Always Wear A Seatbelt In Project Warlock 2
Project Warlock 2 from Buckshot Software gives new meaning to the BFG: Brilliant Fucking Game. Such profanities! I bet you wouldn’t expect this from a Vulgar Knight? Well, I’m entitled to the odd f-bomb.
This game appeared in my feed, and it looked like the type of FPS I used to play ‘in the day’ and what first attracted me to the genre. Seeing a playable demo up for grabs, I thought I’d give it a go in my own time, and finally, that time is here.
Within the first few seconds of playing Project Warlock 2, it felt like test driving my current BMW, after driving an SUV. This thing shifts. It’s a little unsettling, but it’s exhilarating once you go around the block. I’m talking about the car and the game.
Yes, this game shifts at break-neck speeds and reintroduced me to the FPS hit and run. You’d storm into a room, blast a couple of enemies, dash out, reload, back in and repeat. Maybe this is your methodology anyway, but you have time for wall cover, lots of health, or some other trait for modern FPS titles. Health is abundant in the game, well – the demo, but there’s never much time to collect it. That’s a good thing.
Project Warlock 2 is all about tempo and, in some ways, could have been what inspired the likes of B.P.M., as there’s undoubtedly a rhythm to everything. You’ll dash around some throwback visuals to the tunes of crunchy metal riffs and hurty demonic hordes, shooting them in the face with a machine gun. The graphics won’t blow you away, but if you’re from the (g)olden days of Wolfenstein 3D, but with a suped-up computer, you’ll be in your element as I was.
In my playtime, I managed to play with the machine gun (my favourite), a super shotgun that does not disappoint when it comes to overpowering pending you reload, and a claymore. Yes, Dark Souls makes an appearance here as you can melee with a one-hit attack pending you have enough stamina to do so. It does recharge.
Throughout the labyrinth of pixelated death, there’ll be terminals that give hints on gameplay (not needed), and an in-game map that shows in your HUD. Without a doubt, this is a must. My biggest issue with FPS games has always been incessant wandering around looking for keys. Project Warlock 2 has that element, but in this short playthrough, there were enough enemies to keep me occupied. While I’m not thrilled about wandering back and forth looking for secret paths, the mouth-watering speed of movement ensures it’s not a slogfest.
Other than the wandering, I seriously cannot fault Project Warlock 2. Honestly, if you enjoyed the days of LAN parties where you’d physically take a desktop the size of a small fridge to your mates, and turn down all the settings so you could keep up with the action, then Project Warlock 2 is for you. Definitely an old school shooter, unlike the CoD conveyor belt. As this is a demo, I encourage you to download it and add it to your wishlist. If it’s not for you, it’s only taken a few minutes of your time, but I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
