Upcoming co-op horde mode shooter Hellbreach: Vegas just got its first public demo alongside a physical presence at this year's PAX East. Hellbreach: Vegas' alpha demo runs from today until the 26th and offers a small slice of the full game releasing later this year.
Back in November, I had the chance to try a pre-alpha demo of Hellbreach, as well as talk to its solo developer, Ashley Ellis. Hellbreach really clicked for me as this "as you remember it" take on Call of Duty's beloved Zombies mode. Hellbreach has that slower player movement speed of CoD, coupled with cluttered, dense levels that you can slowly fold open as a match progresses. It almost feels like an Xbox 360-core throwback in the same way the recent boomer shooter renaissance deliberately homages '90s sensibilities, and honestly it's about time the iron sight-aiming, breach and clear bad boys of the late aughts and early '10s got a little more love.
Hellbreach's take on Zombies is getting broken out and made into a more complete package, with just enough progression and structure to support but not overshadow the claustrophobic, arcadey shooting at its heart. I'm particularly excited at the potential for alternate modes coming to the game alongside the classic survival set-up included in the demo. In Hellbreach's latest trailer, there's a brief shot featuring a "X kills until next gun / X guns remaining" UI element, implying a version of CoD and Counter-Strike's legendary Gun Game mode, where you race against other players through a set list of weapons, upgrading with every kill. The full list of demo content includes:
- 1 map: Midnight Monsoon
- 1 game mode: Survival
- 1 difficulty level: Beginner
- 17 weapons
- 4 characters with each having 1 additional unlockable outfit
I've enjoyed my time with Hellbreach so far, but I've still never played it the way it was meant to be: in co-op and on a Discord call with three friends from high school who've all moved across the country. While this demo does not yet offer that opportunity, an Iceberg rep has indicated a multiplayer demo is coming down the line, and the shooter is already good fun solo. You can check out Hellbreach's alpha demo for yourself, as well as wishlist the game over on Steam.
