KINGDOM of the DEAD is nice. Sadly, that's all there is to say about it. Putting the neat "ink & paper" art style and unique synth OST aside, what's left is a way too simplistic love letter to mid '90s FPS games that just doesn't manage to impress in any way. Fun, but it's the one evening kind of fun.
Kingdom of the Dead is a solid retro-inspired first-person shooter created by Dirigo Games who understandably love the 90s approach to level design and gameplay.
KINGDOM of the DEAD has some potential to be a good oldschool FPS game, but bugs, strange design decisions, poor variability of weapons or enemies and uninteresting bossfights pull it down.
As things stand, Kingdom of the Dead is a great proof of concept that is still an enjoyable retro FPS but doesn't quite live up to the aesthetics. I'm keen to see what the developer produces next though as they clearly have a real flair for design and a love of old school FPS games.
Overall, Kingdom of the Dead is a true love letter to arena shooters and the horror genre. This game stands out among its peers and its visual design, as well as its soundtrack, highlight how unique DIRIGO's style is. It won't be for everyone, as the same things that make the experience tight and replayable can paradoxically make it repetitive and unengaging....
