Amid Evil is a 2019 first person shooter for PC created by Indefatigable and Published by New Blood. In it you play as THE CHAMPION who is tasked with freeing the six realms from EVIL! The first step in doing this is choosing a difficulty: easy, medium, or hard, by walking through the portal marked for each. From here you enter the Gateways of the Ancients which is a hub level where you will find portals to the different episodes. Each episode has three normal levels filled with power ups, enemies, and secrets and a fourth boss level to round out the experience. Beat all six episodes and a portal will open in the floor leading to the Void. Defeat all of the EVIL in the Void to save the multiverse.
If the general format is sounding like Quake I'll just say: yes. The difficulty selection, the hub world, and the level progression all resemble Quake so strongly that I'd call it a homage. I would also say that the level designs and movement feel very Quake like. Where it distinguishes itself is the weapons and enemies. All foes drop souls when they die and these can be collected to fill your soul meter. A filled soul meter grants the power to activate soul power where all weapons provide enhanced attacks. This is like having a quad damage power-up that you carry around with you. The weapons are the real stars of this game:
The Axe of the Black Labyrinth: It's an axe that you swing. Soul power sets it spinning like a drill and pureeing foes. You always have this axe unlike the other weapons.
Staff of the Azure Orb: Powered by blue mana, this rapidly fires blue orbs with mild homing. Soul power makes it very rapid fire.
Whisper's Edge: Powered by green mana, swinging this curved saber generates arcs which bounce off of walls. Soul power enlarges the arc and increases the bounces per projectile.
Voltride: Powered by blue mana, this trident shoots lightening as a hit scan. Can stun enemies and discharge into other enemies. Soul power is just more of the same.
Star of Torment: Powered by green mana, this mace is topped with a spiky crystal cluster. When swung it shoots a spray of crystal spikes shotgun style. Soul powered it flings the intact crystal cluster which explodes on contact.
Celestial Claw: Powered by orange mana, this twisted mass of wood and bone summons miniaturized planets which explode. Soul power fires stars which explode harder.
Aeturnum: Powered by purple mana, this ... tangle of ... purple glass ribbons? Seriously, what am I looking at? Whatever, fires a purple energy orb that bursts into strands of light which dissolve most enemies on contact. Soul powered it creates a black hole. Do not fall into the black hole.
The weapons are arguably the stars of the game. Ammo is just limited enough to compel use of all of them at some point and none of the weapons are useless. Soul power lasts around fifteen seconds which is often more than you will need. Collecting souls from fallen enemies will extend this but not by much and there is no way to cancel it so it becomes a real challenge to decide when to deploy it. You also have to collect each weapon in each episode but they don't make that hard.
Each episode has a distinct aesthetic and its own enemy roster to keep things fresh. This is good because this game has twenty eight levels which are all fairly large. The setting is surreal and fantastic in mostly familiar ways that you'll have seen in other games. Amid Evil isn't trying to be anything original. It merely wants to be a very competent classic shooter and on that account it more than delivers. The graphics are very 2002 plus particle effects which provides that detailed enough that you can appreciate the visuals and weird enough that you find yourself staring at stuff and wondering if you're supposed to know what you're looking at feel. The music is good if forgettable orchestral, dark ambient, and industrial fair that carries the mood for levels.
If I had to describe the game's over all vibe it would be Quake meets Magic the Gathering. You are a fantasy multiverse saving demigod of death tasked with facing down some kind of great old one and its million minions. There is a lot more that can be said about this game but if you liked Quake I'll be very surprised if you don't like it. It can be had on Steam or GOG.
IRON NODER XVII: ALL'S FERROUS IN LOVE AND NODING