Hellpoint

Hellpoint PC is a third-person sci-fi Soulslike action RPG from Cradle Games and tinyBuild, set inside the ruined Irid Novo space station. The current Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG listings still use the original name Hellpoint; there is no verified storefront rebrand or replacement edition. Its strongest points are secret-heavy exploration, weapon progression, black-hole-driven world events, and a full campaign playable in local or online co-op.

Explore Irid Novo Through Deliberate Combat

Hellpoint uses a third-person camera and deliberate melee combat built around light attacks, strong attacks, blocking, dodging, jumping, ranged weapons, and attack timing. Encounters reward learning enemy patterns rather than simply trading damage. The station's connected layout creates shortcuts, hidden rooms, locked routes, vertical drops, and optional discoveries that gradually turn Irid Novo into a navigable maze.

Death returns you to the game's breach-based progression loop, where collected Axioms and exploration knowledge matter as much as raw character power. You can shape a build around attributes, armor, shields, melee weapons, firearms, and powers, then adjust your approach as new equipment reveals different stat requirements and attack patterns. Players who enjoy science-fiction Soulslikes such as The Surge will recognize the genre foundation, but Hellpoint places more emphasis on occult mystery and interconnected station exploration.

The Black Hole Is Part of the Game System

Irid Novo is not merely a backdrop. The station orbits a black hole in real time, and its position influences the world through the game's dynamic event system. Certain periods can alter enemy strength and placement, trigger hostile assaults, introduce wandering mini-bosses, or make otherwise inaccessible areas and portals available.

That system changes how you read familiar spaces. A corridor that was safe during one visit can become a combat problem later, while a return trip may reveal a new encounter or route. These events are not a separate arcade mode; they are integrated into the exploration loop and encourage players to revisit areas instead of treating every location as permanently solved.

Weapons Improve Through Use

Hellpoint's equipment model gives individual weapons their own progression. Most weapons gain expertise as you use them, unlocking weapon-specific abilities and improving their long-term value. This creates a reason to stay with a weapon beyond its initial damage rating, especially when its attack animations, reach, energy use, or special move fit your build.

Conductors add another layer of customization by transferring upgrade effects between weapons. Ranged weapons and powers expand the combat options, while shields and armor influence survivability and equipment requirements. The Omnicube is a separate utility tool that can provide functions such as illumination and other programs, making it part of exploration as well as character preparation.

The game also supports online PvP alongside cooperative play. PvP is not the main campaign structure, but it gives experienced characters another way to test equipment choices and combat knowledge after the initial exploration loop has been mastered.

Base Game, Blue Sun, and the Free Story Chapter

The standard Hellpoint purchase contains the main Irid Novo campaign, its character progression systems, bosses, secrets, and multiplayer options. The PC storefront catalog also lists Hellpoint: Blue Sun as a paid expansion. It adds a parallel dimension with three areas, The Core, Gehenna Prison, and Dominion Baths, along with new enemies, bosses, armor, characters, weapons, shields, and the contract quest system.

Blue Sun does not require a new character to access, and its additions include stat respec and improved inventory management. The expansion is best understood as additional endgame and replay content rather than a replacement for the base campaign. Store bundles may package Hellpoint with Blue Sun, while the soundtrack and digital artbook are separate bonus products rather than gameplay expansions.

Hellpoint: The Thespian Feast is a separate free, standalone story in the same universe. It follows an investigator arriving at Irid Novo decades after the main Hellpoint events, so it should not be confused with the base game or the Blue Sun add-on.

Who Should Play Hellpoint?

Hellpoint is a good fit for players who want a dark science-fiction setting instead of another medieval fantasy world. Its best audience enjoys third-person Soulslike combat, cryptic environmental storytelling, optional routes, unusual enemy designs, and the satisfaction of learning a large interconnected location through repeated exploration.

The game is less suitable for anyone looking for a tightly signposted campaign, a purely linear boss rush, or a streamlined character system with minimal equipment management. Its systems often ask players to experiment, revisit locations, interpret indirect clues, and decide whether a newly found weapon deserves investment. That ambiguity is part of the appeal, but it can also make the early hours demanding for players who prefer explicit objectives.

PC Features, Co-op, and Localization

The PC version supports keyboard and mouse controls as well as gamepad play, with a controller strongly recommended by the Steam listing. Steam features include online co-op, shared or split-screen co-op, online PvP, Remote Play Together, Remote Play on TV, achievements, trading cards, and Family Sharing.

Local split-screen co-op is one of Hellpoint's most distinctive PC features. A second player can join the campaign, shared loot is supported, and the second local character's experience is saved rather than discarded. The game can be completed cooperatively, while the Blue Sun-era updates added a vertical split option when an ultrawide monitor is detected.

Steam and Epic Games Store versions use their respective storefront clients. GOG identifies its version as DRM-free, allowing offline play without a required online connection. No separate anti-cheat system is advertised by the PC storefront listings. Text localization covers English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Italian, and Brazilian Portuguese; the listed PC storefront data identifies English as the audio language.

Comparable PC Games

Hellpoint occupies a narrow space between sci-fi horror, action RPG progression, and Soulslike exploration. Players who prefer compact Soulslikes such as Mortal Shell may appreciate Hellpoint's emphasis on defensive timing, build experimentation, and dangerous routes, although Hellpoint offers a more expansive station setting and a stronger multiplayer focus.

For players who want cooperative combat but are comfortable with firearms and procedurally varied environments, soulslike co-op shooters like Remnant: From the Ashes provide a useful comparison. Remnant is more ranged-focused and structured around dynamically generated worlds, whereas Hellpoint is a fixed but secret-dense station whose black-hole events alter the rhythm of revisiting familiar areas.

Hellpoint FAQ

Has Hellpoint been renamed on PC?

No verified storefront rebrand replaces Hellpoint. Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG continue to list the main PC game as Hellpoint. Blue Sun is an expansion, and The Thespian Feast is a separate free standalone story.

Is Blue Sun included with the base game?

No. Blue Sun is sold as a paid add-on, although storefront bundles may combine it with Hellpoint. The expansion adds a parallel dimension, three locations, new equipment and bosses, contract quests, and quality-of-life features.

Does Hellpoint have co-op on PC?

Yes. The PC version supports online co-op and local split-screen co-op. The campaign can be played cooperatively, loot is shared, and Steam also supports Remote Play Together.

Does Hellpoint support PvP?

Yes. Steam lists online PvP in addition to single-player, online co-op, and shared or split-screen co-op. PvP is an optional multiplayer layer rather than the central progression path.

Is a controller recommended for Hellpoint?

Yes. The Steam listing recommends a controller, and the game supports gamepad input alongside keyboard and mouse controls. Local co-op also requires the appropriate input devices for both players.

What is the actual gameplay structure?

Hellpoint is a connected action RPG built around exploration, shortcuts, boss encounters, equipment progression, hidden objectives, and repeated returns to earlier areas. Its black-hole event system can change enemy conditions and reveal opportunities, while New Game Plus, PvP, co-op, and Blue Sun provide additional mastery loops beyond a first campaign.