Hellboy has a weird history in video games. Honestly, it's mostly been a history of disappointment. From the clunky 2008 Science of Evil to the even older Asylum Seeker, the big red guy with the Right Hand of Doom just hasn't had much luck in the digital space. Then comes Hellboy Web of Wyrd. It isn't trying to be a massive open-world epic or a high-speed character action game. It’s a roguelike. It’s slow. It’s deliberate. And for a specific kind of Mike Mignola fan, it’s exactly what the B.P.R.D. ordered.
You've probably seen the trailers. The art style is the first thing that hits you. It looks like the comic book came to life, and I don't mean that in the "cell-shaded like Borderlands" way. It looks like ink and shadow. It looks heavy. Upstream Developments, the team behind West of Dead, clearly spent a lot of time obsessing over how Mignola uses negative space. Black isn't just a color here; it’s a physical presence.
The game revolves around the Butterfly House. It’s a strange, shifting mansion built by an occultist named Pasquale Meve, and it serves as a gateway to the Wyrd. As Hellboy, you’re sent in to find a missing agent, but you basically end up punching your way through various dimensions filled with folklore nightmares.
The Combat Logic of Hellboy Web of Wyrd
A lot of players go into this expecting Hades. They want fast dashes, screen-clearing spells, and a million numbers flying off the enemies. If you play it like that, you’re going to hate it. Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a brawler that feels more like a heavyweight boxing match than a ninja fantasy.
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You have a light attack, a heavy attack, and your gun. But the real meat of the game is the posture system. You’re managing your "Toughness" bar. If that breaks, you take health damage. If the enemy's breaks, you get to do a cinematic finisher. It’s rhythmic. You dodge, you parry, you wait for a window, and then you land a punch that feels like it weighs five hundred pounds.
The sound design helps a lot. Every time the Right Hand of Doom connects with a creature from the Wyrd, it sounds like a car crash. It’s satisfying. But it’s also punishing. If you get surrounded, you’re dead. The game forces you to focus on one target, manage the space, and use the environment. You can shove enemies into walls or breakable objects for extra damage. It’s tactical. It’s sorta gritty.
Lance Reddick’s Final Performance
It’s impossible to talk about this game without mentioning Lance Reddick. He voiced Hellboy here, and it was one of his final roles before he passed away in 2023. He brings a weariness to the character that fits perfectly. Hellboy in the comics isn't a wisecracking superhero; he’s a guy who’s tired of his job but does it anyway because he’s the only one who can. Reddick nails that tone. His voice is deep, resonant, and just a bit grumpy.
The dialogue is snappy too. It doesn't over-explain the lore. It assumes you know what the B.P.R.D. is or that you’re willing to learn through the artifacts you find. You'll spend a lot of time back at the Butterfly House talking to other agents. These conversations aren't just fluff. They provide context for the bosses you're fighting and the weirdness of the Wyrd itself.
Why the Roguelike Structure Works (And Why It Doesn't)
Roguelikes live and die by their "loop." In Hellboy Web of Wyrd, you enter a realm, clear rooms, pick up boons (called "Blessings" here), and try to make it to the boss. When you die, you go back to the Butterfly House, spend your points on permanent upgrades, and go again.
The Blessings are interesting because they focus on things like "Revenant" damage or elemental effects. You might find a blessing that makes your gun shots cause explosions, or one that adds a shockwave to your heavy punch. It allows for some build variety, but it’s not as deep as some of the titans of the genre.
Here is the thing: the environments can get repetitive. Because the game relies so heavily on that specific Mignola art style, the corridors in the sunken city or the forest realms can start to look the same after five or six runs. If you’re playing for the sheer variety of biomes, you might feel a bit let down. But if you’re playing for the atmosphere? It’s unmatched.
- The World Design: Each realm is based on a different mythos. You have the sunken city of Ys, the forest of the dead, and the industrial hellscape.
- The Enemies: They aren't just generic monsters. They feel like things that crawled out of a dark folk tale. Giant bats, armored knights, and shambling horrors.
- The Pacing: It’s slow. Very slow. Moving from room to room feels deliberate.
Understanding the "Wyrd" Mechanics
The Wyrd isn't just a place; it’s a narrative device. The game uses it to explain why the world is shifting and why you’re repeating these runs. It’s actually quite clever how the developers tied the gameplay mechanics to the occult lore of the Hellboy universe. You aren't just "playing a video game level." You are navigating a psychic space that reacts to Hellboy’s presence.
One thing that doesn't get enough credit is the enemy AI. They don't just stand there. Ranged enemies will kite you. Melee enemies will try to flank. You have to use your "Payback" meter wisely. This is a special move that charges as you take or deal damage, allowing you to unleash a massive attack. Saving it for the right moment is usually the difference between beating a boss and starting the run over.
Combat Tips for New Players
If you're just starting out, stop trying to mash the attack button. This isn't God of War.
- Prioritize Toughness: If your toughness bar is low, back off. Use your gun to keep distance while it recharges.
- Learn the Dodge Offset: You can dodge in the middle of a combo without resetting your sequence. This is vital for landing heavy finishers on faster bosses.
- Use the Environment: Look for glowing red objects. Shoving an enemy into them does way more damage than a standard punch.
- Upgrade the Pistol Early: While the shotgun and grenade launcher are powerful, the pistol is your most reliable tool for breaking enemy shields from a safe distance.
The game also features "Omen" rooms. These are high-risk, high-reward challenges. Usually, they involve fighting a mini-boss or a wave of enemies with a specific handicap. They’re tough. Like, really tough. But the rewards—usually powerful permanent upgrades or rare currencies—are worth the frustration.
Is It True to the Source Material?
Yes. Absolutely. Hellboy Web of Wyrd is probably the most faithful adaptation of a comic book's feeling ever made. It’s not just about the character's look. It’s about the tone. There’s a specific kind of melancholy in Hellboy comics. It’s a world where monsters are real, magic is dangerous, and the protagonist is a blue-collar worker who happens to have horns and a tail.
The game captures the loneliness of the character. Even when you’re talking to your team at the Butterfly House, there’s a sense that Hellboy is fundamentally apart from them. He’s the one who has to go into the dark.
The story was written in collaboration with Mike Mignola himself, which explains why it feels so "right." It doesn't feel like a spin-off. It feels like a lost arc from the comics. The villains have that classic Mignola motivation—usually some misguided attempt to stop a prophecy or reclaim a lost glory, only to make things ten times worse.
Technical Performance and Visuals
On PC and current-gen consoles (PS5/Xbox Series X), the game runs smoothly. The art style actually helps here; because it doesn't rely on ultra-realistic textures or complex lighting, the frame rate stays consistent even when things get chaotic. However, the camera can sometimes be an issue. Because the combat is so focused on one-on-one lock-ons, the camera stays tight to Hellboy’s shoulder. This makes the hits feel impactful, but it also means you can't always see what's happening behind you.
You’ll need to get used to the "threat indicators" on the screen. These little arrows tell you when an off-screen enemy is about to attack. Ignoring them is the fastest way to see a "Game Over" screen.
Final Practical Advice for Players
Don't rush the story. The Butterfly House changes as you progress. New NPCs show up, and the environment itself shifts. Spend time reading the lore entries you unlock. They aren't just flavor text; they often contain subtle hints about enemy weaknesses or the backstory of the bosses you’re about to face.
If you find yourself hitting a wall with a specific boss, stop trying to force it. Go back to the earlier realms, grind some currency, and dump it into your health and toughness upgrades. The power creep in this game is real, and sometimes a 10% boost to your damage is all you need to tip the scales.
Hellboy Web of Wyrd is a niche game for a niche audience. It’s for the people who love the slow burn of a paranormal investigation and the visceral thud of a heavy punch. It’s a tribute to a legendary comic creator and a fitting final performance for a beloved actor. It might not be the most complex roguelike on the market, but it has more soul than most AAA titles released in the last five years.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your playstyle: If you’re dying often, record a clip of your combat. Are you mashing? Are you ignoring the toughness bar? Identify the moment your defense breaks.
- Focus on the "Charm" upgrades: In the Butterfly House, prioritize the upgrades that give you more health from pickups. Sustainability is more important than raw damage in the later realms.
- Explore every corner: Rooms often have hidden destructible walls that lead to extra lore or currency. Use the Right Hand of Doom to check suspicious-looking masonry.
- Check the Bestiary: Every time you defeat a new enemy type, read their entry in the menu. It specifically lists which attacks are parryable and which must be dodged.