I have become quite engrossed in Hell Clock since its launch last month. This title excels at delivering a loot-driven action RPG experience akin to Diablo, while also incorporating roguelike elements similar to games like Hades.
Hell Clock encourages you to break its boundaries, though its only shortcoming might be the lack of content following the completion of its campaign. Until the latest patch, players could restart the campaign on a heightened difficulty mode called Ascension.
The developers at Rogue Snail announced via an update shortly after release that they understood players were eager for tougher challenges with their established characters. Their commitment to swift updates is evident, as they’ve added a major campaign extension just weeks after launch.
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Now, players can increase the difficulty after completing the three-act campaign, akin to the challenges found in Path of Exile or Diablo. In the new Abyss world tier, players restart in act 1 with heightened challenges while gaining access to superior gear. Completing that leads into an additional challenge known as Oblivion.
I’ve tried Abyss with a setup that unleashes lightning orbs across the screen. Essentially, remnants of fallen soldiers accompany me, with swirling orbs resembling saw blades that slice through enemy waves. However, during Act 3, the foes proved more resilient than expected. Meeting this unexpected hurdle reminded me that survival strategies must be considered, prompting gear adjustments.
Finding a solution wasn’t daunting, indicating the depth present in a game that didn’t initially launch with extra difficulty modes.
Rogue Snail hinted in their update post that character defense balancing was a priority for future improvements. Currently, the gear upgrade system can sometimes necessitate discarding all previous equipment when acquiring something better, which may limit experimentation with new builds. This likely serves to align with the roguelike design philosophy, minimizing inventory clutter, but it may hinder player freedom.
Looking ahead, Rogue Snail plans to introduce a comprehensive endgame system inspired by Path of Exile’s progressively challenging dungeon maps, alongside a crafting system, fresh character animations, and a paid expansion featuring a fourth act.
If this ambitious lineup unfolds as intended, Rogue Snail may soon possess an action RPG potent enough to draw me away from Diablo 4.
