The armies of Hell are calling to players in Halls Of Torment, as gamers are tasked with surviving for 30 minutes against legions of the undead and undesirable in a number of horrifying locations. The game features a simple premise and very user-friendly mechanics to make it an easy title to get engrossed in for hours on end.
Halls Of Torment features 7 different playable characters, each with their own unique weapons and skills, for players to choose from in an attempt to survive the hordes of Hell. From long-range specialists to cunning sorcerers, this is how the character classes in the game compare to one another.
S Rank - Bane of The Tormented Lords
Swordsman
The first playable character in Halls Of Torment happens to be one of the best options to overcome the hordes of undead and monsters, as the Swordsman provides the most balanced gameplay experience and an excellent base from which to build a formidable warrior. The Swordsman has above-average ratings across the board, providing decent damage, speed, and the highest base health rating in the game to get players off to a good start. With careful consideration of upgrades for this character, the Swordsman can be crafted into a near-unbeatable threat to the armies of the tormented Lords.
The Swordsman is best played with a well-rounded approach that does not necessarily focus on improving one or two facets of its combat abilities, but a broad perspective that sees each area of its skill set get some attention. It has one of the strongest base stats, so the best strategy to apply to this character class is to make upgrades in a variety of areas, including strength, attack speed, movement speed, and range. The Swordsman will also benefit from using short-range abilities like Dragon's Breath and Radiant Aura.
Shieldmaiden
There is no one specific key to success in Halls Of Torment, however, the best strategy a player can employ is understanding their character's strengths and weaknesses and addressing them as they level up. For the Shieldmaiden, defense is the foundation upon which this character class builds itself into one of the best playable options in the game. This character uses a melee primary weapon to deal damage, but unlike its counterpart the Swordsman, it uses its shield to bash into its foes with a more potent strike.
Players using the Shieldmaiden will benefit from increasing their Block Strength, as this influences the character's offensive potential as much as it does its defensive capabilities. With the best defensive rating in the game and an impressive base stat in critical damage, players will be set up for success from the very start by using this character. Much like the Swordsman, the Shieldmaiden would also benefit from short-range abilities such as Dragon's Breath, as their heavy armor does pose a limitation to the speed of their movements.
A Rank - Slayers Of The Undead
Archer
A long-range specialist may be a little out of place in Halls Of Torment, given that most of the combat in the game takes place up close, but the Archer still manages to establish itself as a fairly reliable character class. Despite being at its best from a distance, the Archer's two-arrow attack is particularly potent with its long base range and a high chance of critical strikes. Additionally, the Archer has the fastest base movement speed among all characters, which helps to establish and maintain distance, as well as weave through the crowds of monsters as the field begins to get congested.
Despite its speed and attacking abilities, the Archer has the lowest health rating in the game, making it the most vulnerable when being surrounded by enemies. Players who use this character should prioritize increasing its health and regeneration speed to give them the best chance of survival. Given its prowess from long range, abilities such as the Phantom Needles are a great addition to the Archer's arsenal as it behaves just like their primary weapon and can deal with foes from different angles. Given its low health count, players should also consider equipping the Archer with the Firewalker Boots or Bogged Boots to provide an additional challenge for adversaries looking to hunt the player down.
Sorceress
Wielding perhaps the best primary weapon in Halls Of Torment, the Sorceress class character can effectively dispatch foes using her bolts of lightning, which chains across multiple targets within proximity to one another. This character is generally the last that players will unlock, as it requires 10,000 kills to be made in a single run in the Forgotten Viaducts, however, it is worth the effort. Like the Archer, the Sorceress lacks a noteworthy health rating but makes up for it with its offensive abilities and agility.
As is with the Archer, players should prioritize improving the Sorceress' health and regeneration ratings to keep her in the fight as the run increases in difficulty. They are particularly effective against elite enemies, however, given her attack does not have the cone of effect that offensive characters like Swordsman do, it would be wise to equip the Sorceress with abilities that can inflict damage on a high quantity of enemies. Additionally, given her lower health rating, rings like the Necromancer's Clutch would be perfect for a Sorceress build as it provides an extra pair of hands to help ward off the advances of Hell's army.
Cleric
Toeing the line between A and B rank, the Cleric has some great attacking advantages that are greatly hindered by the limitations in its speed and mobility. Using its staff to produce a two-hit attack with a wide cone of effect, the Cleric packs a serious punch with its base offense abilities. However, he has the slowest recharge time on his attacks, which can be incredibly limiting as the run becomes more difficult.
Players wishing to run the gauntlet with the Cleric should put as much of their resources into improving their attack speed as possible, as this will be a genuine problem as the round progresses. Additionally, improving this character's movement speed is invaluable to ensuring success, so using the upgrades to do this or equipping the Elven Slippers will curb some of the limitations the Cleric has. Once movement and attack speed are improved, players will find this character to be particularly effective in clearing out enemies.
B Rank - Soldiers Of Hell
Exterminator
At first glance, the Exterminator looks like an incredibly effective offensive character capable of burning all in their sight to ash. Unfortunately, while the steady stream of flame from its primary weapon is a great starting point, it does not prove effective when facing more durable enemies as they get closer to the player. This character is best used at a distance, particularly as it does not have the defensive rating to hold off enemy attacks for too long.
Players using the Exterminator will want to prioritize making improvements to their defense and block ratings to give the fire specialist a fighting chance against the forces of the tormented Lords. Additionally, using upgrades on the range and potency of the Exterminator's flame will make for a more effective character, particularly as has a good chance to inflict flame damage on all foes. While it is a great option for the earlier halls where there are weaker foes, Exterminator struggles to keep up as the game's difficulty increases.
Warlock
Aside from introducing the Golem ability to the game, the Warlock unfortunately does not pack a lot of punch to warrant investing a lot of time in the character. Its primary weapon involves summoning spirits to do its bidding which, while it has a very long range and homing abilities on enemies, is a very slow and relatively ineffective ability when enemies are closing in from all sides.
With that said, players using the Warlock will want to increase their attack speed first and foremost, as the character's attack does not deal any base critical damage, so quantity is of the essence if they are to have a chance of surviving. Outside that, equipping the right gear to support its summoning skills and provide additional sources of attack would be best for a Warlock build, so making use of items like the Necromancer's Clutch and the Firewalker Boots are strongly recommended.
Halls Of Torment is now available on PC via Steam