But why is it brilliant? The superb Spelunky is an obvious point of comparison. I've been plumbing the depths for a couple of days and here's wot I think.ĭownwell is brilliant, that much was clear after fifteen minutes in its company. You shoot straight from the soles and there are various powerups that change the spread or strength of your pedal-projectiles. Equipped with a pair of gunboots, you're making your way right down to the bottom of a well, blasting objects, terrain and monsters that block your path. However, the lack of variety in its incredibly basic world holds it back from being an instant classic.In Downwell, there's only one way to go. Curry sounds delicious! Good thing I can afford it this time.ĭownwell is a very fun action-packed experience that's definitely a worthwhile download for any old-school gamer. In short, extra content really goes a long way so it's a missed opportunity that the developers didn't pursue it more. If they implemented a list of challenges, multiplayer, an adventure mode for more casual gamers, or played around with the core gameplay in some mini-games then I'd probably find myself playing Downwell for much longer than the few hours that I have already. All you do is jump down the well, perish after a certain amount of time, and then start it all again. On top of this, the lack of modes severely limits replay value. I understand that many gamers will delight in the challenging rogue-like setup but it only stays exciting for so long. In the end, these additions help keep things somewhat fresh and unlocking more treasures always feels rewarding.Īlthough Downwell is an undeniably fun adventure, I found that the simplistic gameplay started to get tiresome after a couple dozen or so attempts. You'll also equip many different weapons such as shotguns, lasers, and pistols but the only real differences are minor compared to arsenals in most other games. Swapping the colour palettes obviously doesn't affect the gameplay but doing so at least makes Downwell look a bit different. The styles have distinct advantages and disadvantages such as one where you're granted more health but you don't get offered as many upgrades between stages. That's a lot of bullets to come from one man's shoesĪs you play, you'll unlock many gameplay styles and colour palettes. Now that I mention it, the bare-bones visuals get quite boring, too. In fact, I found the songs to get repetitive after a short while. However, the soundtrack isn't very catchy. The music and effects sound like they're lifted straight from an 8-bit game. Your character as well as your enemies all come to life with their fluid movements. What makes the visuals even more pleasing to the eye is the smooth animation. There are only ever three colours onscreen at once which allows every feature to stand out prominently. Most retro indie games aim to look like they're from a certain era while Downwell takes a unique approach. Overall, the simple and tight controls make the fast-paced challenging gameplay very enjoyable to master. Keep in mind you have to begin the entire game again whenever you run out of health points so being able to get to the bottom of the well is a task that only the most skilled gamers will be able to accomplish. Aiming for high combos while avoiding hazards makes for quite an exciting gameplay dynamic. Whenever you slay multiple adversaries in a row without landing on a solid surface, you increase your combo amount. You'll come across many foes such as bats, frogs, turtles, and ghosts. There are two main varieties to keep in mind: colourful ones that hurt you when you land on them and white ones that you can stomp on. These will come in handy when dealing with the wide assortment of enemies that occupy the many layers of the well. You gain gems as you play that you can redeem at the odd shop for upgrades. You play by just moving left and right and tapping a button to jump and shoot projectiles from your shoes. He decides to jump down a seemingly endless well one day and the adventure ahead is unexpectedly epic. □ I'm high on gems and ready to squash some well dwellersĭownwell is played by controlling a little fellow who wears some pretty snazzy shoes. │ Nothing causes more disappointment than hype so at Video Chums, we avoid hyping games prior to playing them for ourselves. Downwell's unique concept and tight gameplay set it apart from the competition but is that enough to make it a must-have title? Retro-inspired indie games are being made faster than comic book movies. Maciejewski playing a PS4 on May 28, 2016ĭownwell is Cross-Buy with PS Vita and also available for Nintendo Switch
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |