A hidden gem with one key flaw. 4/5 stars.

Hopeless seems to have gone under the radar, and boy am I shocked. It's highly polished in terms of both aesthetics and gameplay -- sometimes it even feels like an official campaign. Pacing is fair, atmosphere is great, Survivors have good dialogue, and crescendo events are unique and varied, especially in Map 2. Although many sections are thematically derivative of No Mercy, the level design is all fresh with no copy-pasted sections. Hopeless is also surprisingly long despite being only 3 maps, clocking in at about 50 minutes for me.

My biggest issue with this campaign is navigation. The Survivor callouts and graffiti arrows are usually helpful, but there are still several sections where the way forward feels unclear or unintuitive. The campaign's worst moment is unfortunately near the start of Map 1, where you enter a pitch black sewer maze with little to guide you through it.

Gripes aside, I still recommend Hopeless. It's very easy to enjoy.

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