Swords and Sorcery Underworld

About

Swords and Sorcery Underworld is a single player role playing game. It was developed by OlderBytes and was released on December 14, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

"Swords and Sorcery - Underworld" is a party-based RPG with turn-based combat and a 3D environment. The game features abstract yet tactical combat with varied character abilities and over 100 illustrated enemies, each with unique abilities. With 40 spells and first-person view, players will need to carefully position their characters and manage resources to succeed.

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Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 172 reviews

graphics34 positive mentions

grinding40 negative mentions

Great fun for fans of old-school dungeon crawlers like Bard's Tale, Might and Magic, and Wizardry.
Engaging gameplay with a solid turn-based combat system and a variety of character classes that encourage strategic party composition.
Challenging yet rewarding experience that evokes nostalgia for classic RPGs, with a fair difficulty curve and interesting puzzles.

Initial difficulty can be frustrating, with early enemies capable of one-shotting party members, leading to frequent deaths and the need for constant saving.
The interface can feel clunky and outdated, with some players experiencing bugs and crashes during gameplay.
Graphics and sound design may not meet modern standards, which could detract from the experience for some players.

graphics
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
46%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the hand-drawn, comic book-style artwork and colorful character designs, while others criticize the repetitive and outdated dungeon visuals. Many players note that while the graphics may not compete with modern AAA titles, they still evoke a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic RPGs. Overall, the aesthetic appeals to fans of retro gaming, but the execution leaves room for improvement, particularly in environmental detail and interface design.
- “The graphics are rendered in great detail, with plot scenes being shown with static full screen brightly colored comic book-style art.”
- “The graphics are quite nice; it looks better than the old DOS dungeon crawlers.”
- “This is a true-to-the-late-80s turn-based dungeon crawler with interesting hand-drawn graphics.”
- “If you're fond of DirectX 6 visuals, I can only recommend this game when it's on sale and less than a dollar as a laughable experiment.”
- “The graphics are outdated even for a small budget game.”
- “Finally, the artwork seems to have been scaled somewhat awkwardly up to 1920x1080 and has some scaling artifacts.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The story is a classic old-school dungeon crawler narrative, where players embark on an epic quest to defeat evil, explore diverse cities, and gain allies like dwarfs and elves. While the main storyline is engaging and well-paced, featuring unique dungeons and quests, some players find it somewhat shallow and repetitive, hoping for more depth in future expansions. Overall, it appeals to fans of traditional fantasy gaming, offering an immersive experience despite its simplicity.
- “By the time your quest is complete you'll have explored several cities, gained the support of dwarfs and elves, traveled the elemental planes, and saved the world.”
- “The story line has good pacing with just enough quests to keep you moving, but not so many that you've got a lot of loose ends.”
- “For those of us who still enjoy the old style of gaming, who don't care about flashy graphics and sound, and just want an atmospheric, immersive story and all the fantasy trademarks of yesteryear will do well to check out this game.”
- “The story is your average oldschool dungeon crawler fare: evil is afoot, you must defeat it.”
- “You pretty much use the same battle tactics over and over while progressing through a pretty shallow story grinding away through levels.”
- “From what I understand, this version is a graphical and interface upgrade, but the main gameplay and story is similar to what I experienced originally with some modifications and some things that are more fleshed out.”
grinding
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate a mixed reception regarding grinding in the game. While some players find it tedious and unfulfilling, likening it to a chore with minimal rewards, others appreciate the opportunity to grind for experience and resources, suggesting it can enhance combat strategy. Overall, the game seems to require significant grinding, which may appeal primarily to hardcore fans of the genre, but could deter casual players seeking a more streamlined experience.
- “Your are punished for grinding too much as experience gains are very small for weaker groups.”
- “Grinding is okay if you get rewarded down the road for your time, but this is too much like real life - work your ass off with no satisfaction.”
- “There's a reason many RPGs don't have grinding anymore; it's not fun for most people.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
77%
10%
The gameplay is characterized as a classic first-person, party-based dungeon crawler with simple, grid-based mechanics that are easy to learn. While the game features engaging combat and a variety of distinctive dungeons, it suffers from a lack of depth as difficulty diminishes after the initial stages, and players may experience frustrating wait times during enemy turns. Overall, it offers a solid experience but falls short of the quality found in more renowned titles like Might and Magic X or Legend of Grimrock.
- “This is a solid first-person party-based dungeon crawler (also referred to as blobber) with a slightly wonky interface and aesthetics, but great gameplay.”
- “The developer also put in a lot of effort into creating different kinds of dungeons with different mechanics and behavior that are uniquely distinctive.”
- “Great brutal combat; there is some grinding here, but it doesn't detract from the overall gameplay.”
- “So of the 23 minutes I've played, only 4 were actual gameplay; the rest was sitting and waiting in hope that it would not stay hung on the enemy's turn in combat.”
- “Sadly, the combat difficulty rather goes out the window after the first third of the game, and the underlying mechanics are a little too simplistic to sustain the ~18 hour playing time.”
- “Do not expect a Might and Magic X quality or Legend of Grimrock quality in gameplay.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The music in the game is generally described as decent but limited, with only a few pieces available that players feel could be expanded. While some tracks, like the eerie temple music, are appreciated, the overall soundtrack is considered lacking and intermittent, often overshadowed by satisfying combat sound effects. Players express a desire for a more robust musical experience to enhance their gameplay.
- “Decent musical score.”
- “The music that's in there is fine, but I would have liked more of it!”
- “The soundtrack is a bit lacking, but nothing's perfect, I guess.”
- “The music has been intermittent in my game, such as during a discovery scene, quest reward scene, or the sound of a battle that just turned grim.”
- “The eerie music from the temples.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game lacks the dry wit found in titles like "M&M," but it compensates with outstanding graphics and some amusing monster designs. Players find humor in the absurdity of situations, particularly when they realize the futility of their efforts after struggling with the game's logic. Overall, while the humor may not be sophisticated, it adds a lighthearted touch to the experience.
- “None of the dry wit humor of M&M, but the graphics are outstanding and some of the 'monsters' are pretty funny.”
- “Funny thing is, by the time I surrendered and looked up the answer (which I could just barely piece together the logic of), my knights were dual-wielding greatswords and the thing was worthless.”
- “Funny enough.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is reminiscent of classic titles like Black Crypt, offering an immersive and nostalgic experience for players who appreciate traditional storytelling and fantasy elements over modern graphics and sound. It appeals particularly to fans of old-school gaming mechanics, akin to those found in Might and Magic III.
- “For those of us who still enjoy the old style of gaming, who don't care about flashy graphics and sound, and just want an atmospheric, immersive story with all the fantasy trademarks of yesteryear, this game is a must-check-out.”
- “I found the atmosphere reminiscent of Black Crypt, but the game mechanics are more akin to Might and Magic III.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent freezes and bugs, particularly when unlocking content. Many players express disappointment, feeling that the game's potential is undermined by these technical problems, leading some to seek refunds.
- “Buggy as hell, keeps freezing whenever I unlock something... requesting a refund.”
- “It's a shame that the game is buggy as it had real potential, in my humble opinion.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is considered recommendable due to its fair pricing relative to its design and length, but it has low replayability, suggesting limited incentive for players to return after completing it.
- “It is still a recommendable game since it has a price that is proportionate to the game's design, length, and replayability (low).”
- “It is still a recommendable game since it has a price that is proportionate to the game's design, length, and replayability (low).”

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Swords and Sorcery - Underworld - Definitive Edition
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20h Median play time

20h Average play time

20-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Swords and Sorcery Underworld is a role playing game.

Swords and Sorcery Underworld is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 20 hours playing Swords and Sorcery Underworld.

Swords and Sorcery Underworld was released on December 14, 2015.

Swords and Sorcery Underworld was developed by OlderBytes.

Swords and Sorcery Underworld has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its grinding.

Swords and Sorcery Underworld is a single player game.

Similar games include Lords of Xulima, Grimoire: Heralds of the Winged Exemplar, Blackguards, Might & Magic X: Legacy, A Quest That Became Legend and others.

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