Official Score
Overall - 85%
85%
The Word of Cult of the Lamb is good, providing roguelike action with heaps of that good ol' fashioned ultraviolence. Those that don't mind a lack of depth with its cult management shenanigans - and can also turn a blind third eye to its hit-and-miss weapon selection - have found their calling.
A devout commune of woodland Followers are at your command with the release of Massive Monster and Devolver Digital’s Cult of the Lamb. Is this the hot new game in town, or are you better off drinking the Kool-Aid?
Cult of the Lamb Review
Things in Cult of the Lamb kick off on a sour note, with your lowly lamb self captured and on the brink of sacrifice. However, right at the moment one is about to get the axe (literally), The One Who Waits makes an appearance. This large three-eyed catlike humanoid looks to make a bargain: Your freedom in exchange for a cult in their honor.
With no other choice, players take up The One Who Waits on this proposal and gets the Red Crown in return – a device that allows you to wield powerful weapons to defeat all those that stand in your way. With this new relic in hand, players set out to defeat the enemy Bishops that originally tried to take you down in a journey that lasts around 15-18 hours.
This action-roguelike features a similar structure to Supergiant Games’ Hades – albeit more simplified. Set in a sprawling, randomly generated world, players are tasked with clearing rooms of enemies and events alike before progressing to the next. Once done, players can then choose a path that leads to either the exit or a boss.
However, this isn’t a purely linear adventure; different paths in Cult of the Lamb yield different outcomes. One might lead to resources that will help you build up your cult, a second might have waves of non-believers that must be taught a righteous lesson, while a third could feature NPCs or stores to buy cultists and blueprints. Just note that the path to the boss requires players to clear an area Bishop, or main area boss. In order to clear the way, players must beat a zone four times for this Bishop door to unlock.
Combat-wise, battles in Cult of the Lamb are pretty straightforward affairs. Players can utilize an attack, a dodge, and a magic attack, but the main difference in battle comes down to one’s weapon. Swords, daggers, axes, hammers, and claws are all at your disposal, which magical effects including poison, life steal, magic steal, and extra damage.
The start of each run has players gifted a weapon from the Red Crown; this can prove to be hit-and-miss due to weapons like the Hammer being short and hard to use. However, this can also prove to be a boon – other weapons like the Claws are fast, but one needs to complete their combos to maximize damage. Put simply, one’s run lives and dies by what they have in their hands. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel; players can exchange weapons after certain events or by finding a blacksmith within each level.
Spells are similar in that they are also randomized at the start of each run, with players utilizing homing missiles, big fireballs, AoE explosions, and poison puddles.
However, you don’t have to go at Cult of the Lamb with just the wool shirt on their back; Tarot Cards found along the way serve as much-needed buffs. Players can also unlock more of these Tarot Cards the more they play.
Of course, a title called “Cult of the Lamb” will task players with building a cult from nothing. This includes beds, job sites, worship sites, feeding schedule, and everything it takes to make sure your loyal servants are healthy. There are a number of buildings that improve each cultist and give them jobs, including farmers, janitors, miners, loggers, crafters, and worshipers.
As players progress, they’ll also be able to gather materials during runs and build new structures. The lack of depth is a disappointment, as most of the cultist stuff was taken care of on our end by the third boss. As a result, any interest in building was lost.
One can also do Sermons, which provide faith to upgrade the Red Crown. This is similar to the cultist content, except the Red Crown upgrades both you and your weapon selection at the start. As a result, one can get higher-tier weapons and spells when reaching certain upgrades of the Red Crown.
Similar to cultist stuff, except the Red Crown upgrades you and your weapon selection at the start of a run.
Unfortunately, this cult isn’t all rainbows and butterflies; a number of annoyances also rear their ugly head.
Cult of the Lamb has a nasty problem with poop and puke; cleaning takes way too long and there’s always new piles to clear out. Unfortunately, the janitor house is tier 3, which can take a good eight hours to get to.
In addition, there are times where flying enemies can go outside the combat zone, meaning that players aren’t easily able to hit them.
Finally, Bishop Bosses can sometimes curse your Cult during a run, making them go hungry or get sick. Unfortunately, players aren’t able to do anything about this until a run is over.
The Word of Cult of the Lamb is good, providing roguelike action with heaps of that good ol’ fashioned ultraviolence. Those that don’t mind a lack of depth with its cult management shenanigans – and can also turn a blind third eye to its hit-and-miss weapon selection – have found their calling.
