Project Warlock: Lost Chapters preview, heavy firepower in a new retro FPS

Project Warlock: Lost Chapters has a fairly straightforward idea: give players plenty of weapons, send them into three very different worlds and fill each one with enemies. Buckshot Software’s upcoming first-person shooter takes the series into pirate territory, outer space and the jungles of Vietnam, bringing new firearms, magic spells and boss battles along for the ride. It’s a standalone adventure set before the events of the original Project Warlock, with a PC release planned for late 2026.

Three worlds, three different wars

Project Warlock: Lost Chapters follows the Warlock during his earlier adventures, before he claims the Throne of Hell. This time, he’s travelling between three separate worlds, each with its own enemies, weapons and environments.

The first takes players into pirate territory, complete with hostile islands, ships and supernatural creatures. Expect cutlasses, muskets and maritime weaponry alongside the usual assortment of monsters waiting to be shot. The second world heads into space. Here, futuristic installations and extraterrestrial enemies replace pirate ships, with energy weapons joining the selection of available firearms.

Finally, there’s a Vietnam-inspired jungle setting, where dense vegetation and military environments provide the setting for another series of firefights. Automatic weapons and heavier equipment take centre stage here. Each location brings its own enemy designs and boss encounters, giving the campaign three separate settings rather than one continuous environment.

Guns, spells and plenty of ways to use them

Weapons have always played a central role in Project Warlock, and Lost Chapters continues the series’ interest in giving players an extensive arsenal. There’s quite a selection here. Cutlasses and muskets cover the pirate side of things, with anchor launchers and chain spears offering less conventional ways to deal with enemies. The space setting introduces futuristic energy weapons, and the jungle campaign brings military hardware into the mix.

Dual-wielded M60 machine guns are among the more substantial additions, accompanied by flamethrowers, harpoon weapons and other firearms suited to different combat situations. Magic remains part of the Warlock’s equipment, letting players combine conventional weapons with supernatural attacks.

The current playtest features two spells, Cindris and Veninora, which provide fire-based and corrosive attacks respectively. These join a selection of 14 weapons available in the test build. A new weapon wheel makes switching equipment more straightforward, and a quick spell-switching system gives players access to magical attacks without spending too much time moving through menus. It’s a combat system built around constant movement, weapon changes and dealing with groups of enemies before they can overwhelm the player.

Familiar visuals, different locations

Lost Chapters retains the visual approach established by Project Warlock, mixing pixel-based character artwork with three-dimensional environments. Enemies appear as detailed pixel sprites, with the surrounding environments providing room for movement, exploration and combat. The presentation draws on the visual conventions of older first-person shooters, using modern PC hardware to support larger environments and varied encounters.

The three campaign settings give the developers room to introduce different architectural styles and environmental details. Pirate ships and island settlements feature in the opening setting, with futuristic facilities taking over in space. The jungle stages introduce vegetation and military structures, creating another distinct location for the Warlock’s campaign.

Boss battles feature throughout the adventure, accompanied by a mixture of monsters, mutants and other hostile creatures. The combination of firearms, magic and enemy variety remains the main focus, with each world introducing its own combat scenarios.

A standalone entry in the Project Warlock series

Lost Chapters isn’t a direct continuation of Project Warlock II. Instead, it presents an earlier chapter in the Warlock’s story, with a separate campaign and its own collection of weapons, enemies and locations.

Players won’t need to approach it as a continuation of the second game’s storyline. Its structure places the focus on three individual campaigns, each centred on a different setting. The developer has already made portions of these environments available through a public playtest, giving players an opportunity to try the shooting mechanics ahead of release. The current test contains six levels spread across the three worlds, along with a limited selection of weapons and spells.

PC release date and system requirements

Project Warlock: Lost Chapters is scheduled to launch on PC during the fourth quarter of 2026. A precise release date hasn’t been announced. The minimum system requirements list an Intel Core i3-3220 or AMD FX-8120 processor, 4 GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 or AMD Radeon HD 6950 graphics card.

Keyboard and mouse controls are supported, with the new weapon wheel and spell-switching mechanics forming part of the updated control system. With three campaign settings, a substantial weapon selection and a standalone storyline, Project Warlock: Lost Chapters has its main features in place ahead of its planned late-2026 launch. The public playtest offers an early opportunity to experience its combat systems, with the complete campaign set to arrive later this year.

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