HellSlave II Review in Progress: Hell Called... It Wants Its Build System Back (2026)
- Niels Gys
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
Quick Verdict
HellSlave II: Judgment of the Archon doesn't let you become Hell's new CEO, but it does let you borrow enough infernal power to make Human Resources deeply uncomfortable.
This is a dark fantasy dungeon-crawling RPG where tactical combat, demon pacts and obsessive buildcraft take centre stage. The horror atmosphere is genuine, the progression systems look impressively deep, and the combat has far more personality than another tired "click monster until health bar disappears" routine.
The catch? It's launch day. Early impressions are promising, but there simply isn't enough evidence yet to declare whether this remains brilliant after twenty hours or quietly turns into overtime with skeletons.
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You Save Humanity... By Making Deals With Demons
Despite the title, HellSlave II isn't about conquering the world as a moustache-twirling villain. Humanity is facing extinction, and your only realistic response is to start accepting favours from creatures that would normally feature heavily in church pamphlets.
You choose a class, swear allegiance to one of six demon lords and gradually build a character around infernal powers, equipment synergies and increasingly ridiculous combinations of abilities.
It's less "be evil" and more "fight Hell by borrowing Hell's homework."
That distinction matters.
The game delivers a morally dirty fantasy, but not a true villain fantasy.
Combat Is Where The Game Earns Its Keep
The biggest attraction isn't the story.
It's the combat.
Rather than simple turn-taking, battles run on a timeline where every action costs time. Throw out a quick strike and you may act again before the enemy recovers. Unleash a devastating spell and you might spend the next few seconds watching a demon enthusiastically repay the favour.
That constant trade-off gives every encounter a satisfying rhythm. The more abilities and equipment you unlock, the more the combat becomes about engineering tiny disasters that all explode at exactly the right moment.
Good RPGs make bigger numbers exciting.
HellSlave II tries to make smarter decisions exciting instead.
That's a far rarer achievement.
HellSlave II lets you borrow demonic powers. Our Best Horror Games hub is full of titles that skip the paperwork and throw you straight into monsters, madness and decisions your therapist would politely decline to unpack.
The Buildcraft Looks Deliciously Dangerous
Early evidence points toward character building becoming the real addiction.
Classes split into specialised disciplines, demon lords unlock their own powers, and equipment piles passive effects, critical bonuses, status interactions and other modifiers on top until your character starts resembling an accountant who accidentally min-maxed the apocalypse.
Even better, respeccing is available.
Instead of punishing experimentation, the game actively encourages it. That's exactly what you want from an RPG built around dozens of possible combinations instead of one mathematically correct answer discovered by somebody named "xXShadow420Xx" on launch day.
The Horror Works Better Than The Villain Fantasy
CRIMENET readers expecting a proper "play as the bad guy" RPG should temper expectations.
The demons are real.
The corruption is real.
The grotesque art direction is gloriously unpleasant.
But you're still trying to stop the end of the world.
You're wielding forbidden powers in the service of saving civilisation, not replacing civilisation with mandatory skull architecture and quarterly lava meetings.
The horror, meanwhile, lands far more convincingly.
The hand-drawn visuals, monstrous enemy designs and oppressive atmosphere give the world genuine personality without relying on endless cheap jump scares screaming "LOOK, A FACE."
Not Everything Looks Ready For Judgment Day
There are warning signs.
Multiple previews agreed that the opening hours are slower than the systems eventually become. Exploration also appears less exciting than the combat, with straightforward quests and fewer meaningful discoveries than the excellent battle mechanics deserve.
Launch has also brought a handful of bug reports on Steam, including isolated quest and input problems. That's completely normal for day one, but it's another reason this isn't the moment to pretend we've seen the game's final form.
The Steam rating is currently Mostly Positive, but it's based on only a small number of launch-day reviews.
That's an encouraging first impression.
It isn't a verdict.
Should You Play HellSlave II?
If you're here for crime, organised villainy or glorious acts of digital felony, this probably isn't your next obsession.
If you're here for dark fantasy, demonic powers, tactical RPG combat and enough build experimentation to lose an entire weekend without noticing the sun has filed a missing-person report, HellSlave II looks genuinely promising.
It just hasn't finished proving itself yet.
For now, this feels like a game standing confidently at the gates of Hell, asking to be judged.
The only sensible response is to let it survive the honeymoon period before handing down the final sentence.
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FAQ
Is HellSlave II a sequel?
Yes. It's the follow-up to the original HellSlave, expanding its tactical combat, RPG progression and demonic power systems into a larger adventure.
Can you play as a villain in HellSlave II?
Not exactly. You embrace demonic powers and corruption, but your ultimate goal is still to save humanity rather than conquer it.
Is HellSlave II a horror game?
Yes, but it's dark fantasy horror rather than survival horror. Expect grotesque monsters, oppressive atmosphere and occult themes instead of constant jump scares.
Is HellSlave II worth buying at launch?
It looks promising thanks to its combat and deep buildcraft, but with the game only just released, it's too early to know whether it maintains that quality throughout the full campaign.
What makes HellSlave II different from other RPGs?
Its timeline-based combat and extensive demon-powered build customization stand out, rewarding smart ability combinations over simply stacking the biggest damage numbers.
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