first-person RPG Archives

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

Avowed was always great, but now that it costs what it should have at launch and nobody’s being weird about it online, it’s kinda perfect

The gaming community's perception of Avowed has improved significantly one year after its release, with players now recognizing its merits more favorably. The game received a collection of minor enhancements in its recent anniversary update, similar to improvements seen in Cyberpunk 2077. Initial reactions were mixed, with some players struggling with mechanics and expectations, but criticisms have lessened over time. Bloomberg's early interview indicated that Avowed was meeting sales targets, though recent reports suggested it was slightly underperforming. The game received respectable reviews, with a rating of 82% from PCG Australia and an 80% score on Metacritic. The narrative around Avowed has evolved, with some players expressing acceptance after initially disliking the game. Its price has been reduced, making it more appealing for new players.

AppWizard

December 17, 2025

Painkiller’s creator “disagreed with every single thing” the reboot does, says it “wasted” the IP

Adrian Chmielarz, co-founder of The Astronauts, has contributed to the development of notable video games, including the Gears of War series, Bulletstorm, and Painkiller. He expressed concerns about the upcoming 2025 reboot of Painkiller by Anshar Studio, stating it lacks the essence of the original game. Chmielarz criticized the design choices of the reboot, noting that it feels disconnected from the foundational elements of Painkiller. He emphasized the importance of atmosphere in gaming, arguing that previous iterations had failed to capture the original's spirit by focusing too much on mechanics rather than immersion. He believes that rebranding the game could have resulted in a more positive reception, as many fans are disappointed with the current direction. The 2025 version has received a 'Mixed' rating of 55% on Steam, with negative reviews highlighting its disconnect from the original. Chmielarz is currently working on Witchfire, an early-access first-person RPG.

AppWizard

November 20, 2025

Forget Half-Life 3, the talking rat in Fatekeeper’s latest trailer is the best thing you’ll see this week

Fatekeeper is a grimdark first-person slasher game developed by Paraglacial using Unreal Engine 5, inspired primarily by Hexen rather than Dark Messiah. The game features a talking rat companion that offers cryptic advice and has gained popularity among players. It emphasizes character progression, tactical choices, and exploration, allowing players to evolve their characters into various archetypes. The combat is designed to be challenging yet not overly punishing, with hints of a Soulslike experience. Fatekeeper is set to be released as an early access title in 2026.

AppWizard

August 8, 2025

Somebody spilled some Minecraft in this hardcore first-person RPG, and I love the result way more than I ever thought possible

The demo of Nox Mortalis initially disappointed the player due to its cryptic nature and frustrating melee combat mechanics, including a reliance on a parry system and the absence of a compass. However, after reviewing the in-game manual, the player discovered that crafting a compass was part of the gameplay experience. The game incorporates resource management, requiring players to gather materials like wood, coal, and metals to craft weapons and unlock treasure chests. The crafting system is intuitive, with recipes unlocking automatically as players collect materials. The demo allows for approximately four hours of gameplay, including exploration of side dungeons and the initial levels of a central megadungeon. The player experienced a satisfying progression, starting with basic crafting and advancing to more powerful weapons. There is concern about whether the developer can maintain the engaging gameplay loop in the full release, which currently has no set date, as feedback from the demo is being gathered. Players can wishlist the game and access the demo on Steam.

AppWizard

June 8, 2025

I defeated a bird by talking to it about the Bible in this lo-fi first-person RPG where you’re a 19th century daemon summoner

During the Frosty Games Fest, a trailer for the first-person RPG Your Holy & Virtuous Heretic was showcased, drawing comparisons to indie games like Dread Delusion and Felvidek. The game is set in the year 18XX, where players assume the role of an occultist who inadvertently enters a bizarre alternate reality after a failed ritual to summon Asmodeus. This realm features supernatural entities, magical crystals, and even computers, including a talking computer called the Statistics and Attributes Virtualization Engine. The game includes characters known as arm daemons that provide advice on attributes. It will be available on platforms like Steam and itch.io.

AppWizard

May 8, 2025

Save 20% Off Two of the Best PC Games of 2025

Fanatical is offering a 20% average discount on two games released in 2025. 1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is discounted by 22%, with its price dropping from .99 to .79. The game allows players to explore a sandbox world set in 14th century Bohemia, with 100% completion taking around 125 hours, though many players spend over 150 hours. 2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available for .99 after an 18% discount from its retail price of .99. The game features a turn-based combat system and has received the highest user rating on Metacritic. It explores themes of mortality and grief and has been praised for its narrative and emotional depth.

AppWizard

April 14, 2025

My biggest pleasant surprise of 2025 so far has been the free prequel to one of my favorite indie RPGs, made with FromSoft’s 25-year-old game making toolset

Lunacid, a first-person RPG inspired by the King's Field series, was released in 2023 by Kira LLC. A prequel titled Lunacid: Tears of the Moon is set thousands of years before the original game and was developed using the Sword of Moonlight toolset. The game features user-generated dungeon crawlers and has drawn comparisons to atmospheric exploration titles like Thief and System Shock. Players engage in melee combat without blocking or dodging options, and character progression occurs automatically upon leveling up. Mana regenerates through successful melee attacks, and health is fully restored at the home base. The game lacks a tutorial, prompting players to refer to a classic-style manual. Players must locate five shards of a legendary sword while navigating a world filled with secrets, including hidden doors and challenging enemies.