Below is coming to PS4 along with a major free update also available on PC and Xbox One; let's discover all its secrets in our Reviews.
An entire odyssey has had to overcome Below in its tortuous path from its announcement at E3 2013 to its final launch in late 2018, a long and doubtful process by Capybara Games that resulted in a roguelite as interesting as it was unique and demanding in its approach. Now, and after almost a year and a half since its arrival on the market, Below makes the leap to PS4 along with an important free update that tries to please a good part of the community of players who have already trusted their day in the title, also available at no cost to your PC and Xbox One versions. An update that adds to the formula the long-awaited Explore mode, a much kinder approach to the average player who rewards, as its name suggests, a somewhat calmer and Fewer bumps in a descent to the depths that never ceases to amaze game after game. Let's see how Below has evolved over time in our Reviews.
Periplo towards uncertainty
This would be the most cryptic definition possible of Below, a journey that begins with an endless number of unanswered questions that we will have to decipher based on our own experience, without tutorials, without any type of guide; There is only the player and his little avatar on the screen, all through an enigmatic, slow and intimate introduction, which will even make us wonder if there is any problem with the controller or with the game itself. And it is that the introductory sequence itself is already a declaration of intent, accompanied by a subtle soundtrack that knows how to perfectly adapt to what we see on screen, all to create a very personal atmosphere.
Below is born as a challenge that encourages us to experience in our own skin the uncertainty of reaching a dark, lonely, inhospitable place and in which we feel like a grain of sand in the middle of the desert. As a roguelite (but not one for use), we are doomed to the most direct exploration, not knowing very well what to do at any time beyond trying to move on; forward and downward, since we will have no choice but to make our way to the depths of La Isla, a series of procedurally generated caverns through which we can descend as far as we can. Or hold on, since survival is another key element of a title that does not forgive the slightest mistake.
We should stop at this point, since the current version of Below, as we pointed out at the beginning of the Reviews, now offers two great ways to approach its roguelite proposal. And it is that thanks to its latest update and as part of the same game in the PS4 version, we can face the adventure through two approaches: Survival and Exploration. Those who want to live the original Below experience will have to decide on Survival mode; However, those who want to enjoy a less demanding and somewhat more bearable adventure can do so through Exploration.
In essence, both modes are the same game with the same mechanics and options; Of course, the Exploration mode is somewhat less severe both in the survival mechanisms and in the combat, in addition to allowing a somewhat more comfortable advance through the bonfires; Let's see what all these formulas are that make up the authentic axis of Below's roguelite experience, yes, without delving too deeply into them, since their discovery is part of the experience proposed by Capybara Games.
The player tackles Below knowing absolutely nothing; And this will be the case during the first hours of the game while one wonders what each element on the screen is for, either based on exploration or through the inventory itself. There is not a single text or tutorial that explains anything, not at all, everything in Below is discovered through the experience and curiosity of the player. Luckily, the title encourages us to discover all its facets in a rather “friendly” way, although if we are not careful enough, we will soon perish and we will have no choice but to restart the adventure with a new character, an action that will become the true one. leitmotiv of the game. Exploration, survival, discovery, death and a fresh start; Of course, experience and learning will be extremely important and soon we will learn to open shortcuts, to recover the objects of our previous character and to reach greater depth in our journey to the depths.
Despite an approach that may arouse the interest of many fans of the genre and that even demonstrates certain wigs of metroidvania, Below stagnates in its own approach, especially in everything related to combat, very simple and very little varied. The options are basic and do not go further: swords, blocking via shield, a light dash and dodge and ranged attacks with the bow. The enemies, moreover, seem too repetitive, being the traps and poor visibility our true adversaries. And it is a false step and we can be seriously injured, bleeding quickly if we do not remedy through possible solutions in our inventory and ingenuity.
Other elements such as hunger, thirst or cold will be of vital importance for our survival, whose indicators we will have to keep as full as possible if we do not want to perish. For this we can collect food, cook them, fill water bottles and wear different equipment to protect ourselves from inclement weather, in addition to manufacturing various types of objects and weapons with what we find in our path; As we say, the Exploration game mode is much lighter and will allow us to enjoy Below without being so aware of these conditions. On the other hand, the random design of the scenarios does not offer many more options than finding the right path and continuing to advance, opening doors and shortcuts and discovering possible secrets.
Everything in Below has a purpose, so any item that we collect and any button that we can use to perform one action or another is essential to understand the game, its mechanics and keep moving forward. That is why the title of Capybara Games manages to create tension through extreme situations and completely submerges us in its dangerous and humid underground universe. And it is that from the fourth floor (we do not offer more details about it) the thing becomes complicated; and a lot. As is often the case in similar titles, reaching a certain point, losing everything and starting again can be a real nightmare. And precisely its more rigid and severe character can clearly play against it, especially at the hands of players not very accustomed to the genre and such a particular game proposal, slow and repetitive.
On the other hand, in its staging, we have no choice but to surrender to its elaborate artistic design, which takes full advantage of simple but effective graphics, with special mention to the many particle and lighting effects that give Below a very special character. To all this we must add a great work at the sound level, especially for its soundtrack by Jim Guthrie, a set of experimental songs that perfectly match the events we are facing and that immerse us more ( never better said) in the dreamlike and suffocating atmosphere of the title, while offering notes of encouragement at specific times.
CONCLUSION
There is no doubt that Below is a very good video game, very particular from the first moment, but it shows very good hands in many of its key aspects. The atmosphere and setting he achieves with so little is especially striking, constantly putting the player in check. Hence, the game recently received the new Explore version along with its version for PS4, which allows the less experienced to delve a little deeper into its game formula without throwing the controller out the window. Even so, it is a demanding video game aimed at a very specific audience that cannot avoid becoming too monotonous from a certain point, both in its combat and development at the level of exploration. In spite of everything, if you manage to overcome its high access door, you will have before you a work that is worth tasting based on patience and self-demand.
THE BEST
- Very successful setting
- Constant and satisfactory limit sensations
- Wonderful soundtrack
WORST
- It can get too repetitive and monotonous
- Limited and shallow combat
- Numerous situations that encourage you to throw in the towel
Good
It meets the expectations of what is a good game, it has quality and does not have serious flaws, although it lacks elements that could have taken it to higher levels.
