One Shell Straight to Hell is a roguelite top-down shooter about being a badass priest and sweeping demons out of this world, but there’s more to that!
While we are approaching the release date, here are 8 curiosities about the development of One Shell Straight to Hell – some of them might sound a bit crazy but are totally real!
Fact #1 – The Padre’s Order is named after a real pope
The Society of Honorius III is named after a mediaeval pope, Honorius III, who is purported to have authored a grimoire which was specifically designed to be used by priests. In the text, he supposedly discusses how a Christian priest can summon and control evil spirits. It is almost certain that Honorius himself did not author any such book, as it would have been a gross and public violation of Christian teachings (and, as we know, popes used to be posthumously tried in courts for less).
A portrait of Pope Honorius III by artist Leandro Bassano
#2 – The voice of Padre belongs to an English lecturer, author, and editor
The Padre’s unique voice is delivered by Patrick Hickey Jr. who, you may be surprised to learn, is a full-time lecturer of English and assistant director of the journalism program at Kingsborough Community College. Patrick is also the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com - a place where you can find gaming and pop culture news and reviews. In 2018 he wrote a book entitled The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers.
The cover of Patrick Hickery Jr's book 'The Mind Behind the Games'
#3 – The Padre’s back story and parts of the script were written by a priest
The backstory and characters’ biographies were crafted by our story consultant, Reverend James White. When not serving the needs of his parish in England, Reverend James writes about video games and fantasy books. You can also find him playing and running RPGs - to our surprise not as a Cleric but as a Wizard! Without his craft, the world of Padre would not be the same.
#4 – One Shell Straight to Hell differs greatly from its predecessor
The first game starring Padre was a voxel art puzzle-based game that received almost 100% positive reviews on Steam. Although the game's acclaim didn’t translate to blockbuster numbers, the foundations had been laid for an epic sequel. Now Padre returns to the forefront of the battlefield between good and evil. Once again the player will don the cloth to vanquish evil with harsh sermons and sharp wit, but this time with a whole lot of bullets as well.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/747650
Available also on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
#5 – One Shell Straight to Hell was inspired by Poland’s best-selling magazine about exorcisms.
The idea for the return of Padre in One Shell Straight to Hell came to be on a rainy day in early 2019 in Feardemic’s hometown, Kraków, Poland. The concept of priests banishing demons through exorcism is a popular one in Poland. It is popular to such an extent that the country even boasts its own magazine specifically about the art of exorcism called “Egzorcysta”. On that rainy day, one of the 15,000 copies of the monthly edition of the magazine found its way into Feardemic’s office and influenced the staff of both Feardemic and Shotgun with Glitters.
Cover from March 2014 issue of ‘Egzorcysta’
#6 – Padre is drawn by one of Hungary’s best up-and-coming artists
The character of Padre was drawn by one of Hungary’s most talented artists - Keve Kepes. Ever since he learnt to hold a pencil, he has been drawing characters from game worlds, working away toward the creation of the perfect protagonist. Back in 2018, Keve was asked to reimagine Padre and to create a universe where demons and the Church battle for moral authority. It was his work that became the real driver in shaping the world of the game and the characters you encounter.
An artwork of Keve Kepes
#7 – The sisters who took Padre in as a boy are REAL
In the final episode of The Archiver, we discover that Padre as a child was found on the steps of St Jude's Catholic Orphanage where he was taken in and raised by the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. This congregation was founded in Warsaw, Poland on November 1st, 1862. Their “Houses of Mercy” can still be found in Poland as well as in other countries.
#8 – The story consultant was actually part of a real church Paranormal Investigation
Although Reverend James White does not recall performing nor witnessing an exorcism performed with consecrated ammunition, he was called upon to investigate a report of a 21st-century haunting. Despite the fact that the details of it are too chilling to recount here, services of an exorcist were actually not required. There was however some furniture involved, which may have influenced some of the uncomfortable welcoming committees in One Shell Straight to Hell.