Deeper into the slaughter-fest, the weaponry gets more fantastic with the addition of flamethrowers, explosive launchers, and higher caliber ordinance. Surpassing all other weapons, the Shadow Hand, a powerful, demonic gauntlet, is one of the coolest items available. Its various powers include freezing and shattering enemies, shredding them with claw-like blades, and shooting out strands of barbed wire to nab foes and hang them in the air for dismemberment before throwing them away.

The large number of enemies you encounter, and the fact many of them will get back up after you’ve felled them (unless you deliver a constant stream of well-aimed headshots), makes for some tough going. The brisk difficulty and often intense, gritty action keeps up at a steady pace. To help balance things out, your health slowly regenerates up to a certain point, and a slow-motion mode kicks in right before you’re about to die that makes you temporarily impervious to damage, giving you a sporting chance to escape and recharge.

Though NecroVisioN tends to be on the predictable side, the fast-paced, first-person shooter combat and unusual WWI-meets-Hellraiser vibe is a solid fit. Beyond the main campaign, challenge rooms let you unlock items to boost your arsenal in the main game, and there are plenty of online multiplayer options to explore. Some of the game’s more disjointed elements – namely the laughably poor voice acting and the inconsistent waffling between gloomy, melodramatic seriousness and wacky, over-the-top outrageousness – make for some head-scratching moments and hamper the cohesiveness of the overall presentation a bit. Intermittent strangeness aside, gorily blasting away at a peculiar medley of demonic foes is indeed fulfilling.

Admittedly, some of NecroVisioN’s faults and quirks may be viewed as a plus among players who’ve already invested an unhealthy amount of spare time immersing themselves in cult horror classics like Evil Dead 2, Hellraiser, and Dead Alive – where bad acting, less plot, and more blood makes for a much more enjoyable experience. An appreciation for those films and for buckets of ultra-violent action will certainly make NecroVisioN more endearing.

By Nathan Meunier
CCC Staff Contributor