Hexbound is a retro fantasy boomer shooter that mixes old-school FPS action with dungeon exploration and light RPG progression. We spent time playing through multiple stages before writing this review, and the first thing that stood out wasn't the shooting. It was how often the game rewarded wandering away from the obvious path.
Hidden passages, secret switches, extra loot... they're everywhere if you slow down for a second. The gunplay feels fast, movement stays smooth, and swapping between firearms, melee weapons, and magic keeps every encounter from feeling repetitive. If you enjoy classic dungeon crawler FPS games where exploration matters just as much as combat, Hexbound delivers that familiar old-school challenge.
Every level feels more like a maze than a hallway. Instead of rushing toward the exit, you'll spend time searching for keys, unlocking new routes, and checking suspicious corners for hidden rooms.
During our playthrough, some of the strongest weapons and useful upgrades came from optional areas rather than the main objective. That makes exploration feel genuinely worthwhile instead of being an afterthought.
Enemies become tougher as new worlds open up, so learning when to switch between ranged weapons, melee attacks, and powerful spells quickly becomes part of surviving.
One mistake new players often make is treating Hexbound like a typical run-and-gun shooter. It really isn't.
Take your time. Look behind cracked walls, interact with strange switches, and revisit earlier sections before leaving a level. Those extra resources can make later boss fights noticeably easier.
Perk points are limited, so investing in the weapons or magic you actually use usually gives better results than spreading upgrades across everything.
