Kvark Review

Kvark from developer Latest Past is drawing a lot of comparisons to the original Half-Life, but we think a certain console classic has just as much of its DNA coursing through this unsettling boomer-shooter’s veins…

It’s a funny thing reviewing games. If you’re here to read the review, you kind of already know what to expect. But the process of critical elimination, in the sense of ticking off a box from an analytical perspective, tends to be harder to both do, and convey. For example, Kvark -- the game we’re here for today, is bloody excellent. Its pacing, presentation and homage(s) are on-point, but it’s also very much its own thing. However, despite all It has going for it, its enemy AI is… well, not great. It also has a couple of technical issues that hinder it a tad too often while a handful of design decisions could have been more thought out to maintain what is an otherwise smooth and enjoyable adventure-shooter.

So, while we loved the game from go to finish (the ending is a bit *meh*, though), its ‘hiccups’ are annoying enough that they’ve lingered past the point of forgiveness. But maybe, just maybe, that’s because everything else Kvark serves up is simply too good to ignore…

This is equally because Kvark unfurls in a hugely unique way. Its game-world, despite being fairly corridor-ish, is massive. Level design here is arguably some of the best this writer has ever played through, to the point it gives both Half-Life titles it clearly takes inspiration from a run for their collective money. But, more importantly, it just genuinely never ceases to amaze, particularly when introducing the player to new biomes or sojourn beats. It is perhaps a bit too drawn-out for the breadth of content and engagement available, and the ending really falls flat, but in terms of the so-called “hero’s journey”, Kvark really is something special.

Conflicting points, we know, but bear with us as we try to break it all down.

Kvark

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Developer: Latest Past
Publisher: Perun Creative
Release Date: June 1, 2025
Classification: M15+
Author: Stephen Farrelly
Date: June 13, 2025

Don’t Wanna be Your Monkey Wrench (or Maybe I do)

Visually, any so-called ‘boomer’ will be fairly at home with both the overall presentation of Kvark and its subject matter. It’s an alternate history adventure title set in what eventually became the Czech Republic, while under Soviet control. It pokes fun at both the era it represents and the totalitarianism that ruled and dictated the common worker’s plight. Propaganda, misinformation and a general lack of concern for human lives is on the exposition menu here, alongside an odd love of the herb dill. And while often very humorous (check out our screenshot carousel for more) it’s hard to not consider, from a Westerner perspective, just how real some of this might have actually been back in the yesteryear.

"Armed with nothing more than a monkey wrench, you’re syphoned out of the incarceration section and into the facility proper..."

You awake amidst a catastrophe in the cell block area of a very, very large installation as a prisoner now able to make good your escape. Armed with nothing more than a monkey wrench, you’re syphoned out of the incarceration section and into the facility proper, along the way fighting off radiation suit-donned Kvarkers (that’s what well refer to them as throughout), flying robots (with very clear nods to Portal) and irradiated rats (among more later). All the while gaining new weapons and other helpful pickups in a classic videogame setup. 

As you progress through the ever-expanding facility it becomes clear you’re moving through a nefarious mining operation and that things aren’t as hunkydory as some of the propaganda you’re seeing would have you (and the other Kvarkers here) believe. The scale of your escape cannot go understated, while the actual physical design of the entirety of the experience feels about as real as it can get. I personally want to get my hands on the layout artwork and mockups the team used to build out the full facility, because it’s an almost wholly realised geometric space. And at times jaw-dropping in its execution.

Would you like to know more?
The so-called 'boomer shooter' is a subgenre of the basic FPS landscape that suggests any game with that label, is taking some, if not all, of its cues from shooters of the past. Specifically late 90s early naughties. Not all do it well, but those that do tend to lean into elements of modernity to contemporise what is otherwise considered an homage. We've spoken about Kvark and its obvious influences, but if you're new to the world a handful of exceptional examples exist such as Dusk, Project Warlock and Graven, amid myriad others. Give them a look and see where it all started!

Underground Mesa

You’ll move through giant concrete structures involving water hazards, irradiated monsters and various puzzles as you make your way out of this unfurling hellhole. But you’ll also come to cushy offices so deep underground they defy all logic, but help to maintain sale of the nefarious nature of things. There’s various story elements embedded in the game-world beyond its visual storytelling, too. Memos, recordings and even the scrawlings of a mad person inside ducts and other secret areas of each level give you a broader sense of things, but it’s not heavy-handed. In fact, “lite-on” would be a more apt description for the game’s story but that’s okay, because the level design we’ve gushed over so much already, alongside some eye-catching setpieces, more than makes up for any direct delivery of meaningful exposition.

"There are fun and interesting Achievements to seek in this way too, with one standing out where smoking a cigarette, which does damage you, actually kills you..."

There are three full chapters of the game to work your way through, each with large-scale ‘levels’ and as mentioned above, all featuring hidden goodies and secrets. In this way Kvark hearkens back to the discovery aspects of games from yesteryear which is another reason developer Latest Past didn’t need to cram story down our throats. There’s quite a bit of ‘lost in translation’ taking place in some of the written stuff though, which suggests the studio either didn’t have access to a decent sub-editor capable of updating any Czech-to-English translations or, how we’d rather consider it, just left it all as “broken english” because it fit the overall tone of things anyway. 

Most levels within each chapter can take anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour to complete, based strictly on your desire for Kvark’s cleverly-hidden secrets. There are fun and interesting Achievements to seek in this way too, with one standing out where smoking a cigarette, which does damage you, actually kills you. Interestingly, and later in the game, you can actually gain an ability to turn those cheeky puffs into a net health positive. Abilities come by way of self-injecting a substance known as “Anethium” and these unlock on a tier-based setup but largely involve bolstering Health, Speed, Damage and other basic buffs. A few other creative abilities exist within each tier, but Anethium is drip-fed to the player so discerning your playstyle early is a priority to make the most of your discoveries and eventual Kvarkian... self.

Would you like to know more?
We've mentioned Goldeneye a bit throughout our Kvark review, and one thing that Rare's classic did that irked many was have explosions that seemingly 'breached' solid walls (particularly with proximity mines in multiplayer). Otherwise known as 'clipping' in game development, it's when an object, event or other manages to not acknowledge what should be a solid object and 'clips' through it. In Kvark it happens all too often with flame-thrower Kvarkers and even irradiated rats impeding our progress from walls beyond. Hopefully it can be addressed in an update or is entirely wiped for the inevitable sequel, but as it stands it's not a cute 'byproduct' of homaging development from the before times.

Save Me a Drained River

A net issue most Early Access players had was in the game’s less-than-modern Checkpoint system, which are Save points interspersed throughout levels. We played the game on the hardest setting, however, and while we definitely died more than once, never found it too problematic and also feel it’s in keeping with the nostalgic and creative lean of the whole deal. Our issues, rather, stem from the earlier-mentioned AI and its lack of challenge (as well as the basic nature and limited type of enemies overall), clipping (read our “Would you like to know more?” for… MORE!), no toggle crouch (on console) and just how easy the boss battles are. Clipping as you can read more about definitely rears its head more often than not, but the three boss battles you do are so alarmingly easy, they disservice the game massively.

"The second one you can essentially just hide in the doorway you enter the space from and not really get hit -- its biggest challenge, then, being the length of time it takes to beat the boss’ phases..."

In your first one, you can literally strafe your way out of trouble in a weird kind of circular dance where the irradiated rats that help fill the battle overall are actually more bothersome than the boss itself. The second one you can essentially just hide in the doorway you enter the space from and not really get hit -- its biggest challenge, then, being the length of time it takes to beat the boss’ phases. And the third… well, if you can play jump rope with floor lasers well enough, you can literally beat it inside of around a minute. 

These negatives don’t do anything beyond either ease or frustrate, but none add any additional challenge. Which is where we were kind of going in this review’s opener. You get plenty of great weapons to use, which reminded us a lot of Goldeneye, and a lot of the puzzles you do are also nods to that great shooter, but the game’s enemies are fodder at best and its bosses just afterthoughts -- completely unlike that game, and even Half-Life, SystemShock and BioShock; other titles the game throws numerous nods at. And it’s a shame because Kvark is an otherwise brilliant game packed with discovery and adventure.

Reflections of a Low-Poly Model

While that sub-head sounds more like an art-house movie or the musings of a down-on-their-luck writer, it’s a genuine nod to the modernisation of this as a boomer shooter. Kvark was built off Unreal tech and the team utilises every trick in the book and scrap or knowledge to make it all sing. It’s a naturally low-poly experience, but its lighting and reflections belie the “old-school” delivery of things, from a visual perspective, while that scale we’ve also spoken about could only really have been done on modern tech for the type of game this is. We mean, there’s an entire section of the game where you operate an underground train from stop to stop in a fully-realised geometric space with the ability to backtrack whenever you want. It’s actually one of the first times the game shows you just how big it is, and it’s more than impressive.

"Again, shades of both Half-Life and Goldeneye permeate this part of the game, but we can’t undercut the Latest Past audio team for their own efforts here..."

In addition to fantastic level and world-design, art-direction and throwback aesthetics, Kvark has one of the best soundtracks we’ve heard in some time. Again, shades of both Half-Life and Goldeneye permeate this part of the game, but we can’t undercut the Latest Past audio team for their own efforts here. The score is standalone brilliant and should be made available in download or streaming form, immediately (if it isn’t already). Which, again, just highlights how much this game has to offer, and why those glaring issues are so glaring at all… otherwise this might have been one of the year’s best releases.

Once the dud ending completes, though, it’s obvious a follow-up is, at least, in the mind of the studio which could net us changes and updates to those issues, plus expanded gameplay but honestly, for now, it’s still beyond worth a play. Its setpiece design and pacing is next-level and as an adventure and world, we just want more. Topped with irradiated dill on mouldy bread, please.

Would you like to know more?
Kvark does one thing spectacularly: makes you realise how big the space you're in, and moving through, actually is. From an underground locomotive to broken elevators to explosions that open up whole new environments, Kvark is just always MASSIVE. Few games, even in the modern landscape, pull off what this team and they should be applauded for that.

What’s Boss?

  • Incredible level and world design
  • An absolutely massive game with great pacing
  • An all-time perfect soundtrack befitting the era the game homages
  • The promise of a sequel
  • Finding secrets is both challenging and gloriously old-school

Not Boss Enough?

  • Could be considered *too* big for some
  • The enemy AI and lack of variety or depth lowers the game's challenge, a lot
  • Boss battles are a breeze
  • The ending is very, very abrupt and therefore *meh*

A ‘boomer-shooter’ that looks to the best for its foundations, and then adds to them. Very much still an Indie effort which shows in a number of flaws and odd decisions, but overall a game with amazing level design, great concepts around the ‘hero’s journey’ and a soundtrack for the ages. Definitely deserves a home among those it homages such as Half-Life and Goldeneye.

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About the Author

Written By Stephen Farrelly
Stephen Farrelly is a veteran journalist and editor with more than two decades experience in the worlds of gaming, entertainment, lifestyle and sport. He is a proud pug dad, loves art in all forms (particularly street and tattoo culture), and is the director of Swear Jar Editorial and Media Pty Ltd, this site's owner and publisher. When not dispensing words, he's also dispensing boutique beers as a taproom fixture at Bracket Brewing in Marrickville, NSW...
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