Are you bored of Wolfenstein 3D? If this is the case, Only Lead Can Stop Themdeveloped by Warcry Interactive, is for you. For others, there are plenty of first-person shooter games, even those that claim to be boomer shooterwhich are more interesting and better developed.
The idea is certainly not bad, basically: adapting the grandfather of first-person shooter games, released in the early 1990s, to talk not about the eternal Nazis, but rather about the fascists united under the aegis of Franco, in Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. A training ground for the troops of Hitler and Mussolini, this conflict led to the massacre of tens of thousands of people, as well as the imposition of a brutal dictatorship that would last long after the collapse of the Berlin regimes. and Rome.
In Only Lead Can Stop Themtherefore, we play the role of a fighter of the Republican forces who escapes from prison and will have to cross a series of levels killing almost everything that moves, from simple guards to demonic priests, including the bloodthirsty guard dogs.
But when it comes to paying homage – because it is indeed a tribute, unless we are in the presence of a slightly too marked inspiration? –, you may need to know how to dose. From the game poster to the image of the protagonist, a quantity of visuals, the graphics engine focusing on 3D, but with sprites in 2D, everything here maybe smells a little too strong Wolfenstein 3D.
And even if this ancestral title still has its supporters, let’s be honest: the cult success of id Software, which will pave the way for the immortal Doomhas aged. Fortunately, in this cover, this homage, this copy, whatever name we want to give it, certain things have been improved. First of all, no more labyrinthine levels extending on the flat: the developers obviously have access to creation tools which are recent.
So here is verticality, open levels… even if our character will not have the opportunity to use his legs to jump.
Another improvement: even if we largely reproduce the style of Wolf 3Dthe level of detail is still higher, including with the weapons, nicely animated. We will also particularly appreciate the music, a retro electronic soundtrack that evokes adventure films from the 1980s (hello, Tron).
However, by really wanting to adhere to the idea of Wolfenstein 3Dthe developers ofOnly Lead Can Stop Them shot themselves in the foot a bit. First, because the sprites in low definition have had their day, even if we can certainly like retro games.
Then, as much as we enjoy the experience, in theory, certain rough edges quickly become annoying. The controls, first of all, suffer from a certain sluggishness, whether when moving or using our weapons. This generally does not prevent us from moving or shooting enemies, but the player will feel like they are fighting against the title itself.
Furthermore, the impact detection system is clearly not up to par: sometimes even if we shoot at bad guys, we have the impression that the bullets are lost somewhere in the vastness. This is especially true when our character is near double doors and we try to take down bad guys who find themselves stuck behind one of these doors, while the other is open.
Another problem, which strangely represents a hindsight compared to Wolfenstein 3D: these guards, who shouted something in German when the player was in their field of vision, at the time, no longer say anything today. And so, in the context where the level of difficulty is high and health kits are rare, it is impossible to count on the game to warn us of the presence of enemies behind our back. It is therefore entirely possible to be killed in a few seconds… and to have to restart the level while sighing in frustration.
In short, it is frankly paradoxical to say this in 2025, but Only Lead Can Stop Them is both a relatively successful homage to the grandfather of first-person shooters, but also a title that could learn a thing or two from this ancestor, precisely.
Only Lead Can Stop Them
Developer: Warcry Interactive
Editor: Retrovibe
Platform: Windows (tested on Steam)
Game available in French (interface)
