Hands of Necromancy (v2025.02.19)

Dark sorcery and old-school first-person shooting drive this grim fantasy adventure, where a power-hungry necromancer treats an invading monster horde as a chance to test his growing arsenal. Hands of Necromancy pairs the speed and chunky visual style of 1990s shooters with a connected, exploration-heavy world more associated with metroidvanias. Its countryside paths, haunted graveyards, icy caverns, volcanic tunnels, and looming castles give the campaign a pleasantly pulpy dark-fantasy mood. The tone stays gleefully mean-spirited rather than oppressive: you are not saving the realm, but proving that its newest menace is no match for you.

Combat revolves around pushing through hostile maps with conventional weapons, destructive spells, and increasingly strange supernatural tools. Enemies swarm from corridors and open arenas, encouraging constant movement, quick weapon swaps, and aggressive use of crowd-control magic such as freezing rings, wind blasts, and explosive holy grenades. Progression comes from finding abilities that double as traversal keys, allowing previously blocked routes, secrets, and shortcuts to become accessible across three large hubs containing 21 maps. Transformations are especially important: the serpent slips through narrow passages and survives underwater, the golem tears down fragile barriers, the demon crosses lava, and the wyvern takes to the air.

What separates it from a straightforward retro FPS is how thoroughly its monster forms reshape navigation as well as combat. Backtracking has a purpose because every new power invites you to revisit familiar territory and uncover areas that were once out of reach, while the varied environments prevent the dungeon crawling from becoming visually monotonous. Its pixelated presentation, fantasy weaponry, and spellcasting clearly suit players who enjoy the likes of Heretic, Hexen, and modern “boomer shooters,” but the map structure gives it a more adventurous rhythm than a simple level-by-level blastathon. Hands of Necromancy is a strong fit for veterans who want secrets and exploration alongside fast shooting, while newcomers can enjoy it if they appreciate retro design and do not need constant guidance.