Alright, let me be real for a second. VOIN wasn’t on my radar at first. I stumbled across it while looking for a good first-person melee combat game, and man, I’m glad I gave it a shot. From the very first fight, I knew this game was something special. Made by a single developer, VOIN is fast, it’s brutal, and it does not hold your hand.
This is the kind of game that makes you pay attention. If you rush in swinging like a maniac, you are going to get wrecked. Once you start learning the mechanics, dodging at the right time, and chaining together attacks, VOIN feels insanely rewarding. It’s got that perfect mix of challenge and fun that keeps you saying, “Okay, one more run” even after you’ve already died fifty times.
If there’s one thing VOIN absolutely nails, it’s the combat. I’ve played a lot of melee-focused games—Dark Messiah, Chivalry, Vermintide—and this one holds its own.
Every weapon feels different. You’ve got big, heavy great swords that hit like a truck, fast daggers that let you dance around enemies, and even polearms with insane reach. Magic is actually useful. A lot of games throw in elemental attacks just for flash, but here, fire burns enemies over time, ice slows them, and lightning stuns them. Combining swordplay with magic is ridiculously fun.
Enemies aren’t dumb. I tried the classic “backpedal and spam attack” strategy, and the AI called me out on it. They block, dodge, and counterattack if you get sloppy. This game forces you to learn. It took me a while to stop getting smacked around, but once I got comfortable with parrying and dodging fights, they started to feel more like duels than just mindless hack-and-slash encounters. Oh, and the boss fights are absolutely brutal in the best way. Each one has its own attack patterns, and they will destroy you if you don’t pay attention.
Some games add exploration just to pad the runtime, but VOIN makes it worth it. Right from the start, I found hidden paths that led to better weapons and upgrades. One time, I stumbled across a crypt filled with insanely tough enemies, but after a brutal battle, I walked out with an artifact that boosted my magic attacks. Totally worth it.
The level design does a great job of making you want to explore. There are hidden tunnels, vertical platforming sections, and even lore scattered around for those who like to piece together the backstory. Every time I thought I’d seen everything in an area, I’d find another path leading somewhere unexpected.
Some games make you feel stronger just by leveling up. VOIN? Not so much. You do get XP and can upgrade your stats, but if you don’t improve your actual combat skills, you’re still going to get wrecked.
Here’s how the progression works:
1. XP lets you boost your stats, but the increases aren’t game-breaking—you still need skill.
2. Weapons and armour upgrades make a difference but they don’t turn you into an unstoppable tank
3. Magic abilities add new ways to fight, but you have to use them wisely.
It rewards you for playing well rather than just grinding levels. By the time I got further into the game, I wasn’t just stronger—I was better.
There’s a good mix of enemy types here. You’ve got your standard grunts, but then there are shielded enemies that force you to time your attacks, fast berserkers that rush you down, and creepy, slow-moving abominations that take a ton of hits to kill. Then you get to elite enemies—mini-bosses that show up just to ruin your day. They’re tougher, hit harder, and won’t go down easy.
And the boss fights? Absolute nightmares (in a good way). These aren’t just oversized enemies with big health bars. Each boss has unique mechanics, and if you don’t adapt, you’re done. One boss had me raging for a solid hour before I finally figured out the trick. And when I finally beat him, it was the best feeling ever.
Visually, VOIN hits that perfect mix of dark fantasy and gritty realism. The lighting and shadows add a ton of atmosphere. Some areas are lit only by torches, giving you just enough visibility to see movement in the darkness. Other places are straight-up pitch-black, forcing you to tread carefully
Each weapon swing feels powerful. Enemy growls and screams are unsettling. The soundtrack ramps up the tension perfectly during fights. I played with headphones, and it made the experience way more intense.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
If you love fast skill-based combat with a dark fantasy atmosphere, VOIN is absolutely worth playing. It’s challenging but fair, rewarding the player for mastering its mechanics rather than relying on grinding levels. The melee combat feels incredible, exploration is meaningful, and the enemy AI keeps every encounter engaging. While it’s not for players who prefer a more casual experience, those who enjoy games like Dark Souls, Doom Eternal, or Dark Messiah will find a lot to love here. With more updates on the way, Voin is only going to get better, making it one of the most exciting indie action games out right now.
