Lovecraftian FPS Forgive Me, Father Rings in the Halloween Season

Outside of gaming, the sudden appearance of pumpkin spice flavoring is a sure way to tell that Halloween is around the corner. For those in the sphere of gaming, however, you can just look at the upcoming releases. Developers are just waiting to drop their spooky games during this exciting season. Case in point: Forgive Me, Father. This Lovecraftian shooter is sure to bring a chill down your spine with its eldritch themes and ominous music. Publisher 1C Entertainment gave us an early look at the Steam Next Fest demo of Forgive Me, Father, and it's definitely shaping up to be a fun time that perfectly complements the upcoming holiday.

Going Mad for Forgive Me, Father

With so many shooters releasing recently, being unique is key to success. Forgive Me, Father certainly fulfills this criteria with its visuals. Boasting a very comic book-like look to it, this is a visual treat. The sprites for weapons and enemies are completely 2D, yet are intricately detailed in a colorful and detailed style. The enemy designs are also imaginative and impressive. There's variation in the shambling undead enemies, so you're not seeing the same old bad guy repeatedly. More powerful enemies look much more Lovecraftian, with tentacles flowing down their body. The effort in creating these terrifying and detailed foes should be lauded.

Forgive Me, Father reminds me of Void Bastards, another FPS with a visual style I absolutely adored. Even if they both take inspiration from the comic book style, Forgive Me, Father looks different enough that it stands out. There's also a lot to love with the visual design of the levels. I explored a creepy manor filled with zombies, a dark garden area with a manor towering overhead, and an early 1900s seaside town. Indeed, many Lovecraftian-inspired works take place within the early 1900s time period, and the theme makes for such a fun experience as a player. The soundtrack, although slightly repetitive with its tracks, creates a spooky mood that encapsulates the atmosphere very well. Come the official Early Access release, I am most excited to see what twists developer Byte Barrel introduces in upcoming levels.

As a retro FPS, Forgive Me, Father doesn't do a great deal to stand out among its peers, although I did find it to be very entertaining. I found a few weapons in my demo, including a revolver that pulled off satisfying headshots, a shotgun with an absurdly large spread, and a Thompson that kicked like a mule. The gunplay feels good in my hands thanks to the effects weapons have on enemies. The shotgun is a blast (literally) because it can take out several enemies in one shot. The machine gun's recoil felt fitting for how powerful it was, as well. I did have a bit of difficulty aiming with the starting revolver, though. The sight reticle felt a bit too small for my liking. Stopping to aim broke up the pace of the gameplay a bit.

The one unique aspect of Forgive Me, Father's gameplay is its level-up system. As you kill more enemies, the player character gains experience. This experience eventually leads to a level-up and a point you can spend to acquire new upgrades. While many upgrades were "WIP," I was able to spend a point to enhance my three weapons. The upgrade for the pistol now allowed me to duel-wield them so I could sling bullets like a true cowboy. The shotgun upgrade made it even more powerful, which meant it was even more enjoyable to use. I also really appreciate that these upgrades change the visuals of your weapon. Such attention to detail always lends to a more robust player experience, so I hope and expect to see a lot more of this in Early Access.

While the demo for Forgive Me, Father has but three levels, it left me wanting to play more. That, to me, is the sign of a good demo and bodes well for the future of this shooter. Thankfully, we won't have to wait long to play it -- it launches in Early Access this month. With Halloween a month away, I think I've found the perfect thing to play in Forgive Me, Father.

TechRaptor previewed Forgive Me, Father on PC using a copy provided by the publisher. The demo is available now on Steam Next Fest and is set to release in Early Access on October 26, 2021.