I discovered Pigface completely by chance, and intrigued by its highly expressive style, I decided to give it a shot. Released in September in an early access FPS format, it combines several interesting elements: a retro aesthetic reminiscent of the first PlayStation era, intense and brutal combat akin to Manhunt or Hotline Miami, and an open-mission structure that allows approaching objectives in multiple ways.
Although the game’s content is not yet complete, Pigface already clearly shows ambition to become more than just another retro shooter. The foundations are solid, and the atmosphere is distinctive enough that it’s hard to confuse it with any other title, despite obvious inspirations from the aforementioned games.
The story, though still minimal, is painted in dark and highly evocative tones. The main character is Exit – a woman who wakes up in an abandoned warehouse, covered in blood and with a bomb pierced through her head. Forced by an anonymous criminal organization, she carries out assignments that require brutal efficiency. The premise is simple, but the presentation adds weight – communication occurs through an old early-2000s mobile phone, and each mission is a fragment of a larger, not fully explained puzzle. The atmosphere evokes Hotline Miami or early Nicolas Winding Refn films, with echoes of productions like Killing Them Softly, Saw, and Dragged Across Concrete.
We also have our own base of operations. It’s a small, rundown apartment filled with empty bottles and filth. Here, we spend the money earned on missions to buy new equipment and prepare for upcoming tasks. Masks found throughout the game are important too, as they not only change the character’s appearance but also grant specific bonuses – some allow partial health regeneration, while others enable a slow-motion mode after a successful kill.
The real meat of Pigface lies in its extensive missions. Each takes place in a relatively large, sandbox-style area – a motel, a train station, or a suburban neighborhood – which can be approached in multiple ways. We can either go in with a shotgun blazing or take a more methodical approach, eliminating enemies quietly with a silencer. Nothing prevents taking a strategic sniper position either. The game rewards exploration (although, for now, rewards for searching map corners are mostly symbolic) and completing additional mission objectives, which translate into higher earnings and faster arsenal development.
Combat is brutal and direct. Melee combat – especially with heavier weapons like a hammer – is pure, bloody satisfaction. Each kill requires a few hits, but the strikes feel weighty and can surprise with their brutality. Firearms are powerful as well, though I’m not entirely convinced that the lack of a crosshair is a fully considered design choice. It forces more focus and increases tension, especially since enemies can ambush from around corners, but it also affects combat dynamics. Unfortunately, AI can be disappointing at this stage – many enemies react predictably and mindlessly run straight into gunfire. Stealth gameplay exaggerates these issues, often leading to absurd situations where enemies either ignore you or seemingly see through walls.
This is still early access, so such elements should be significantly improved in future updates. The current Pigface content consists of four full missions plus a tutorial, which translates to roughly four hours of gameplay, with the possibility of extending it if you like experimenting – something the game certainly encourages.
From an audiovisual perspective, the game recalls the earliest PlayStation 2 titles. The graphics are somewhat reminiscent of the first Max Payne, but in a first-person perspective. Currently, optimization leaves something to be desired, resulting in surprisingly high system requirements for this level of graphics. It’s not terrible – Pigface runs decently on the Steam Deck, though it does not support controller input and requires emulating mouse and keyboard, which is not very convenient. I still hope for significantly better performance at full release.
Despite its shortcomings, Pigface does many things very well. Each mission is a short but intense act of violence. It’s brutally honest – it doesn’t pretend to be about anything other than chaos, blood, and survival. I’m curious to see its development and eager to explore more levels after the full release. For less than 10 USD, it’s worth giving this game a chance and extending it the benefit of the doubt.
