I can't get over this dungeon crawler's incredible melee combat and gorgeous graphic novel looks

illuminated manuscript/icon style drawing of Mortal Sin main character
(Image credit: Nikola Todorovic)

The first time I got really far in Mortal Sin and unlocked its third area, I thought I was overpowered. My character was basically Guts from Berserk: he would become immune to damage whenever he launched into his spinning sword Beyblade power attack, and he'd snagged a rare drop greatsword that would trigger it without a windup to boot. On muddling through that third area and reaching Mortal Sin's early access endgame though, I realized my error: you have to be overpowered to survive these final levels.

Mortal Sin is a first-person melee combat-focused roguelike from solo developer Nikola Todorovic. We actually published a review of Mortal Sin last March⁠ after an early version of the game was mistakenly labeled as a finished build by a third party representing Todorovic. Despite that mix-up, PC Gamer contributor Tom Sykes loved that early version of the game and its "heart-stopping melee" combat, giving it a very respectable 81%, and I'm pleased to report that the complaints he did have are well addressed in the game's impending early access release.

The first-person melee combat is the star of the show here, and it's been refined and reduced like an unctuous demi-glace. Connecting a hit with an enemy produces a crunchy, screen-shaking hit register that clips the action ever so slightly and sends their nasty giblets flying every which way, leaving delimbed (and often beheaded) opponents to wander impotently until you put them out of their misery. It feels incredible, and when you wade into a big group of enemies and just give them one big swing of the "One Hundred Man Slayer," hoo boy! Just a chunk chunk chunk, with the screen juddering as it makes contact with each enemy in turn, practically lagging out from all the hit registers.

Mortal Sin passes two crucial gut checks for me: the first is that when I'm not playing it, I find my thoughts drifting back to its blue and red hellscapes and brutal melee dance⁠—it's a game I got lost in playing, and I was so deep in one play session that I almost forgot to run out and buy my nephew's birthday gift before the shop closed. The other is that each class unlock feels like it could be my new favorite. Tom's criticism that the early version of Mortal Sin didn't have enough meta progression was well and truly addressed.

I was wondering how I could play anything other than the pugilistic, open palm and roundhouse kicking Monk, but then I unlocked the Berserker and found that damned sword, the only videogame Dragonslayer, Buster Sword, "large hunk of iron," big ass sword that's felt as good as the ones FromSoftware makes. And even as I say that, I find myself eyeing the distant unlock of the blood orb-launching, cast-from-hit points Vampire class.

Mortal Sin is elevated further by its presentation. Every frame looks like it was lifted from a metal album cover or '70s fantasy dust jacket⁠. It's a Van Wizard, prog rock sort of game. Mortal Sin has the timeless, cell-shaded perfection of something like Okami, and I think my only wish is that Todorovic gets more sci-fi and weird with future dungeon tilesets, like he did in the game's final level and hidden areas.

Really, it's a must-buy, even in early access, and I can't wait to see how it grows as development goes on. You can wishlist Mortal Sin on Steam right now, and can play it yourself in just a few days when it releases on March 15.

Associate Editor

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch.

Read more
The First Berserker: Khazan review - Maluca
The First Berserker: Khazan review
A viking battling monsters in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel.
Diablo 4 meets Vampire Survivors in this clever roguelike that makes every round its own epic viking adventure
The fox swordsman Yi in Nine Sols.
Nine Sols review
An angry dwarf and a sword-wielding elf with various villains in the background in Absolum.
This mash-up of side-scrolling beat-'em-up and fantasy roguelike feels like it could be the future of a classic genre
Three hyper light breaker characters running toward camera viewed from below.
Hyper Light Breaker has great combat, impeccable vibes, and its ambitious randomized open worlds actually work⁠—the real test is if it goes the distance in early access
Blade Chimera art
Blade Chimera ditches the usual metroidvania progression in favour of a radical idea: skipping straight to the good stuff
Latest in Action
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The First Berserker: Khazan review - Blade Phantom
How to claim The First Berserker: Khazan pre-order bonus and deluxe edition DLC
gta 6 trailer
Publishers 'don't want to be anywhere near' Grand Theft Auto 6 when it launches: 'It's proving to be very stressful'
An image of a Helldiver from Helldivers 2 shooting at a red dragon from Dungeons & Dragons.
'Ok, so dragon builds are a thing now': galaxy-brained Helldivers 2 player incinerates a bile titan with a hover pack and a flamethrower
Assassin's Creed Shadows promo image
Ubisoft scores a legendary ratio against Elon Musk on his own platform—which hopefully marks a final end to all the Assassin's Creed Shadows' culture war nonsense
Assassin's Creed Shadows immersive mode - Naoe holding a tanto in her hand as two guards fall to the ground behind her.
Assassin's Creed Shadows' first hotfix addresses stability issues and a photo mode crash
Latest in Features
Sphene applauds in Final Fantasy 14's patch 7.2 story.
I'm not yelling 'we're so back!' yet, but Final Fantasy 14's patch 7.2 story could be the first sign the MMO is returning to what made it so critically-acclaimed
Several tight-wearing superheroes surge towards the camera in a heroic fashion in City of Heroes.
One year later, City of Heroes' officially recognized fan server has me praying it's the future of dead MMOs
Immortal Pillars expansion for Age of Mythology: Retold
Age of Mythology Retold's new Chinese pantheon expansion takes a bold stance on updating an old game: Just make good new stuff
Ragnarok Battle Offline
After punishing my graphics card with Monster Hunter Wilds, I've returned to the rock-solid frame rates of my old hunting grounds: Windows XP
Ghoul in sunglasses
I'm convinced being a ghoul in Fallout 76 is the best way to vibe in West Virginia, thanks to these powerful perk cards and my new true love: Radiation
Steel Hunters hands-on
Steel Hunters is like a more tactical Titanfall, but as an extraction shooter it's undermined by boring loot