, and unlocks system dependent upon relic gems/purple diamonds that act as a currency for said unlocks. As you repeat playthroughs you will earn these purple diamonds or relic gems, and will be able to spend them at the main menu on things like new characters, and weapon upgrades. The weapon upgrades themselves are a double edged sword in that they give your characters' base weapon a buff, but also hinder things like the souls you gain during a playthrough, or even how much life you start off with. It's a risk/reward type of deal that if played smart can see you through to the end of a complete playthrough.

Rising Hell's main mode of play, is ultimately divided up into chapters. Sub-sections that end in named branching points depicted as chained elevators, and finally a boss fight. Rewarding you points for your performance at each chapter's end. Things like life left, combo counts, and other feats accounted for. It goes without saying that those who make it through unscathed are rewarded handsomely for their efforts.

In addition to the main story inclusive mode of play comes a Gauntlet mode in which wave survival is the key to victory. These short lived, named, and themed mini-sessions pit you against waves of enemies that must be cleared for completion sake. Beating an area will increase it's difficulty, and in defeating the more difficult waves you will unlock more Gauntlets for you to take on. As with the main mode you will gain experience points, and in turn unlock relics of varying types that themselves carry that double edged risk/reward buff.

The Presentation ...

From the heavy metal soundtrack to the gruff announcer voices, and the gory combat 'Rising Hell' comes at the player screaming like an electric guitar to be played. It's a visually impressive 2D spectacle that's Hellish in nature, and greatly detailed in the pixel style art that's applied. It's an indie that takes the underlying theme to new heights, and adds layers of replay value for those willing to put their money down for it. Nothing short of a masterpiece.

The Verdict ...

I fell in love with this game from the start. Being a fan of heavy metal, and rock I found the soundtrack to be something special. Accented by voiced combo announcements, and the brutality of in-game combat I felt like a proper badass. It's a fever dream kind of experience where the ascent is an unrelenting adrenaline spike fueled by an end goal that will keep you coming back for more no matter how many times you fail. Like Sisyphus pushing that damned boulder up a mountain only to have it roll back over him, making him repeat the process over and over for all of eternity. Though not that hopeless. In the end it's all about persistence, and the grind. Getting to a point where you understand the challenges, and reaching a point where you're better suited to face them. While the game doesn't hold hands it does offer the gamer a challenge that isn't so abusive it's off putting., and it is in that fair but trying loop of gameplay that Rising Hell wins me over. Leading me to give it the coveted, "Hell Yeah!" recommendation! Don't miss out on this one!