Evil Inquisitor

Evil Inquisitor is a first-person action shooter set in a dark, alternate-history medieval Europe where Christianity is portrayed as violent and merciless. Players take on the role of an inquisitor tasked with investigating supernatural threats, such as vampires, while navigating a world filled with moral dilemmas and brutal choices. The game blends combat, exploration, and dialogue-driven decisions, allowing players to shape their character’s approach—whether through mercy or ruthlessness—as they uncover the truth behind the sinister forces at play.

Evil Inquisitor: A Forgotten Relic of the 2020 Indie Horror Wave

Introduction

In the crowded landscape of indie horror games released in 2020, Evil Inquisitor emerged as a curious anomaly—a first-person shooter that promised wave-based zombie survival with a medieval twist. Developed by the obscure studio hulixxx and released on December 8, 2020, the game arrived during a pandemic-fueled boom in horror gaming, yet it failed to leave a lasting impression. Today, Evil Inquisitor exists as a digital ghost, a game so overlooked that even its Metacritic page lacks critic or user reviews, and its Steam discussions are dominated by accusations of fake positive reviews. This deep dive explores the game’s development, its place in the 2020 indie horror surge, and why it became a footnote in gaming history.

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Development History & Context

The Studio Behind the Shadows

Evil Inquisitor was developed by hulixxx, a studio so obscure that virtually no information exists about its origins, team size, or prior work. The game’s Steam page and MobyGames entry provide no credits, leaving its development shrouded in mystery. This anonymity is unusual even for indie developers, suggesting either a solo project or a small team operating without a public-facing identity.

The game was built using the Unity engine, a common choice for indie developers due to its accessibility and versatility. However, Evil Inquisitor’s use of Unity feels rudimentary, lacking the polish or innovation seen in other 2020 Unity-based horror games like Visage or The Mortuary Assistant. The engine’s capabilities were clearly underutilized, resulting in a game that feels more like a tech demo than a fully realized experience.

The 2020 Indie Horror Explosion

2020 was a banner year for indie horror, with titles like Phasmophobia, The Mortuary Assistant, and Song of Horror captivating audiences. The pandemic drove demand for immersive, atmospheric experiences, and horror games thrived in this environment. Evil Inquisitor, however, arrived late in the year (December 8) and failed to capitalize on the trend.

Several factors contributed to its obscurity:
1. Lack of Marketing: Unlike successful indie horrors, Evil Inquisitor had no pre-release hype, trailers, or influencer coverage.
2. Generic Premise: Wave-based zombie survival was already a saturated subgenre, with Calling All Cars and World War Z offering more polished alternatives.
3. Technical Limitations: The game’s simplistic graphics and clunky mechanics made it feel outdated compared to contemporaries.

The Gaming Landscape of Late 2020

By December 2020, the gaming world was dominated by:
– The launch of next-gen consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S).
– The continued success of Among Us and Fall Guys.
– High-profile releases like Cyberpunk 2077 (despite its controversies).

Evil Inquisitor was buried under this avalanche of content, releasing as a $1 title on Steam with no fanfare. Its obscurity was further compounded by allegations of fake reviews, which damaged its already fragile reputation.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The Premise: A Thin Veil of Medieval Horror

Evil Inquisitor’s Steam description offers a barebones narrative:

“You are the one who can save this world, don’t let the dead establish their rule. Remember who you are. Kill evil spirits to get resources. The more you kill, the more zombies attack you.”

The game positions the player as an unnamed inquisitor battling supernatural forces in a medieval setting. However, the narrative is virtually nonexistent beyond this setup. There are no characters, dialogue, or lore to speak of—just endless waves of zombies and a vague sense of dread.

Themes: Survival and Futility

The game’s themes are as minimalist as its story:
– Survival Against Overwhelming Odds: The core loop revolves around defending an arena from increasingly difficult zombie waves, emphasizing desperation and resource management.
– The Cycle of Violence: The more enemies you kill, the more spawn, creating a feedback loop of futility. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the endless nature of conflict, but the game lacks the depth to explore this idea meaningfully.
– Medieval Horror Aesthetic: The game leans into Gothic imagery, with its title and setting evoking the brutality of the Inquisition. However, this is purely superficial, with no historical or thematic exploration.

Missed Opportunities

Evil Inquisitor squanders its potential by:
– Ignoring Its Setting: The medieval Inquisition is rich with narrative possibilities (moral dilemmas, religious fanaticism, witch hunts), but the game reduces it to a backdrop for generic zombie-slaying.
– Lack of Atmosphere: Unlike Darkwood or Amnesia, which use sound and environmental storytelling to build tension, Evil Inquisitor relies solely on combat, making it feel more like an arcade shooter than a horror experience.
– No Character Development: The player is a faceless avatar with no personality, motivations, or growth. This makes it impossible to invest in the experience emotionally.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Gameplay Loop: A Repetitive Grind

Evil Inquisitor’s gameplay is straightforward:
1. Defend the Arena: Players must survive waves of zombies in a single, enclosed arena.
2. Resource Management: Killing enemies drops resources (e.g., health, ammo), which must be allocated carefully.
3. Weapon Selection: Players can choose from a limited arsenal, though the differences between weapons are minimal.
4. Wave Progression: Each wave increases in difficulty, with more zombies and tougher variants.

This loop is reminiscent of Calling All Cars or Killing Floor, but Evil Inquisitor lacks the polish, variety, or strategic depth of those games.

Combat: Clunky and Uninspired

• First-Person Shooter Mechanics: The game employs direct control, with players aiming and shooting in a standard FPS format. However, the controls feel stiff, and the hit detection is inconsistent.
• Enemy AI: Zombies follow predictable paths, making combat feel more like a chore than a challenge. There are no special abilities, boss fights, or environmental hazards to spice up the action.
• Progression: The game offers no character upgrades, skill trees, or permanent unlocks. Each run is identical, with no sense of growth or achievement.

UI and Feedback: Barebones and Unintuitive

• Health and Resource Tracking: The UI is minimalist to a fault, with basic health and resource bars that provide little feedback.
• Objective Clarity: The game offers no map, wave counter, or clear objectives beyond “survive.” This lack of direction makes the experience feel aimless.
• Visual Feedback: Enemy hits and resource pickups lack satisfying visual or auditory cues, making combat feel weightless.

Innovations and Flaws

Evil Inquisitor’s only “innovation” is its resource distribution system, where players must manually allocate resources between health, ammo, and weapons. However, this system is underdeveloped:
– No Strategic Depth: The choices are simplistic (e.g., “do I heal now or save for later?”), with no long-term consequences.
– Lack of Variety: The resources and weapons are generic, with no unique interactions or synergies.

The game’s biggest flaw is its repetitiveness. Without variety in enemies, weapons, or environments, Evil Inquisitor quickly becomes a tedious slog.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Setting: A Wasted Opportunity

The game’s medieval Inquisition setting is intriguing but entirely wasted:
– Arena Design: The single arena is a generic stone courtyard with no distinguishing features. There are no environmental details, lore snippets, or interactive elements to immerse the player.
– Lack of Atmosphere: The game fails to capitalize on the horror potential of its setting. There are no eerie soundscapes, flickering torches, or Gothic architecture to build tension.

Visual Design: Dated and Uninspired

• Graphics: The game’s visuals are rudimentary, with low-poly models, flat textures, and minimal lighting effects. It looks like an early 2010s indie game, not a 2020 release.
• Enemy Design: Zombies are generic, with no unique variants or creative designs. They lack the grotesque detail of Resident Evil’s zombies or the eerie presence of Darkwood’s creatures.
• Animation: Movement is stiff, with no weight or fluidity. Zombies shuffle predictably, and the player’s animations lack impact.

Sound Design: Forgettable and Underutilized

• Music: The game features a generic, looping soundtrack that does little to enhance the atmosphere.
• Sound Effects: Gunshots, zombie groans, and environmental sounds are basic and repetitive. There are no dynamic audio cues to heighten tension.
• Voice Acting: Nonexistent. The game’s complete lack of dialogue or narration further detracts from its immersive potential.

Contribution to the Experience

The game’s art and sound fail to contribute meaningfully to the experience. Instead of building a cohesive, immersive world, they reinforce the game’s amateurish feel. The medieval Inquisition setting is reduced to a superficial aesthetic, with no effort to explore its themes or atmosphere.

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Reception & Legacy

Critical and Commercial Reception

Evil Inquisitor received no critical reviews on Metacritic or OpenCritic, a rare feat even for obscure indie games. Its Steam page is similarly barren, with no user reviews beyond accusations of fake positive reviews.

The game’s commercial performance is equally obscure. It launched at $1 on Steam, a price point that suggests either a lack of confidence or an attempt to generate quick sales. Given its lack of visibility, it’s likely that Evil Inquisitor sold poorly, failing to recoup even its modest development costs.

Allegations of Fake Reviews

The game’s Steam discussions are dominated by accusations of fake positive reviews:
– Users noted that many “positive” reviews were written in broken English or generic praise, suggesting they were either bot-generated or written by accounts paid to inflate the game’s rating.
– Some users speculated that the developer offered free keys or future game access in exchange for positive reviews.
– Steam’s lack of action on these reviews further frustrated players, with one user commenting:

“And yet Steam does nothing 🙁 No wonder Epic games is taking off, they don’t allow ♥♥♥♥ onto the storefront.”

These allegations tarnished the game’s already minimal reputation, making it difficult to take seriously.

Evolution of Its Reputation

Evil Inquisitor’s reputation has not evolved—it has simply been forgotten. Unlike cult classics like The Mortuary Assistant or Faith, which gained followings despite rough edges, Evil Inquisitor lacks any redeeming qualities to spark nostalgia or reevaluation.

Influence on Subsequent Games

The game has had no discernible influence on the industry. Its wave-based survival mechanics were already well-established by 2020, and its execution was too flawed to inspire imitators. If anything, Evil Inquisitor serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of releasing an unpolished, unoriginal game in a saturated market.

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Conclusion: A Game Best Left Forgotten

Evil Inquisitor is a relic of the 2020 indie horror boom—a game that arrived too late, with too little innovation, and too many flaws to compete. Its development history is shrouded in mystery, its narrative is nonexistent, and its gameplay is a repetitive grind. The medieval Inquisition setting is wasted, the visuals are dated, and the sound design is forgettable. Worst of all, allegations of fake reviews have left a stain on its already tarnished legacy.

In the pantheon of indie horror, Evil Inquisitor is not a hidden gem waiting to be rediscovered. It is a cautionary tale—a reminder that even in a crowded market, a game must offer something of value, whether it’s innovation, atmosphere, or sheer polish. Evil Inquisitor offers none of these. It is, at best, a curiosity—a footnote in the history of 2020’s indie horror surge, and at worst, a game best left buried in the depths of Steam’s obscurity.

Final Verdict: 2/10 – A Forgotten Misfire

Evil Inquisitor is not worth your time, unless you’re a completionist or a historian of obscure indie games. Its only redeeming quality is its $1 price tag, but even that feels like a rip-off when compared to the wealth of superior horror experiences available. Play Darkwood, The Mortuary Assistant, or Visage instead. Or, better yet, forget Evil Inquisitor ever existed.