Premium retro FPS with dark fantasy themes
Forgive Me Father is a paid action game from Byte Barrel and distributed by Fulqrum Publishing. In this retro first-person shooter, you get to play as a Van Helsing-type of character in a dark fantasy world inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
To give context, Forgive Me Father is a combination of extensive world-building common among Lovecraft-inspired games, a heavily-stylized art style similar to Borderlands 3, and a psychological aspect like Green Hell or Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It is an authentic retro experience fitted with most modern gaming sensibilities. Also, it has two protagonists with distinct storylines.
Bring an Eldritch comic book to life
If you’re familiar with the heavily stylized aesthetics in Borderlands 3, which makes the panels look like comic books, Forgive Me Father takes it even further. You get a classic retro FPS experience in this visually pleasing art style. Also, as mentioned, there are two protagonists in this game. You can play it from the lens of a journalist or from the perspective of a priest—unique stories, unique development paths.
Also, it has an interesting premise that starts from the usual spooky location that spirals into a cosmic horror—just like most Lovecraftian horror stories. However, it’s not a simple and straightforward run and gun, as it has a psychological aspect. Your madness level affects a lot of elements, including the audio-visual effects and even the controls. You might want to keep this meter as you proceed through its many levels.
With the art style and the gameplay mechanic the way it is, some players have complained about the game being dragging and repetitive given its many levels. It also has a healthy variety of opponents, from common fodder enemies that feel unrewarding to beat to those that are outrageously difficult. Depending on where you stand, this is either a dated violent game or an addictive, fast-paced retro experience.
A unique breed of FPS
Drawing on the extensive lore of Lovecraftian works, Forgive Me Father makes a bold choice of going with the colorful and heavily stylized art style. This risk pays off big time, creating a horror-action video game that is visually appealing and sufficiently challenging. Don’t let the comic book visuals fool you, though, as the game can get really difficult at times. Highly recommended.
