Amid Evil is a first-person shooter that blends retro aesthetics with modern Unreal Engine 4 visuals. Players take on the role of a champion tasked with cleansing corrupted realms using magical weapons against hordes of evil forces. The game emphasizes exploration, resource management, and adaptive combat across distinct fantasy settings.
Gameplay
Core gameplay revolves around navigating non-linear levels filled with secrets and ancient inscriptions that reveal lore. Progression often requires collecting keys or solving environmental puzzles while battling enemies that pursue the player across land, sea, and air. Weapons draw from multiple mana types, and players absorb souls from defeated foes to enter soul mode, which powers up alternate fire modes for increased damage and new effects.
Health comes from scattered blood orbs, while temporary power-ups grant abilities such as flight or invisibility. Enemy AI adapts by dodging, flanking, and reflecting attacks, forcing players to switch strategies based on the situation. The starting battle axe serves as a reliable melee option, and cheat codes plus extensive menu options allow customization for different playstyles.
Game Modes
The primary experience is the single-player campaign structured around seven episodes. Each episode features its own theme, enemy roster, and four levels, with the final level in every episode serving as a boss encounter. A central hub world lets players select episodes and difficulty settings by entering portals.
Four difficulty levels are available: Easy, Medium, Hard, and the hidden Evil mode. Hordes of Evil provides a separate survival mode where players face endless waves of enemies in dedicated arenas to test combat skills without level progression.
Levels and Expansion Content
Levels promote thorough exploration with multiple paths and hidden areas that reward players with power-ups and additional story details. The base game released fully in 2019 after early access, with the prequel expansion The Black Labyrinth adding new levels, weapons, and enemies in 2023. A final update in 2024 improved menu navigation and added gamepad support.
Ray tracing and DLSS 2.0 options enhance the retro-inspired visuals, which combine sprite-based weapons and pickups with detailed normal mapping for a distinctive look. The original dynamic soundtrack composed by Andrew Hulshult underscores the action throughout.
Is It Worth Playing?
Amid Evil appeals to players who enjoy single-player retro-style first-person shooters focused on level design, weapon variety, and exploration rather than multiplayer features. Reception has been generally favorable, with praise centered on the distinct episode themes, soul-powered combat, and atmospheric worlds. The game remains fully supported with its expansion and updates available, making it a complete package for fans of the genre.
Those seeking fast-paced magical combat against adaptive enemies in sprawling, secret-filled environments will find strong value here. The survival mode offers additional replayability for honing skills independently of the main campaign.
