The classic shooters of the '90s continue to loom large over the modern indie gaming scene, and not just in the ways fans of iconic titles like DOOM and Quake may think. Although each of these incredibly influential games has seen more than its share of modern retro homages, many developers are looking to lesser-known titles of the era to differentiate their own throwback shooters with unique ideas.
This is exactly what the upcoming retro shooter Coven aims to do as it eschews the science-fiction world of DOOM and takes inspiration from two other highly regarded '90s shooters: Hexen and Blood. The result is a hybrid first-person shooter/slasher that not only is a blast to play, but also a game that leans heavily into its horror aesthetic to deliver a throwback experience that feels truly unique in the massive and growing retro-style shooter market. Available now in demo form, Coven delivers an episodic horror experience that allows players to exact bloody revenge all over the 1600s setting.
In its first episode, which comprises the demo, Coven wastes no time with setup. Players take on the role of a falsely accused young woman, burned at the stake by a group of villagers led astray by the church and their town's wealthy benefactor after their village is decimated by plague. When she is resurrected by an unknown force and given otherworldly abilities, she can become the true witch they feared and exact her gruesome revenge upon the population.
Instantly, fans of Blood and Hexen will feel at home in the dark fantasy of Coven's world. Still, from the time players claw out of the girl's shallow grave, Coven begins to deliver its own unique mechanics. The protagonist hasn't just been resurrected by this demonic force; she's also given powerful new abilities that allow her to strike back against the unsuspecting populace. One of the earliest abilities that are revealed is the girl's ability to consume the flesh of the dead to heal herself. Any enemy, if left intact after being killed, can be eaten to replenish hit points.
This in and of itself is a gruesome but satisfying and unique way to heal, as players can return to a gory battlefield if needed, feasting on corpses and receiving hilarious random bonuses for consuming eyeballs and vital organs. This mechanic even is tied to its own strategy in the game's fast-paced combat, as players can choose to annihilate bodies with the game's powerful weaponry, exploding them into tiny pieces but rendering the corpses inedible. Sometimes, to heal, players will have to extend the game's combat, dealing less damage to keep the corpse intact.
This gruesome healing mechanic isn't the only dark magic ability players can wield. The girl can utilize a quick dash to dodge damage, as well as a bullet-time ability tied to a mana bar. This allows her to take out foes in slow motion with ease. The demo also hints at more powerful spells that will be included in the main game and deliver dark magic in this tale of revenge.
Along with the protagonist's magical abilities, Coven also features a suite of apocryphal but incredibly satisfying weapons to take out the game's wide variety of enemies. In the demo, players can wield dual flintlock pistols, a shotgun that features a nail bomb secondary attack, a double-barreled super shotgun with flame rounds, and even the Necronomicon itself. Coven is not purely a shooter, as players can wield a shield and axe to attack enemies up close, delivering devastating hits to the mostly melee-focused enemies. Players can also charge up attacks, which often obliterate the enemies in one hit. Plus, by timing movement with attacks, players can swipe from a variety of angles to catch enemies off guard.
Overall, Coven is a brilliant mixture of shooter and slasher with an effectively dark horror aesthetic that makes a strong case for itself. While it is not clear what time periods and protagonists will make up the game's other episodes, the experience that its most recent demo delivers makes it a true standout in the seemingly never-ending wave of great retro-style shooters that are currently all over Steam. For those who want some spooky atmosphere along with their throwback combat, it would be hard to find something better than Coven this Halloween.