Amid Evil

Amid Evil on PC is a first-person retro shooter built around magical weapons, aggressive arena combat, and surreal dark-fantasy worlds. The current storefront name remains AMID EVIL; no verified Steam, GOG, or publisher rebrand replaces the original title. Indefatigable developed the game, while New Blood Interactive published it.

Its closest lineage is classic fantasy action shooters, but Amid Evil is not simply a weapon-swapped military shooter. The game combines fast movement, non-linear exploration, secret hunting, and an unusual arsenal that uses mana and enemy souls instead of conventional ammunition.

Combat Built Around Magical Weapon Choice

Amid Evil presents combat from a traditional first-person perspective, with encounters designed around movement, spacing, projectile timing, and choosing the right tool for each enemy group. The player carries a melee axe alongside ranged magical weapons, then gathers new weapons and mana while exploring each level.

The arsenal is the game's defining feature. Its weapons include options such as the Axe of the Black Labyrinth, Whisper's Edge, Voltride, the Celestial Claw, and other fantastical tools that fire blades, lightning, homing projectiles, or miniature planets. Each weapon has a distinct role rather than functioning as a simple damage upgrade.

Most ranged attacks consume one of several mana types, so ammunition management still matters even though the game has no conventional firearms. Encounters reward players who switch weapons according to range, enemy movement, and available resources instead of relying on one dominant attack.

Enemy groups can attack from land, water, and air. The result is a combat loop that mixes circle-strafing with vertical awareness, target prioritization, and careful use of narrow spaces. Higher difficulties increase enemy health, damage, speed, numbers, and resistance to stagger, making weapon selection more important.

Soul Mode, Secrets, and Old-School Exploration

Killing enemies produces collectible souls that fill the player's meter. Once charged, Soul Mode temporarily enhances the equipped weapon and unlocks a more powerful version of its attack. This creates a useful decision point: spend the charge to survive a dangerous encounter, or preserve it for a boss or dense arena.

Soul Mode is not a passive upgrade tree or permanent character progression system. It is a short combat resource that encourages players to build momentum through kills and collect souls before moving into the next fight. Difficulty changes the number of souls required, so the system becomes less forgiving on Hard and Evil.

Levels are sprawling and non-linear, with switches, keys, hidden routes, optional chambers, and environmental puzzles. Exploration is supported by secrets and ancient inscriptions rather than a quest log or objective-heavy interface. Players who search beyond the critical path can find extra resources, lore, and achievement opportunities.

The main campaign is organized through the Gateway of the Ancients, a central hub that lets players select difficulty and access the game's episodes. This structure gives Amid Evil an unmistakably classic PC design while still allowing the player to revisit completed areas and pursue missed secrets.

Seven Distinct Episodes

The base campaign contains seven episodes: Astral Equinox, Domain of the Sentinels, The Sacred Path, Solar Solstice, The Forges, Arcane Expanse, and The Void. Each episode has its own visual identity, enemy roster, environmental hazards, and sanctuary-style boss encounter.

This episode structure prevents the campaign from feeling like one continuous set of interchangeable corridors. The settings move through alien landscapes, mechanical interiors, sacred architecture, and increasingly abstract realms, while the enemy combinations change with the environment.

There is also Hordes of Evil, an endless arena mode focused on surviving waves of enemies. It provides a separate score-attack and combat-practice loop for players who want repeated battles rather than another linear run through the campaign.

Amid Evil includes four difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Evil. These settings change more than incoming damage. They also affect enemy behavior, health, speed, stagger chances, pickup availability, and the soul threshold needed for Soul Mode.

The Black Labyrinth and Available Editions

The standard game is a paid single-player release with a free demo available on Steam and GOG. Its commercial structure is straightforward: purchase the base game, then add optional content separately or choose a bundle that combines the main game with extra material.

The Black Labyrinth is the major expansion-style addition. It serves as a prequel centered on the journey to the Black Labyrinth and the trial surrounding the legendary Axe of the Black Labyrinth. It adds new environments, enemies, challenges, and weapons, including the Gauntlets of the Platinum Star and Voidsplitter.

Steam and GOG also list Champion Edition bundles that package the base game with The Black Labyrinth and soundtrack material. Ancient Alpha Builds and concept-art extras are separate bonus content rather than a replacement edition of the original game.

The current store naming matters for buyers searching older guides: the main product is still listed as AMID EVIL, while The Black Labyrinth remains separate downloadable content. There is no verified conversion of the original PC game into a differently named definitive edition.

Who Should Play Amid Evil?

Amid Evil is a strong fit for players who want fast retro shooter combat, magical weapons, secrets, difficult encounters, and a campaign that does not interrupt play with long cutscenes. Its story is deliberately light, with much of the worldbuilding delivered through inscriptions, enemy design, and environmental presentation.

It is also suited to players who enjoy replaying levels for missed secrets, cleaner combat runs, achievements, or higher difficulty completion. The game does not rely on skill trees, crafting, loot rarity, or persistent character builds, so the focus stays on player execution and route knowledge.

Players looking for online co-op, split-screen multiplayer, or a dialogue-heavy fantasy role-playing game should look elsewhere. The listed PC experience is single-player, and the campaign is structured around combat mastery and exploration rather than party management or social progression.

PC Features, Controls, and Storefront Differences

The Steam version supports full controller input, keyboard and mouse controls, rebinding, a weapon wheel, Steam Cloud, achievements, trading cards, and Family Sharing. The menus were overhauled for gamepad use, and the game is listed as Steam Deck Verified.

PC-specific rendering options include ray tracing and DLSS 2.0. These are optional presentation features rather than requirements for understanding the game's design, which remains rooted in deliberately retro visual language and fast combat readability.

GOG lists Amid Evil as DRM-free and supports an offline installer without requiring GOG Galaxy. Steam buyers receive the platform's client-based features, while GOG is the more direct option for players who specifically want offline installation without a mandatory launcher.

Localization is limited to English for interface and full audio on the current Steam listing, with English text support also listed on GOG. There is no verified multiplayer mode, dedicated server tool, mod workshop requirement, or anti-cheat system to account for in the standard PC release.

Similar Retro Shooters on PC

Amid Evil shares New Blood Interactive's interest in compact, mechanically focused PC shooters with fast old-school first-person action like DUSK, but the two games differ in tone and equipment. DUSK emphasizes firearms, improvised weapons, and rural horror, while Amid Evil centers on magical projectiles, mana, and soul-powered attacks.

Fans of Heretic and Hexen will recognize the fantasy-shooter foundation, especially the use of mana, keys, switches, hub navigation, and supernatural weapons. Amid Evil adds its own identity through surreal episode themes, weapon-specific Soul Mode effects, and enemies designed around aerial, aquatic, and ground-based threats.

The strongest reason to choose Amid Evil over a more conventional retro shooter is its arsenal. The campaign's variety comes less from character customization and more from learning when to use each weapon, how to preserve mana, and when to trigger a charged Soul Mode attack.

Amid Evil FAQ

Is Amid Evil still called AMID EVIL on PC?

Yes. Steam and GOG continue to list the main game as AMID EVIL. The Black Labyrinth is separate downloadable content, not a replacement name for the base game.

Is The Black Labyrinth included with the base game?

No. The Black Labyrinth is optional expansion-style content. It is also included in Champion Edition bundles that package the base game with the expansion and soundtrack extras.

Does Amid Evil have multiplayer or co-op?

No multiplayer or co-op mode is listed for the standard PC game. The core experience is a solo campaign with seven episodes, boss encounters, secrets, difficulty levels, and the Hordes of Evil endless arena mode.

Does Amid Evil support controllers on PC?

Yes. The PC version has full controller support, controller-compatible menus, rebinding, and a weapon wheel. It is also listed as Steam Deck Verified.

How does Soul Mode work?

Enemies drop souls that fill a meter. When the meter reaches its threshold, the player can activate Soul Mode to empower the current weapon for a limited period. The required soul count depends on the selected difficulty.

What language options are available?

English is the verified language for interface, text, and full audio on the current storefront listings. No broader localization set is confirmed for the standard PC version.

Is Amid Evil a campaign or an endless arena game?

It is primarily a structured single-player campaign divided into seven episodes, with each episode containing multiple levels and a sanctuary boss encounter. Hordes of Evil provides an additional endless-wave mode for players who want repeated combat after or outside the main progression.