Shadow of the Depth
- April 22, 2024
- ChillyRoom
Get on Steam"Shadow of the Depth is a top-down, action roguelike game with hand-drawn visuals, offering five distinct characters to play as. Explore an ever-changing labyrinth and engage in immersive combat, experimenting with various abilities and tools. Each character, such as the melee warrior Arthur or the agile assassin Arya, brings unique strengths to the battlefield."
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a solid combat system with unique characters and a variety of skills, making each run feel fresh and engaging.
- The art style and graphics are appealing, and the game runs well on platforms like the Steam Deck.
- There is a good amount of meta progression, allowing players to unlock new abilities and improve their characters over time.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly in higher difficulties where certain characters and builds can trivialize encounters.
- There are significant input lag issues that can disrupt gameplay, making it frustrating during intense moments.
- Some mechanics and skill descriptions lack clarity, leading to confusion about their effects and how they synergize with each other.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging and satisfying mechanics, reminiscent of classic gauntlet-style games, with a solid core loop and deep combat systems. However, some players have noted issues such as input lag and balancing problems in later stages, which can detract from the experience. Overall, the game offers a polished and enjoyable action RPG experience with diverse characters and a variety of strategies.
“The feel of gameplay is awesome; I can only compare it to the Hades series, but I found 'SOTD' to be much deeper and more satisfying in combat.”
“The game itself is quite fun and shows a lot of competency and consideration on the part of the developer in regards to game mechanics and good 'game feel.' This includes being able to animation-cancel via dodges and blocks, well-executed feedback on attacks and abilities, and a myriad of satisfying sounds for breaking objects, guzzling down potions, and vacuuming up jewels and coins that tickle the brain in just the way one looks for from these sorts of gauntlet-adjacent games.”
“This is a top-down hack and slash dungeon crawler with simple but satisfying combat mechanics and cool bosses.”
“However, I'd venture to guess that the reason people aren't playing it is because there is some wicked input lag that is so counterintuitive to the gameplay loop that it just gets... annoying to try to play.”
“I've had many encounters where I stun-lock the boss and I'm sitting there just wailing away at it for ages waiting for its HP bar to go down and wonder... if this wasn't stun-locked, would I really want to fight this thing for this long and deal with dodge mechanics?”
“The core gameplay loop is well done... but the balancing is very off in later stages.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed feedback, with many praising the art style and overall aesthetic as beautiful and engaging. However, some players expressed concerns about visibility issues with certain projectiles, suggesting that improvements are needed for a better gameplay experience. Overall, while the visuals are appealing, there is a consensus that further refinements and additional content would enhance the game's graphical impact.
“This is just what the doctor ordered, no nonsense action RPG with pleasing graphics and engaging gameplay.”
“The graphics and overall aesthetic are nice and I particularly enjoyed looking at the striking character selection screen art.”
“I found a happy medium that lets me enjoy the detail in the dark, beautiful artwork while also helping me not run face first into enemies.”
“Graphics: this was the first thing that turned me off. I think all projectile enemies should have some kind of indicator (including arrows and spikes). It doesn't feel good getting hit by something you can't see (example stage 2!!!!).”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story has been criticized for being weak and conventional, with many players finding it unengaging or poorly executed. Some expected more depth and unique character narratives, but instead encountered minimal storytelling and rushed cutscenes. Overall, the narrative aspect seems to take a backseat to gameplay, leaving players indifferent to the plot.
“I didn't think a top-down game could have fast-paced control, excellent art, strong story, and great level design all in a single package.”
“I assumed each character would offer a unique story gameplay experience, including within the dungeons.”
“Music is fairly standard, and the story is laughably bad.”
“No story going on... there was a cutscene I got to, but the text went by faster than my ability to read all of it.”
“[b]Story:[/b] conventional background story, but I don't care; I just want to slaughter the monster in the dungeon.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as decent and fitting for its genre, with some players appreciating it alongside the art style. While it may not stand out significantly, it contributes positively to the overall experience, despite some criticisms regarding the game's content and performance.
“Love the art style and music.”
“Music and sound effects are decent enough for this type of game.”
“The music is good; it just needs more content and some balance and performance patches.”
“Music is fairly standard, and the story is laughably bad.”
“Music/SFX: decent enough for this type of game.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviews on replayability are mixed; while some players find the game offers high replayability, others feel it lacks sufficient content and variety, suggesting that more playable characters could enhance the experience.
“High replayability!”
“Just not much replay value here.”
“More playable characters, please!”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while there is a reroll mechanic for skillbook and upgrade pickups after some grinding, the overall experience feels excessively grindy, which may detract from the enjoyment of the roguelite elements.
“I get that it's a roguelite, but it is feeling a bit grindy.”
“There is a reroll mechanic later on after some grinding, but only on skill book/upgrade pickups.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is criticized, particularly in the last biome, which suffers from poor performance on lower-end hardware like an i5 laptop with Intel Iris graphics. Despite these issues, players still enjoy the combat, bosses, artwork, and music, indicating that while optimization needs improvement, the overall experience remains positive.
“The last biome has very poor performance on my i5 Intel Iris laptop.”
“Despite these problems, I've been having a great time. The combat is really solid, the bosses were fun, the artwork is good, the music is good; it just needs more content and some balance and performance patches.”
