Recent reviews by HEEGH

Fear and Hunger has always had an oppressive atmosphere and gameplay loop, and Termina is no exception. Survival is hard, the world is unfair, and the narrative is brutal. You will die in this game. You will likely lose hours of progress. But after stepping away for a brief minute to fume, you will find yourself drawn back into the game. Why? Because the challenge is rewarding and fun!

I really love the combat system. Every encounter is essentially a puzzle. What body part do you aim for first? What strategy do you use? Do you stay and fight, use up ammo and shoot, or run? There are a ton of ways to approach each situation. It's my favorite part of the game, and contributes a lot to its replayability. In addition, Termina does a great job at balancing its gameplay so that it is both unfair and compelling. It makes many improvements in this regard over its predecessor, and the result is delicious. The mechanics have been refined and perfected, so that even when you fail, you'll still find yourself hungry for more (pun intended, not sorry.)

I think the biggest improvement in mechanics is the loot system. The urge to save scum in the first game was high for me, particularly when looting bookshelves. In Fear and Hunger 1, looting them felt unfair because they were tied to coin flips, a brutal mechanic that always has at least a 25% chance of failure. I don't mind it as much while looting chests or weapon and armor stands, because the best items, weapons, and armor have guaranteed locations or can be found in any container. But books can only be found in bookshelves, and among them are some of the most useful items in the game. In addition to the uncertainty of the coin flip, bookshelf loot tables are random, so you might find something completely useless even after succeeding. Termina fixes this by simply removing the coin flip mechanic from bookshelves. It's a simple yet effective solution that makes looting feel more fair, but not overly so. You might still get a random lore book that you already have, but there are enough bookshelves that getting a skin bible or a recipe book is still likely. And if you're still so unlucky that you can't even find one? There's a way to obtain them for sure, though the cost is high, and not just in value!

The uncertainty of looting combined with the expensive and consequence-heavy method of buying rare items make for an experience that will be different every time. You will have to make difficult choices based on your circumstances. Your familiarity with the game will become a skill. If you have a high enough skill, you won't get yourself softlocked. But if you are, don't be afraid to start over and try again.

I also want to mention the characters. There are so many little details that make them very charming and memorable. Their future is bleak, but they still have dreams and goals you can't help rooting for, even if you know chances are slim to none. There are a few little moments of relaxation and fun that really make everyone feel human in a very monstrous world. Maybe that's why I keep coming back to this game when I'm depressed. If these doomed little bundles of pixels can find bits of joy and whimsy between the unspeakable horrors, then I know I can find enjoyment as well.

Emotional tangent notwithstanding, this is an amazing game and I highly recommend it. If you're not sure if you'll like it, I say try it anyways. The price of the game is cheap, but the experience? Priceless.

One of my favorites. A little overwhelming without that UI info mod though. Before I started using mods I refused to do the community center lol.