Kvark is a game that I have mixed feelings on. There are several elements that I find incredibly enjoyable, but for each one there is also something that is slightly frustrating. The overall setting and art direction are very well done. I assume the dev is aiming for something that is akin to a Soviet style Half Life. In that regard Kvark absolutely nails it. As you explore cavernous warehouses (and caves), utilitarian reception areas, and cramped service hallways, you feel the immensity of the structure surrounding you and slowly start to develop a sense of dread as you wonder what exactly happened to make this place so empty and hostile. Which leads me into my first issue with the game, the story. Kvark’s premise is very bare bones: You woke up in a cell and are now fighting for your life as you explore the Kvark facility. That’s pretty much it. You find various notes over the course of the game, but none of them really add anything to the story. Most can be boiled down to “Something is going wrong” or “[insert example of comedic bureaucratic incompetence].” Overall, this is a pretty minor issue, but it would have been nice if the story had a little more substance to it. Maybe in the final release.

Now let’s talk about game play. Kvark’s game play is good. The weapons are your typical retro FPS load-out: pistol, shotgun, AK-47, etc. All of them feel pretty good to use (with some caveats, but more on that in a minute). I should note that being able to shoot different parts of the enemies is really neat and the gibs are very satisfying. But, while this is all fine and good, there are several flaws. My biggest issue is with how the enemy AI interacts with you. Most enemies stick to one of two strategies. Either they immediately rush at you full sprint or, if they have a projectile attack, they will immediately lock on to your position and begin to shoot you with 100% accuracy. Also, the enemy AI is a huge fan of the “clown car” style of combat. Open a door or walk into a room and they all come running from the same place. Shooting enemies can sometimes be frustrating as they don’t really have any sort of hit-stun, so there will be many a time where they will still immediately hit you despite having just been hit themselves (the flying drones are a particular egregious example of this).

Now onto the guns. While most of them are good, some are just plain useless. The EMP rifle is a particularly strong example of this. I almost never used it outside of puzzles. The stun on the robots doesn’t last long enough to justify using it, especially when a better strategy is to just shoot them or hit them with a grenade. It would be nice if it did extra damage against them, as in its current state it takes almost the entire clip just to kill one robot. The double barrel also has some issues. It’s damage output is wildly inconsistent (à la the DOOM 3 shotgun) and I often just used the regular one over it as I felt that it could hit enemies more reliably. Finally, the crossbow takes way to long to reload and doesn’t do enough damage to justify having to reload it after every shot.

One quick final note, the perk system feels really secondary and unnecessary. None of them really drastically alter game play (except for two, but even then its still pretty minor) and it makes the game a little more frustrating when you don’t have the ones that increase damage or resistance.

Overall, despite my criticisms I still enjoyed Kvark. I’m looking forward to the final chapter and hope that the devs deliver a satisfying experience. If you want to play a Soviet-esque Half Life that is a little rough around the edges, then Kvark is the game for you. Despite its flaws, I would still heavily recommend giving Kvark a shot.

Also I like the name. Its fun to say.

Fun game, I was never really confused about where to go or what to do, guns were good, but enemies aren't too punishing.

Just completed chapter 2 and can't wait for the next. Kvark doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's an extremely solid Half Life style game with a rich atmosphere and satisfying combat. The definition of a hidden gem. Please support the developers, you won't regret it!