Doom defined the childhood of most old-school shooter fans. For Jakub Cislo, it is only something he can read about online. The 19-year-old developer of Project Warlock shows an obvious love for a genre that was in its waning days while he was learning to walk. This 90’s-era shooter is now coming to GOG on October 18 as a timed exclusive.
Even if Jakub never experienced the origins of the first-person shooter firsthand, his team at Buckshot Software are taking lessons from the masters. A meaty shotgun blows back as you fire at a giant boss. Interacting with the right crack in the wall reveals untold riches. Freezing your opponents is just as viable as shooting them down. Your main character (WarlockGuy?) spouts a one-liner aimed at Deus Ex. After testing the game earlier this year, Buckshot Software went into a six-month polish run that has resulted in this end result.
While Project Warlock‘s gameplay looks to the past, it’s not a total throwback. The game has weapon upgrades, letting you make sure your shotgun is super enough to take on the demonic hordes. There is a system of character perks that let you develop your warrior as you play. The graphics style is wholly original, with highly detailed sprites contributing to a textured blocky look that stands out from the crowd.
Project Warlock also avoids the trap of a lot of recent games trying to recapture the ’90s feeling. Instead of a procedurally generated maze, the game has 60 handcrafted levels split into five episodes. The arsenal is bursting with 38 different weapons, not to mention the magic spells that make your character a Warlock.
Project Warlock is coming to GOG exclusively on October 18. As a confirmed timed exclusive, it should hit other PC storefronts like Steam at some point in the future.
