What The Critics Are Saying About Dolmen
Sci-fi horror title "Dolmen" looked to combine the styling of "Dead Space" and the action of "Dark Souls." With such classic games set as its inspirations, "Dolmen" had a high bar to reach and critics have released their reviews, determining if "Dolmen" reached those expectations. Prime Matter, the new publishing house behind "Dolmen," debuted at the Summer Game Fest in 2021. The company came to the event with 16 games to show. The list included "Dolmen," which will serve as the first test of the level of quality to expect from the label.
"Dolmen" takes place in a futuristic mining complex altered by reality-bending crystals, which the player is tasked with collecting. Enough space horrors to scare event the bravest of souls also fill the facility. Set for release on May 20, reviews have already trickled in about the new action RPG. Here's what critics thought of "Dolmen."
Playing Dolmen is the real cosmic horror
Unfortunately for Prime Matter, reviews for "Dolmen" have proven mostly negative across the board. Shacknews gave it a 7/10, with critic Donovan Erskine praising the world design. Erskine also enjoyed the variety of ways to tackle combat and the deep lore of the setting. However, He found the cutscenes underwhelming and the lack of a jump button left him disappointed.
PC Invasion awarded "Dolmen" a 4/10, with reviewer Jason Rodriguez describing the title as a lackluster Soulslike. The inclusion of elements such as harder difficulty and unforgiving checkpoints worsened the already clunky and stiff combat in his view. He also asserted that both crafting and skill tree progression felt uninspired and tacked on, adding little to the overall experience.
NME handed "Dolmen" a dismal 1/5. Writer Jason Coles railed against the title's flawed combat and mishandling of the Soulslike genre, calling out problems with features ranging from sneak attacks to shields. "The game as a whole struggles with accuracy in its hit boxes, but it's way more noticeable when you're close to killing a boss and they deal five times more damage than you have health in a wide-range attack," said Coles. "It's indicative of the weird take on difficulty 'Dolmen' has. Simply making enemies really strong and giving them health isn't a good take on a game being hard; it just makes the combat feel cheap."