Forgive Me Father (PC) Review

The so-called 'Boomer Shooters' (hate the term, but you know what it means) have one thing in common: they are simple in nature. Players are thrown into a map and start shooting everything that comes near them. That's it. No scripted sequences or long cut-scenes, no dialogue or wall of texts. Their depth lies in how good the level design, or how well-balanced and fun the gunplay is. Some, however, are probably too simple. In terms of structure, Forgive Me Father is actually somewhere between the extreme simplicity of a corridor shooter like Wolfenstein 3D, and the simple-yet-labyrinthine map philosophy of the original Doom. You run around mostly rectangular rooms, in somewhat linear levels, without any additional features that could be used as platforms or cover, and just shoot at stuff. At least, is the whole "shoot at stuff" entertaining? Well, initially it kind of is.

The action is fast and shooting with the various weapons has that necessary kick - it all gets repetitive way too soon, though. This mostly plays like Serious Sam, in the sense that frequently players are thrown into arenas (small ones in this case), with a wave of simplistic foes coming towards you. Whereas Serious Sam made it all fun, however, this is way too simple in its design for it to be so. Most of the time here will be spend in circle-strafing or running backwards, while shooting at the same simpleton zombies, with the occasional projectile-spitting foes. There are some skills as well; temporary buff spells basically, but these never really manage to spice thing up as much as they should. Even the 'Madness Meter' which builds up as you kill enemies and increase your power is something that you almost forget it exists - at least at normal difficulty.

The general feeling Forgive Me Father gives is that of a product that hasn't left Early Access yet. That's not a moan at the lack of technical polish. This works fine, it just hasn't seen much change from its pre-release state. The weapon and skill balance is far from optimal, to the point that many weapons essentially feel the same. The lack of balancing continues with the enemies, with later stages being full of bullet-spongy foes that decrease the fun rather than increasing the challenge. Generally speaking, this never gets bad… but it never gets great either.

It's important to note that the core of Forgive Me Father is completely arcade-y. There's a horror plot somewhere over here, and the look of it all will probably turn some heads that expect this to be an atmospheric, slow-paced survival horror kind of deal. No, this isn't meant for you horror fans. This is Wolfenstein 3D with zombies and eldritch monsters. Fast and simple, simple and fast. You are not meant to play slowly. This of course, completely destroys the Lovecraftian vibe this tries to have. In fact, calling it Lovecraftian feels wrong. This has a Lovecraftian dressing, but doesn't offer anything beyond that, so lovers of cosmic terror better look elsewhere for your fix. The comic book art style is cool, though. Almost everything is completely hand drawn and colorful, making it all feel as if you are inside a comic book panel. Aside from that this is forgettable.