BELOW

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,624 reviews
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
  • music
BELOW Game Cover
Below is a punishing dungeon crawler, mixing elements from roguelikes, Dark Souls and survival games to create an often painful, yet oddly enticing action-adventure game.
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Test your adventurer mettle against The Isle’s procedural subterranean labyrinths. Explore a large, interconnected underworld crawling with cunning wildlife, deadly traps and stalked by a shadowy presence. Survive the perils of The Depths and unearth what lies below... or die trying..

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,624 reviews
gameplay147 positive mentions
grinding156 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and an incredible atmosphere that immerses players in its dark, mysterious world.
  • The soundtrack by Jim Guthrie is haunting and perfectly complements the game's ambiance, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The gameplay encourages exploration and discovery, rewarding players for their curiosity and patience.
  • The game can be frustratingly punishing, with permadeath mechanics that require players to backtrack significantly to retrieve lost items.
  • There is a lack of guidance and tutorials, making it difficult for players to understand mechanics and objectives, leading to confusion.
  • The pacing can feel slow and tedious, especially during long backtracking sequences and unskippable cutscenes.
  • gameplay734 mentions

    The gameplay of "Below" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its atmospheric design and engaging combat mechanics, while others criticize its lack of clear tutorials and overly punishing survival elements. The game features a steep learning curve, requiring players to navigate complex mechanics like hunger and permadeath without much guidance, which can lead to frustration. Overall, while the game offers a unique experience with its roguelike elements and exploration, many feel that its mechanics detract from the enjoyment, making it a challenging but often tedious endeavor.

    • “The gameplay is pretty fun; once you master the combat, you know just what to do or how to dodge or parry an enemy. For instance, you end up finding a spear where you can not only attack your enemies but also catch some fish for cooking.”
    • “It's a very smart top-down-ish souls-like/action/exploration/crafting game with a very good and satisfying combat system and a ridiculously high attention to detail. The amount of different ambient sounds, all the little details in the ground, the shadow works, surprising events and mechanics you've never seen before... there's a lot of love and time behind this game.”
    • “The gameplay is challenging, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the atmosphere is haunting, desolate, and beautiful.”
    • “It looks great, but the gameplay is straight up boring.”
    • “The gameplay loop feels too similar from run to run to really get me to keep going.”
    • “The game is painstakingly slow to get started and, even when it does get rolling, it fails to deliver meaningful gameplay.”
  • atmosphere612 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Below" is widely praised for its haunting beauty, immersive sound design, and captivating visuals, creating a sense of dread and mystery that enhances exploration. Many players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of isolation and tension, although some note that the slow pacing and challenging mechanics can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's atmospheric elements are considered its strongest feature, making it a compelling choice for those who value mood and ambiance in gaming.

    • “The atmosphere is spot on, the exploration is superb, the feeling of danger and dread when going below is astoundingly good.”
    • “The ambience is atmospheric, captivating and frightening; it makes you fear for what lurks in the darkness.”
    • “The whole atmosphere, created thanks to an amazing, stunning and impactful isometric visual style, artful soundtrack and spot-on graphics and sound effects, conveys a sense of dread and impending doom the more you delve into the depths, a lurking menace watching you, ready to strike you in the dark when you least expect it.”
    • “Once the atmosphere gets repetitive, old, and disappears (in about 2 hours or so), you will truly feel what it is like to be inside a dark cave for a very long period of time.”
    • “The 'atmosphere' is just dark, misty, and gloomy; nothing stands out at all.”
    • “All this game has is its atmosphere and its presentation.”
  • music421 mentions

    The music in the game, primarily composed by Jim Guthrie, is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke feelings of mystery and foreboding, with many noting its minimalistic yet impactful use throughout the game. While the music is often described as exceptional, some players express a desire for more variety and frequency in its play to better complement the gameplay.

    • “The soundtrack and audio cues are perfectly used, taking into account the mystery and fear of the unknown that we end up facing in these dark caves.”
    • “Jim Guthrie has provided a soundtrack that is not only beautiful and haunting, but simply put, the best soundtrack I have heard in a game in a very long time, if not ever.”
    • “The music is amazing, eerie, and adds so much to the experience.”
    • “If there was more variety in the music and if it played more often, trudging through the monotonous caves would be a lot more tolerable.”
    • “When it comes to the issues and the bugs this game persists, the music doesn’t play at some floors and sometimes, the sound design blanks out altogether, leaving the game feeling shallow and empty and ruined my immersion with the game at certain points.”
    • “There was a surprising lack of music while playing, which lent itself to the overall boring feeling it gave me.”
  • graphics391 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning aesthetics, unique art style, and atmospheric visuals that create an immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful sound design and music, which complement the visuals, although some note that the simplicity of the graphics can detract from gameplay enjoyment. Overall, while the visuals are considered a standout feature, they are often seen as overshadowed by gameplay mechanics that some players find tedious or punishing.

    • “The visuals are absolutely stunning, with weather effects, fluid animations, and the camera zooming out at times to show just how small you really are.”
    • “The graphics and art design are more than gorgeous; it's innovative and deserves all the praise, it's a mixture of abstract blocky shapes and realism.”
    • “The visuals and music combined make for an incredible ambiance, and when I first started a new game and sat through the appropriately gloomy opening cutscene, I couldn't wait to explore.”
    • “The visuals, while atmospheric, are too bare-bones to be charming.”
    • “Once you get past the first twenty promising minutes, all you are left with are many hours of aesthetically pleasing wasted potential.”
    • “It feels sluggish, void of drive and will only attempt to lure you with murky visuals and spheric sounds.”
  • story250 mentions

    The game's story is minimalistic and largely left to player interpretation, with no direct narrative or character motivation provided. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and cryptic storytelling conveyed through exploration and environmental cues, others find the lack of a clear plot frustrating and disengaging. Overall, the experience is described as one that rewards patience and curiosity, but may not satisfy those seeking a traditional narrative structure.

    • “The game is immersive from the get-go, and instantly grabbed my attention with the mysterious atmosphere, the entrancing music, and the story that is drip-fed to you over the course of the game.”
    • “The great soundtrack, overall atmosphere, and my interest in the resolution of the obscure story kept me hooked, but it can feel unnecessarily hard at times.”
    • “If you can manage to find the time to finish this game, you're in for a really surprising story that makes you think about the game even after you stop playing.”
    • “There is no specific story.”
    • “Also, there is zero narrative: you don't know why you're venturing into these depths, the game kinda sets up the 'story' with a long atmospheric cutscene at the start and that's it.”
    • “The story is minimalistic in the most simplistic way; I don't think it can get any lower than that. You barely get anything to work with, you don't know the motivation of your character, nor the origins of the island where everything takes place, or anything in general at all.”
  • grinding158 mentions

    The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with grinding in the game, with many players finding the resource gathering and survival mechanics to be unnecessarily tedious and frustrating, especially in the later stages. While some appreciate the atmospheric design and initial gameplay, the repetitive nature of farming for supplies and the punishing permadeath system detracts significantly from the overall experience, leading to mixed or negative sentiments about the game's progression. Ultimately, the grinding aspect is seen as a major flaw that overshadows the game's potential.

    • “The gameplay is not hard by itself, however there are some things that are really tedious: you have a survival system and have to eat and craft potions/food.”
    • “I absolutely hate that I cannot really recommend this game to anyone, it has so much going for it but it just all falls flat with the gameplay loop, and how tedious it gets near the end, especially when you die past floor 15, it takes 15-20 minutes to get there and you most likely won't have enough food or supplies and end up dying shortly after.”
    • “From floors 15 - 20, it honestly became so tedious that I stopped playing altogether and finished it on YouTube.”
  • emotional18 mentions

    Players find the emotional experience of the game deeply resonant, often reflecting on themes of solitude and the fear of the unknown, which are heightened by the game's mechanics of character death and loss. The haunting atmosphere, combined with beautiful visuals and sound design, evokes a sense of nostalgia and investment, making players feel both anxious and motivated to explore further. Despite its flaws and challenging gameplay, many reviewers appreciate the emotional depth and detail that the developers infused into the project, creating a unique and touching experience.

    • “I found this game very touching because of the current world situation. I find myself alone even when my family lives 5 minutes away; I still don't see them as often as I would want to.”
    • “The feeling of the unknown, the constant presence of something menacing at the bottom gave me purpose to continue, but the deeper I went, the more anxious I felt. That moment when I died for the very first time was so different from anything I had played before, especially when I discovered my previous character just lying dead... rotten... forgotten. That was somehow strange and disturbing; I really did feel bad and emotional. I believe that the developers really put a lot of their soul into this project; there are lots of tiny details that strongly reflect that.”
    • “A wondrous spatial and emotional atmosphere - never before has a video game cave felt so forebodingly dark, damp, cavernous, lonely... and full of unknown perils.”
  • stability18 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users reporting it as bug-free and running well on older hardware, while others have encountered glitches, particularly with terrain and AI behavior. Issues such as game freezes on startup have been noted, but developers appear to be responsive to these concerns. Overall, while some players enjoy a smooth experience, others find the game buggy and frustrating at times.

    • “And it even runs great on my 6-year-old laptop!”
    • “Sometimes games can't decide if they want to use 5.1 surround when I play via my Steambox, but that appeared to work perfectly with no troubleshooting.”
    • “I will update later, but it runs great, the combat is fine (I imagine it will get harder later) and the charm is up to 10.”
    • “Another issue is when I slash away the rock obstacles to form a passageway, the terrain glitches out and I cannot pass through, so I have to find another way around, which is very annoying.”
    • “It's quite interesting and there's a lot to discover, but the pacing is extremely slow and the game is very buggy.”
    • “Game freezes on startup, on the studio logo screen; however, it seems the developer has already taken note of this issue. Once it is fixed, I will amend this review.”
  • replayability14 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its unique atmosphere and emergent gameplay, many express frustration with the lack of depth in loot systems and the necessity to restart after each death, which can limit progression. Despite its polished design, the consensus leans towards a perception of low replay value, with players wishing for more engaging elements to enhance the experience.

    • “It serves as a fantastic vessel for replayability, but having to restart your delve with every death means you'll rarely get past floor 4 or 5 if you don't know what you're doing.”
    • “It's actually so not random that the general consensus is that it has little replay value, though due to its inherent uniqueness, I beg to differ; I have yet to find another roguelite this polished and focused on atmosphere and art direction, and that alone has made me return to its somber depths for dozens of hours after I had seen its end.”
    • “Permadeath doesn't bother me; what does bother me is having to replay through content that doesn't have much replayability.”
    • “It would have been great if there was a deeper loot system, NPCs, multiplayer, or some other replayability elements.”
    • “But mainly, for this kind of game, there's not much replay value to be had.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark, absurd lessons reminiscent of parental guidance, such as warnings against dangerous actions. Players appreciate the community's shared sense of humor and the game's ability to evoke laughter through its quirky scenarios and visuals, despite some mixed reviews. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm that resonates well with the audience.

    • “These first hours of the game consist of what feels like frustrating non-stop lessons, like a parent teaching their child important lessons (don't touch the fire, don't drink stuff from the funny bleach bottle, etc.).”
    • “Felt like him, and I felt like the online community for this game had a great sense of humor and love of the game.”
    • “Hilarious.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report acceptable performance on high-spec PCs, others experience significant lag and occasional crashes, detracting from the overall experience. Many believe that with further optimization, the game could reach its full potential as a graphical powerhouse.

    • “It has the potential to be really good, but at the moment it's lagging like hell, sometimes for no reason, and it's really kicking me out of the mood... once it is fixed and optimized though, it will be perfect, at least for my taste.”
    • “Performance was acceptable with occasional crashes.”
    • “One final note about performance - this game is a serious graphical powerhouse.”
    • “No technical or performance issues for me on a healthy up-to-spec PC.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    Reviewers express frustration with the game's monetization strategy, noting that it relies heavily on a grind-based system rather than incorporating microtransactions. This design choice is seen as outdated and detrimental to the overall player experience, suggesting that the developers missed an opportunity to implement a more modern approach to monetization.

    • “In fact, I think the developers did themselves a disservice advertising it as such.”
    • “This is up there with not offering ads sensitivity in FPS games; it shouldn't even be an issue in any modern release.”
    • “A grind rooted in pure design, rather than microtransactions.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game has been criticized for being minimal, with players expressing disappointment over the lack of story and character growth after significant gameplay time. While the level and character design are praised for their detail and uniqueness, the absence of engaging narrative elements leaves some players feeling unmotivated to continue.

    • “There's also just the right amount of tension, and lots of wonderful details in the level and character design which all harmonize together in a unique and memorable, Hyper Light Drifter meets Kentucky Route Zero sort of way.”
    • “I hope there's more to it and that I just spent too much time checking every nook and cranny in the starting area and first few levels, but as it stands, an hour in, a death to something cheap, incredibly bland and repetitive combat, and no story or character development... I'm really not excited to boot this game up again.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

Buy BELOW

Play time

8hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
5-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 26 analyzed playthroughs

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