Stunning Lovecraft FPS Forgive Me Father 2 blasts out of early access

Combining the boomer shooter action of Doom with unsettling Lovecraft horror tropes, Forgive Me Father 2 finally leaves Steam Early Access.

Since the early days of Doom and Quake, super-fast FPS games – the now-dubbed boomer shooters – have brought us some of the best PC games of all time. Combine that speed and power with one of the most luridly compelling settings, the eldritch unknown of Lovecraftian horror, brought to life in striking comic-strip style, and you have Forgive Me Father 2. One year since developer Byte Barrel launched it into early access, the full 1.0 release arrives today on Steam, and it’s one you’ll definitely want to see for yourself.

Forgive Me Father 2 ticks all the boxes of a great boomer shooter. It’s fast but slick, driving along its relentless action with a pulse-quickening soundtrack. The Lovecraft-inspired setting brings some fantastic atmosphere and design to the world, continuing the tale of the Priest from the first entry. It boasts a look that could stand out in any crowd; a dark fantasy whirlwind of gloriously vibrant comic book shading, lavished with blood and tentacles aplenty. And then of course there’s the guns, the beating heart of all the best FPS games.

It’s safe to say you’re spoilt for choice in this regard. Forgive Me Father 2 hands you some of the most inventive weapon designs I’ve seen in a long while, each lovingly animated with distinctive and bizarre firing styles. What starts out as your run-of-the-mill handguns, revolvers, and shotguns quickly descends into the realm of the eldritch and surreal.

Some of these more fascinating designs resemble traditional weaponry, such as the Blood Pumper, an alien-looking organ that you squeeze to shoot blasts from, refilling its stock by pouring a vial of blood into the tubes protruding from the surface. Others are basically full-blown creatures in their own right that you can feed to replenish their ammo count. Every one looks stunning; even the simple flamethrower leaves flickering flames dancing mesmerizingly in the air for seconds after you fire.

You’ll need them all, too, if you’re going to make it through the gradual descent into madness and despair that lies ahead. Indeed, your very experience is shifted and warped as you fall victim to the nightmares, with enemies growing and evolving into more dangerous variants. Embrace the unknown, however, and claim powerful new abilities to help you survive the ever-increasing challenge.

Suffice to say that Forgive Me Father 2 is quite the spectacle. It’s the kind of game you call your friend or partner over to show them in action, just on its artistic merit alone. Byte Barrel says it designed the game’s art so that any single frame could stand out as a distinct comic book frame, and it’s absolutely true. But underneath that Lovecraftian veneer lies a robust, rewarding first-person shooter, and that’s what truly makes it stick.

The 1.0 launch of Forgive Me Father is upon us, and introduces plenty more to discover. Visit the low-gravity, mushroom-infested hellscape of Nightmare Land, or brave the chilly terrors of the Arctic. Grab new weapons such as the space-clearing Suspicious Box and the explosive Verminator, or unlock a new Dark Tome ability that turns your very gaze into a weapon of destruction.

Forgive Me Father 2 launches out of early access today, Thursday October 24, on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG. Expect to pay $24.99 / £20.99 for your copy – or buy it with the first game to save 10%, paying $40.48 / £34.18 for the pair. You can head here to take a look for yourself.

The season is right, so ramp up the fright factor even further with the best horror games on PC. Or find something you can play right now without spending any money among the best free Steam games.

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