In Coven, you take on the role of a young woman who has been accused of witchcraft. Your goal is to get revenge against the townsfolk who sentenced you in this gory first person action game.

A tale of revenge and blood

Your character—a young woman who was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake for her sins—is resurrected by an unknown force, and she wants revenge against those who harmed her. The atmosphere of the game is fast-paced and dark, with the tone being similar to that of retro first-person shooter classic, Quake. You run around the gloomy town hacking and shooting the violent townsfolk, collecting different weapons to complete your task.

Retro graphics, vintage feel

Graphically speaking, the game is part of a popular trend of “PS1 style” games, loosely referring to games that are inspired by—or outright emulate—games from the late 1990s. Other examples of this trend are Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold and Ultrakill. More specifically, the game pays homage to first-person shooters of the time like the aforementioned Quake, giving you the ability to use up to six different weapons throughout the demo, placing a substantial focus on gory deaths and cartoon violence.

An acquired taste

There is very little bad to say about Coven from a technical standpoint; the game runs smoothly (and thanks to the lower quality graphics, it doesn’t need a high-powered gaming computer) and gives you plenty of fast-paced action. The excessive gore and quick-reflex gaming may not be to everyone’s taste, however. It is also worth noting that, while it is an artistic choice, the game is very dark and may need the brightness adjusting for some users. It should also be noted that this game is classed as an early alpha demo.