Back in 2022, Vampire Survivors took the gaming world by storm, offering a simple yet engaging gameplay loop that sucks the player in and doesn't let go until hundreds, if not even thousands, of hours. While this formula is definitely compelling, the moment-to-moment gameplay is rather simple, granting the possibility for other titles, such as Hyperstrange's Hordes of Hunger, to fill the gap and provide a more compelling hack-and-slash-oriented experience based on the game developed by Poncle.
During this year's Gamescom, I had the chance to briefly check out Hordes of Hunger, and what I saw and played definitely showed potential. Controlling Mirah, the only one standing between The Beast and the hungry remnants of humanity, I explored a few locations, completed a few quests, and, mainly, engaged with unrelenting hordes of monsters and killed them using weapons and all sorts of skills granted by the game's Vampire Survivors-like mechanics.
From a gameplay perspective, Vampire Survivors isn't the only game that has influenced Hordes of Hunger. Story-driven roguelites like Hades were a big influence on the experience as a whole, as players will be able to learn more about Mirah and the world she lives in by completing runs through the available monster-haunted locations. The roguelike influence was also predominant in my short gameplay session, and it was easy to see how build-crafting, in particular, is going to be one of the highlights of the experience.
Though the session was short, it didn't fail to show how meticulously crafted the progression mechanics are. Even in its current state, Hordes of Hunger offers a lot of different powers, which must be chosen among the three available every time Mirah levels up. These elemental powers not only grant some very beneficial effects, but they also synergize incredibly well with one another. As leveling up is relatively quick and with no limitation on how many powers Mirah can learn to use, I expect things to become rather crazy as the adventure proceeds.
While build crafting in Hordes of Hunger feels more than solid, Hordes of Hunger also provides engaging combat mechanics. The action is fluid and fast-paced, and the combat system features different offensive and defensive options, including dodging and the now obligatory parry. The latter, in particular, feels very satisfying to pull off, as it grants some additional benefits and is rather easy to perform, thanks to an indicator that guides the player. Creating satisfying parry mechanics that strike a balance between ease of use and usefulness is difficult, but I feel Hyperstrange has managed to do so competently. With varied enemy designs and multiple quests focused on combat, there's no doubt that these solid combat mechanics will have plenty of time to shine during the adventure.
All in all, my session with Hordes of Hunger ended way too soon during Gamescom, leaving me most definitely hungering for more, predictable joke fully intended. As such, I will definitely give the game another spin when it launches in 2025 on Steam in Early Access, complete with three areas and two weapons.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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