Amid Evil borrows heavily from 90s first-person shooters
Unreal,
Doom,
Heretic,
Hexen, and
Quake. Similar to most first-person shooter games of that era,
Amid Evil is structured as a progression of levels, each of which featuring a complex, non-linear structure with progression often requiring the player to seek out keys to unlock doors. The level design in
Amid Evil promotes exploration, with most levels containing several hidden "secrets" where the player can find
power-ups, as well as lore (plot exposition) in the form of inscriptions on walls or floors. Levels are grouped into episodes, with the levels in each episode sharing a unique theme. Episodes consist of four levels each, the last of which being a
boss battle. Like
Quake, players start in a
hub level that allows episode (and difficulty) selection by walking through various portals. As in
Heretic, the player must battle enemies using an array of magical weapons. In addition to the Axe of the Black Labyrinth, there are six ranged weapons in the game, each using one of four types of
mana. The player must find both the weapons and the mana in the game world. The weapons have varied effectiveness against each of the enemy types, encouraging the player to modify their strategy depending on the situation. In addition to picking up mana, the player may absorb the souls of fallen enemies. As the player accumulates enough souls, they enter "soul mode" which activates alternative fire modes for all weapons, and greatly increases their power for a short time. As the player takes damage from enemies, the player loses
health points. To replenish health points the player must pick up "blood orbs" scattered throughout the levels. There are also rare power-ups that grant temporary abilities such as flight, invisibility, or a torch to illuminate darkened areas. In addition to the single-player campaign,
Amid Evil features a "Hordes of Evil"
survival mode where the player can face off against endless waves of enemies in battle arenas. == Development ==