Dolmen Reviews
This game’s impressive just by virtue of it being Massive Work Studios’ first. But it wouldn’t be fair to only give it credit for that reason. Dolmen is a fun, and exciting cosmic horror-themed soulslike whose unique (and successful!) inclusion of ranged combat helps it to stand out from its peers. If this is just the beginning of what Massive Work Studios have to offer, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us down the road!
Dolmen is a souls-like A-RPG in which we lead a Zoan Corporation expedition to Revion Prime, a dystopian planet full of danger. It is a dynamic and fun game, although with flaws in the targeting system.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dolmen is a serviceable, sci-fi ARPG that sets players up against a gauntlet of strong enemies and varied bosses. Utilising the Metroidvania style approach to progression, the game aims to keep players on their toes with it’s striking visual design and level layout. It’s just a shame the story isn’t up to scratch and a few certain gameplay features are left wanting.
It can't compete with the brilliance of Elden Ring (no shame in that) but it also falls short of other AA sci-fi action-RPGs like The Surge and Hellpoint. Ultimately, it seems less like an offshoot of Dark Souls and more like a proof of concept launched before From Software birthed the sub-genre.
In a post Elden Ring world, Dolmen feels dated and too formulaic. It also lacks the personality, character and soul of the genre’s luminaries. If you’re looking for a new Soulslike game to scratch the itch however, Dolmen will certainly do that, despite its lack of mechanical innovation and uneven difficulty.
A lot of effort seems to have gone into certain aspects, such as the level design. But the game is held back by some poor gameplay design decisions that incur frustration, a UI and controls that feel rudimentary, a multiplayer feature they seem to not want you to use, and a lack of inspiration. If this game cooked for another six months to a year, the devs could take it beyond just having the basics to being something truly special. But as it stands right now, this game does not really offer enough satisfaction and enjoyment to be worth its asking price.
Undoubtedly a good alternative to the Souls saga. Although it may be a somewhat burned out theme, Dolmen will keep you hooked thanks to its cosmic horror setting and fluid combat.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
For a developer’s maiden title, Dolmen is a really ambitious project. In some places, it works. The boss encounters are the high point and for Soulslike addicts, they alone are probably enough reason to check the game out. There are, however, some glaring issues that prevent this game from getting anywhere near the heights of a Dark Souls, or even a Nioh. Poor enemy and level design, lack of visual or audial atmosphere, and a story that doesn’t engage the player. The list goes on. On balance, the bad probably slightly outweighs the good. Too much emphasis was placed on difficulty, without ensuring there was enough meat on the bone in other areas of the game. However, for Soulslike fans, there is certainly enough here to warrant a look, especially at its launch price point. The raw difficulty, and the tough, engaging boss encounters, provide more than an ample challenge for those looking for their next fix in this post-Elden Ring world.
So overall, Dolmen is sitting somewhere in the middle for me. On one hand, you have some really great ideas, but on the other, there’s still some refinement to be made to the overall experience. A lot of these issues I could see being fixed down the line through a few balancing and adjustment patches, but I think Massive Work Studio and Prime Matter have done a good job. I hope to both see some refinement as well as a potential sequel down the line.
Dolmen really has lots of potential. It could have been a decent first effort from Massive Work Studio, if not for the jankiness and bugs. Some of the progression system and mechanics (like the crafting system) might be worth looking into, but as of right now, they’re underdeveloped and not well explained.
I had more fun than expected playing Dolmen and everyone who enjoys a good soulslike game should check it out. The environments are varied and look nice, the level design was appealing, it has great character and gear upgrades systems, and multiplayer was a nice touch. The real downside is the poor enemy A.I., so while combat was satisfying, aside from a few well-designed bosses don't expect a stiff challenge. Overall though, it's still a solid recommend.
Dolmen is a souls-like experience that doesn't leave its mark and stumbles over a whole series of problems that make it only half a successful experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Earlier I asked, “Will the game be filled with wonder and treasures, or will it be empty and nothing but bare-bones?”. Well, it is unfortunately the latter. That’s not to say it’s a bad game, because there is some enjoyment to be had. Part of the problem is the developers of Soulslike games have set the bar very high. With all its clunkiness, it would have been ok 10 years ago while the genre was still in its infancy. But Dolmen did just release in the wake of Elden Ring, and that’s a very big shadow to try and shine in. Is it good? No. Is it bad? Also no. It’s just sort of OK which is why I award Dolmen the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Overall, Dolmen is a hastily assembled mess of a well-intentioned game. It is like a wannabe sports car. No matter how pretty it looks on the outside, if it’s running on a 2-cylinder engine underneath the hood, there are going to be awkward looks all around. But in the end, it’s going to depend on your millage. As much as I dislike the all-style, no substance presentation, I have to admit that some of the features are actually quite enjoyable. It may look pretty from afar. But its style over substance approach is what ultimately dulls the experience of this otherwise decent soul-like shooter.
Dolmen has tried to combine the best parts of Dark Souls and Dead Space, however the relative inexperience and low budget has doomed this soulslike to failure. There are things to like here, but the game doesn't have wide appeal.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Dolmen is devoid of any soul, any passion. It feels like the product of burn-out and boredom halfway through development, as the game is pushed through the finish line.
Dolmen tried to be another big hit, but many problems stopped it from being great. Like the feeling of the whole game, overly tricky enemies, and boring bosses. Dolmen is not an unplayable game, but it feels like it doesn't want you to keep playing.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Apart from energy management, Dolmen does not innovate enough. The game is pretty solid, but doesn't really excel at anything. The real Souls fans will have a great time with this game, but Dolmen is not going to help the genre anywhere.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
During Dolmen’s preview period, gamers walked away from the experience with a sense of hope and anticipation for what the full release would deliver. Unfortunately, the final game feels vastly unfinished, and is plagued by tendrils of brilliant ideas; all of which are haphazardly executed; resulting in a frustrating title providing very little enjoyment or reward for the engagement it requires.
Dolmen's janky combat, cheap difficulty, and grindy multiplayer mechanic make it tough to recommend to all but the most devoted 'Souls fans that'll stomach it.