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It Lurks Below

Overall, the game seems very unbalanced, with poor sound usage, simple animations, messy UI, and a difficulty curve after death.
It Lurks Below Game Cover
76%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
grinding, stability
83% User Score Based on 1,046 reviews
Critic Score 40%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCXbox OneXboxWindows
It Lurks Below Game Cover

About

It Lurks Below is a single player survival role playing game. It was developed by Graybeard Games and was released on May 29, 2019. It received negative reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"It Lurks Below" is a 2D retro-style, sandbox, action-oriented dungeon crawler with heavy focus on survival elements. Play as one of several classes, delve into ever-changing dungeons, and battle a variety of monsters to survive. Gather resources, craft items, and make permanent upgrades to your character in this unforgiving, procedurally generated world.

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83%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,046 reviews
gameplay54 positive mentions
grinding137 negative mentions

  • The game combines elements of Diablo and Terraria, offering a unique blend of action RPG and survival mechanics.
  • The character classes are diverse, each with unique abilities and playstyles, enhancing replayability.
  • The developer is highly engaged with the community, providing regular updates and responding to player feedback.
  • The survival mechanics can feel tedious, with players needing to manage hunger and fatigue, which may detract from the overall experience.
  • Inventory management is cumbersome, with limited slots leading to frustration when trying to keep track of items.
  • Some players find the game repetitive, as the core gameplay loop involves digging deeper and defeating similar enemies without significant variation.
  • gameplay
    229 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "It Lurks Below" has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its addictive core loop of exploration, combat, and loot collection, while others criticize the survival mechanics as tedious and disruptive. Many appreciate the blend of RPG elements and the unique class system, but feel that certain mechanics, such as hunger and fatigue, detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the game offers engaging gameplay and frequent updates, it is seen as needing further polish and refinement to fully realize its potential.

    • “Absolutely addictive gameplay.”
    • “The core gameplay loop (slaughter monsters, gather loot, return to base, gather/plant crops, sort loot, repeat) is quite fun and each layer of the dungeon is short enough that I never really got bored.”
    • “Very satisfying and engaging gameplay.”
    • “Gameplay seems pretty boring so far, and you have to blindly fall into dark areas and take an unknown amount of fall damage before you can place a torch and see what is there.”
    • “The survival mechanics are frustrating (the way seeds are done specifically) but feel I need to play with them just because the rest of the game is so simplistic.”
    • “The survival mechanic seems more of an annoyance than an addition to the game.”
  • grinding
    140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in relation to farming and resource management. While some appreciate the depth and challenge it adds to gameplay, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of monotony as they repeatedly engage in similar tasks to progress. Overall, the balance between grinding for loot and the enjoyment of farming and crafting remains a contentious point among players.

    • “The systems are simple to use, but deep; the survival is challenging but not tedious.”
    • “It isn't tedious and boring like Minecraft was.”
    • “This ruins it for me, the crops are one thing but having to deal with the commander constantly, and I do mean every couple of days, is tedious and unfun.”
    • “In the end, the game feels a bit empty as you end up spending most of your time grinding and re-beating the same (very short) game at three different difficulty levels while every difficulty level is itself split into five almost identical parts, resulting in a repetitive experience.”
    • “The fact that I put 110 hours into the game might contradict my review, but most of that time was spent getting tired of grinding while trying to beat the final difficulty on hardcore mode.”
  • graphics
    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the pixel art style is charming and fits the retro aesthetic, it often feels simplistic and lacks polish. Some users experienced technical issues like graphical freezes, while others pointed out repetitive artwork for weapons and a need for more variety in character designs. Overall, the visuals are considered serviceable for the gameplay style, but many feel they could benefit from further refinement and additional aesthetic options.

    • “The graphics are great for this 2D retro side scroller.”
    • “The game looks amazing; it mixes 2D elements (doors, players, monsters, items) with 3D elements (blocks) to create some incredibly nice visuals.”
    • “I love the dark aesthetic, the variety of enemies, and the graphics are quite cool.”
    • “The little I played of it was okay; however, I suffered repeated graphical freezes that required force closing the game and relaunching.”
    • “Gritty, boring, and dull, the dark toneless graphics are not even on par with that of Starbound.”
    • “The graphics are kind of bad.”
  • story
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally considered lackluster, with a bare-bones narrative that relies heavily on a quest system that serves more as a tutorial than a compelling storyline. While there are quests to guide players and provide direction, many reviewers feel that the overall lore and character development are minimal, making the experience feel incomplete. However, the quest system does help new players acclimate to the game mechanics, and there are hints of a deeper story that can be uncovered through exploration and completing objectives.

    • “He still works adamantly on this game to improve and add upon its story and mechanics, taking plenty of community feedback along the way.”
    • “The spin of having classes and quests and the dungeon crawling aspect is superb.”
    • “I felt the story aspect of the game was a bit lackluster, and the class identity was lacking a bit too.”
    • “Do not expect an elaborate lore or much to read about: even with these lore entries, the story is quite bare-bones as there are just around 20 or so of them, to give out a general idea of what is going on in the world.”
    • “It gives you objectives, quests, and goals to ensure that you stay on track and guides you into a compelling yet unfortunately incomplete story.”
  • music
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric qualities and relaxing nature, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking variety. Many users note that the soundtrack often feels out of place or low-energy, detracting from the overall experience, especially during intense gameplay moments. Overall, while there are moments of charm and competence in the music, a significant number of players express a desire for more diverse and engaging tracks to enhance immersion.

    • “The music varies from gloomy atmospheric sketches to some kind of neo-classical pieces.”
    • “The music is on point; it's so damn relaxing.”
    • “The core mechanics, aesthetics, and music merge so well together to create a truly creepy yet relaxing and intriguing universe that players will sink into the experience and never want to leave.”
    • “Secondly, the music is pathetically weak and low energy.”
    • “For the first few hours in the earliest section, the music is one track and it is scored by someone who keeps falling asleep and hitting the same two keys on the piano every few seconds.”
    • “Worst of all, the one background music track that plays is a piano that seems to play the same batch of notes over and over, and given the game's aesthetic, it makes me wonder why the music isn't dark and brooding like Diablo.”
  • replayability
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players highlighting its engaging gameplay, diverse classes, and a robust loot system that encourages multiple playthroughs. The inclusion of various game modes, random world generation, and frequent updates from the developer further enhance its replay value, making it a worthwhile investment for players seeking long-term enjoyment. Overall, the combination of RPG elements and build diversity promises countless hours of unique gameplay experiences.

    • “Very engaging gameplay, an incredible loot system, and a lot of replayability with the great difference between classes.”
    • “At the time of this early access review, the game offers an almost complete experience with more content being added soon, huge replayability, and it is very well worth the price.”
    • “With infinite replayability, no two games will ever be the same.”
    • “Not sure how much replayability there is, but for a single pass through a difficulty, it was loads of fun!”
    • “Not only do you get a ton of loot to find, but you get different classes to try out, which just adds to the replayability.”
    • “That itself gives you an infinite amount of replayability and many hours of gameplay, not to mention the build diversity the game offers is immense.”
  • atmosphere
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, brooding quality, enhanced by a varied soundtrack that ranges from gloomy sketches to neo-classical pieces. Many players appreciate how it captures the classic Diablo vibe while incorporating charming pixelated art and 3D effects. However, some feel that despite the engaging gameplay, the atmosphere could be improved, with a few noting a more friendly and sandbox-like ambiance that allows for diverse gameplay approaches.

    • “The atmosphere is dark and brooding, but doesn't take itself too seriously.”
    • “What's also amazing is the atmosphere, because David was really able to capture the classic Diablo atmosphere. The pixelated art style is also great; I love the 3D-ish effects it has, which is quite charming.”
    • “I can deal with the gameplay; it keeps you interested, but the atmosphere is lacking.”
    • “It's worth picking up if you're into Diablo-style loot and upgrades with a Terraria atmosphere.”
    • “The sandboxy nature of the game gives it a rather friendly atmosphere and lets you approach the game in whichever way suits you best.”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it requires low visual settings for smooth performance, it remains engaging and replayable even on lower-end systems. Recent updates have improved stability and performance, making it more accessible, but initial optimization issues persist. Overall, players can enjoy the game for extended periods, though some may need to adjust settings for optimal play.

    • “Great game that isn't high-performance required and draws you in for hours and hours - but you can even play for a few moments and pause the game, picking back up when you can play again.”
    • “The game has a lot of replayability thanks to the former and has incredible performance and can be played on a toaster thanks to the latter.”
    • “Since the last update, great performance; absolutely playable.”
    • “The game is poorly optimized and is playable only if many visual settings are turned off or turned down to their minimum settings.”
  • stability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with users reporting frequent graphical freezes and bugs, particularly related to the jumping system. While it runs well on older hardware, many players have experienced issues that require troubleshooting, such as force closing the game and reinstalling. Overall, the game is considered enjoyable, but its stability problems detract from the experience.

    • “Runs great on old hardware.”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which is impressive for a game of this scale.”
    • “The little I played of it was okay; however, I suffered repeated graphical freezes that required force closing the game and relaunching.”
    • “Amazing game, but one problem: I played for 6 hours and quit. When I came back 2-3 hours later and entered the game, I pressed play and the app froze. I waited 10-15 minutes and it was still frozen, while all other buttons worked on the start menu. I would like either advice on how to fix it or an update to stop this from happening, please.”
    • “The jumping system is buggy at times, and it's easy to not be able to get even the first jump off at all.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable and innovative due to its item-based progression system, others criticize its heavy reliance on RNG, which can undermine the effort put into building specialized characters. The focus on dungeon crawling and looting often overshadows the character development aspect, leading to a varied reception among players.

    • “The character development this game proposes is quite different than most ARPGs, sacrificing skill trees in favor of a completely item-based progression.”
    • “Character development is amazing.”
    • “It's not worth putting hours into a game that will randomly invalidate your character development.”
    • “The character development this game proposes is quite different than most ARPGs, sacrificing skill trees in favor of a completely item-based progression, which gives too much leeway to RNG dependency to create specialized builds.”
    • “But the focus of the game primarily lies in dungeon crawling, looting, and character development.”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is characterized by its quirky writing, including grammatical errors that can be amusing, though they don't detract from the overall experience. Players find the game's attempts at humor, particularly in its unconventional approach to the ARPG genre and the comedic consequences of gameplay, to be entertaining and often hilarious. Additionally, the humorous challenges presented during gameplay, such as unexpected deaths and the need for strategic corpse runs, add to the comedic charm.

    • “The game seems to not be written by a native English speaker and is full of grammatical bugs, which are a little funny at times, but it won't ruin the experience.”
    • “It's just a totally different animal altogether, and it shouldn't even be compared or categorized as an ARPG, which is amusingly hilarious.”
    • “Once you have some good gear and think you're pretty tough, the game has a funny way of killing you if you're not paying attention, leading to a strategic corpse run, or many runs depending on the situation you got yourself into.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While initial concerns about greedy monetization practices suggest a cash grab, players have found that the game offers a legitimate experience, distinguishing itself from typical exploitative titles. After significant playtime, many users feel reassured that the game prioritizes quality over profit.

    • “I've been so bored and disappointed with games over the last few years, especially now with all this greedy monetization that I've kept a bit of distance.”
    • “I'm afraid that this is a cash grab more than a legitimate game where the developers leverage a new and interesting genre and slap 'Diablo' on it.”
    • “After putting in 20 hours so far, I can definitively say this isn't one of those cash grabs.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express frustration over emotional attachment to their saved progress, as technical issues prevent them from revisiting the game after a hiatus. The inability to load saved files due to required upgrades can lead to feelings of loss and disappointment.

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24h Median play time
145h Average play time
10-138h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

It Lurks Below is a survival role playing game.

It Lurks Below is available on PC, Xbox One, Windows and Xbox.

On average players spend around 145 hours playing It Lurks Below.

It Lurks Below was released on May 29, 2019.

It Lurks Below was developed by Graybeard Games.

It Lurks Below has received negative reviews from players and negative reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

It Lurks Below is a single player game.

Similar games include Core Keeper, Keplerth, Crea, Realms of Magic, Enshrouded and others.