Beneath Oresa

About

Beneath Oresa is a single player role playing game with fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Broken Spear Inc. and was released on September 27, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Beneath Oresa" is a fast-paced roguelike deckbuilder set in the city of Oresa. Choose your hero and companion, each with unique abilities, and dive into tactical arenas to face various perils. With a variety of cards, upgrades, artifacts, and factions, each playthrough offers a unique experience as you turn your enemies' positioning to your advantage. Your chosen duo and playstyle will be key to navigating the challenging depths of Oresa.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 922 reviews

gameplay139 positive mentions

story8 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and fluid animations that enhance the overall experience.
The mechanics are deep and rewarding, with a variety of characters and companions that allow for unique playstyles.
The combat system incorporates a near/far mechanic that adds strategic depth to battles.

The game has a steep learning curve and lacks a proper tutorial, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics.
There are significant balance issues, particularly with enemy scaling and character abilities, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Players are forced to add cards to their deck after every fight, which can lead to deck bloat and hinder strategic deck building.

gameplay
408 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
62%
4%
The gameplay of "Beneath Oresa" is characterized by solid deckbuilding mechanics and a unique 3D art style that enhances the experience. Players appreciate the variety of characters and their distinct mechanics, which contribute to replayability, though some express concerns about balance and the clarity of certain mechanics. While the game offers engaging combat and strategic depth, it suffers from a lack of polish and tutorial guidance, leading to a steep learning curve for new players.
- “The art style is vibrant, unique, and exciting - you really feel like you’re in the underground world of Oresa, like the environment is a character itself and like the progression of battles and rest stops tells a story through gameplay and choices - this is a really hard thing to get right.”
- “Its combination of tactical positioning, impactful animations, and meaningful companion mechanics gives it a unique flavor that distinguishes it from more traditional deck-building roguelikes, making it a memorable adventure beneath the ruined city’s surface.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and intuitive, with a wide variety of cards and strategies to choose from.”
- “The gameplay, however, is not top notch; it is mediocre at best.”
- “The gameplay is often frustrating with no guidance on what would be useful during a run, instead filling your deck with random cards you cannot refuse with each encounter, leading to a boring gameplay loop.”
- “The mechanics in this game are pretty obtuse, as there is much trial and error.”
graphics
249 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
34%
1%
The graphics of "Beneath Oresa" have received widespread acclaim for their vibrant and unique art style, which many reviewers describe as visually stunning and reminiscent of comic book aesthetics. The fluid animations and immersive environments enhance the gameplay experience, making the visuals a standout feature of the game. While some players noted minor issues with variety and repetitiveness, the overall presentation is considered a significant strength, elevating it above other titles in the genre.
- “The art style is vibrant, unique and exciting - you really feel like you’re in the underground world of Oresa, like the environment is a character itself and like the progression of battles and rest stops tells a story through gameplay and choices - this is a really hard thing to get right.”
- “The graphics and animations are gorgeous, but aside from that, oof, this game is something.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the cards are interesting, and the characters are cool... but I think the game would be far more compelling with some kind of card unlock or 'artifact' unlock.”
- “My only complaint is that I wish there were a bit more different animations for some moves since despite the game looking like candy with its art style, it can look a bit repetitive after a while.”
- “In summary, Beneath Oresa may have flashy graphics, but its gameplay is plodding and underwhelming, hampered by balance issues and an apparent fear of the player getting to do the cool, broken things that are a fundamental draw of the genre.”
- “Overall a very good but kind of lopsided experience; you can tell that talent and passion was put into the visuals, designs, and mechanics, but not so much what's 'under the hood', so to speak.”
story
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
81%
10%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal to non-existent, with many players expressing a desire for more narrative depth and character development. While the vibrant art style and gameplay mechanics are praised, the lack of a cohesive plot or meaningful lore detracts from the overall experience, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world and its characters. Some reviewers note that future updates may address these shortcomings, but as it stands, the story feels underdeveloped and lacks engagement.
- “The game doesn't tell me a ton of story, but there is a lot of world-building and implied story that I really enjoy.”
- “It's visual appeal - that is, the aesthetic of a brawler or action-RPG, with the gameplay of a pure deckbuilding card game - is impressive, and it's built on a world with tantalizing hints of fascinating lore and a deeper story that reminds me of Monster Train's storytelling.”
- “I think a little bit more story would do the game well, some sort of meta progression and interactable NPCs.”
- “The story is...wait, what story?”
- “The generic background story for the game doesn't provide any clues why we are running through a mushroom-infested sewer with a just-for-looks companion, no progression beyond levels, and no long-term strategic options.”
- “There is absolutely no story, no dialogue or lore or plot or anything.”
music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
39%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric qualities and fitting style, while others find it repetitive or lacking in depth. Many appreciate the overall sound design and how it enhances the gameplay experience, but there are notable criticisms regarding the soundtrack's quality and pacing. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's immersive atmosphere, though opinions on its effectiveness vary significantly.
- “The general presentation of sound design, art, and music is incredibly good.”
- “Neat art style and atmosphere with fitting music elevates it above the rest.”
- “Magnificent atmosphere, excellent animations and music, mysterious universe explorable by the card description and sound/visual construction gives a fantastic immersion experience.”
- “Soundtrack: generic 2/5”
- “Great game, the soundtrack sucks though.”
- “Pacing is very poor and the soundtrack is just a bad effort.”
replayability
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
48%
9%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the variety of characters, mechanics, and card combinations that contribute to a high replay value, others feel that the lack of narrative depth and meta-progression systems limits long-term engagement. Some reviewers highlight the game's addictive nature and potential for replayability, but note that it may not reach the heights of other genre benchmarks like "Slay the Spire." Ultimately, the game's replayability is seen as promising but currently inconsistent, with room for improvement as it evolves.
- “The mechanics are polished and there is a good variety of gameplay, ensuring excellent replayability.”
- “The diversity in characters and different bosses you encounter make it very replayable.”
- “The companion system and wealth of characters makes gameplay run to run feel varied and gives a lot of replay value.”
- “Replayability: game is built around replaying, yet somehow makes each iteration of play less enjoyable than the last. 0/5”
- “However, without a meta-progression system to gain some benefit for future runs, the replayability of this game is sorely lacking.”
- “Each run feels similar and the lack of variety hinders replayability immensely.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
6%
18%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and vibrant design, enhanced by excellent music and animations that elevate the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique art style and the way the environment contributes to the gameplay, creating a rich and engaging journey. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to blend narrative elements with atmospheric depth, making it stand out in the roguelike deckbuilder genre.
- “The atmosphere and plot are picked up in bits and pieces, and the 'journey' between nodes actually adds to the feel even though technically it does nothing.”
- “The beautifully designed cards and vibrant, immersive environments add a rich layer of atmosphere to the gameplay.”
- “Magnificent atmosphere, excellent animations and music, mysterious universe explorable by the card description and sound/visual construction gives a fantastic immersion experience.”
- “The atmosphere and plot are picked up in bits and pieces, and the 'journey' between nodes actually adds to the feel, even though technically it does nothing.”
- “Atmosphere, music, graphics, and overall design are excellent.”
- “Neat art style and atmosphere with fitting music elevates it above the rest.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious and overwhelming, with players feeling that the meta progression is slow and lacks meaningful rewards. While some appreciate the mechanics and design, many find the need to grind for character upgrades and deck diversity to be a frustrating experience, detracting from overall enjoyment. Overall, the game has potential, but the current grinding elements may hinder its appeal.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Beneath Oresa is light on meta progression that carries over between runs, limited to ten levels of additional complications that increase the difficulty in various ways, but that's fine by me as those meta mechanics always feel really grindy.”
- “It's got an interesting art style and decent mechanics for a deck-builder, but there is only one decent deck per character, making deck diversity ultimately boring and tedious.”
- “Even said, the meta progression is so slow and grindy that I'm exhausted playing this starter character and am going to hang up this game for the next hot Slay the Spire homage.”
optimization
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
Overall, the game's optimization has seen significant improvements, particularly after recent patches, with many players reporting smooth performance on various platforms, including the Steam Deck. However, some users still experience occasional graphical hiccups and performance drops, especially on lower-spec setups, leading to crashes in certain scenarios. While the game is generally recommended for its performance, it may not be suitable for players with less powerful hardware.
- “Performance has been great for me, and I have enjoyed playing it at my desk, handheld on the Steam Deck, and even streaming to a TV.”
- “They've added so many new characters to the game since I last played and the performance/stability issues are gone.”
- “The game runs smoothly for me at 3440x1440 and I haven't experienced any crashes.”
- “I came back to this game after playing it a bit in early access, then bouncing off it after release due to crashing and performance issues.”
- “Noticed a few optimization issues whenever you would alt+tab; soundtracks would either freeze, duplicate, and some sound effects would buffer, queue, and play all at once with amplified pitch.”
- “I really like this game, but the performance goes from around 30 fps to about 10 fps in the second zone, and it has straight up crashed twice with the third boss after running on 4 fps for a while.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
91%
The game exhibits significant stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches in the combat menu, and occasional crashes that can disrupt gameplay. While players find it enjoyable overall, the presence of these technical problems detracts from the experience, indicating a need for further development and refinement. Despite these challenges, the game shows potential for improvement as the developers focus on addressing these stability concerns.
- “If you are intending to play this on the Steam Deck, it runs great there!”
- “The game maintains a smooth frame rate throughout, making for a stable gaming experience.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which really enhances the overall stability of the game.”
- “The game initially seems very good, so it's super disappointing that it's so frustratingly buggy.”
- “And if you decide you want to report an issue, that's another ordeal in itself, because the report an issue dialog box itself is also buggy; you can't press 'c' or backspace or it cancels the dialog box.”
- “I've not played a game this buggy in the past 15 years.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is visually stunning, featuring top-tier animations and unique character designs that enhance gameplay variety through distinct class mechanics and companion options. However, some players feel a lack of depth in backstory and goals, which detracts from the overall engagement with the characters despite their appealing aesthetics. Overall, while the character design and animations are praised, the narrative context is seen as a missed opportunity for deeper connection.
- “The three different faction mechanics, along with each character's unique take on those mechanics and the availability of 6-7 companions, adds a load of variety in character design and loadout.”
- “Character design, animations, and card art all look nice.”
- “The most gorgeous games of the genre, with the man man Hectos having one of my favorite character designs ever.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “Despite the variety in character design, the overall development feels rushed and underwhelming, leaving little room for growth.”
- “The characters are visually appealing, but their backstories and development are disappointingly superficial.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly highlighting the thrill of executing combos and the satisfaction of narrowly escaping danger. The smooth animations enhance this emotional experience, contributing to a sense of excitement and positivity.
- “When you do that in this game, the animation looks smooth and gives a very positive emotional response.”
- “Nothing has ever made me feel so excited to pull off a combo and narrowly escape death.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly enjoying the idea of ragdoll physics for enemies, which would add a comedic element to encounters. The character Issandre is highlighted as a favorite for her combination of humor, strength, and attractiveness, contributing to the game's overall lighthearted tone.
- “Love the game so far! It would be hilarious to see ragdoll physics for enemies, especially watching the little flying squids that zap me for my poorly built decks zip away with a final jab.”
- “Outstanding gameplay - just perfect! The music is truly fantastic, the graphics look pretty cool for 2023, and my favorite character, Issandre, is a rock star - she's funny and pretty.”