UNDERDOGS

About

"Underdogs" is a single-player simulation game set in a brutal world of underground mech fights. Players can customize their mechs with 120+ items, meet unique characters, and navigate the city's criminal underworld in a roguelike experience. The game features phenomenal visuals, a compelling soundtrack, and a physics-based mech brawler system for metal-on-metal violence. This is New Brakka, the mech fighting capital of the world, where only the strong survive.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,592 reviews

gameplay194 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Incredibly fun and immersive gameplay that combines physics-based combat with a unique movement system, making players feel like they are truly piloting a mech.
Stylish art direction and a killer soundtrack enhance the overall experience, creating a gritty and engaging atmosphere.
The roguelike elements provide replayability, allowing players to experiment with different builds and strategies as they progress through the game.

The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in just a few hours, leading to concerns about long-term engagement.
Some players have reported issues with enemy variety, feeling that the game relies too heavily on a limited set of enemies, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
There are minor bugs and technical issues, such as problems with controller calibration and occasional crashes, which can detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
448 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The gameplay in this VR title is widely praised for its intuitive controls, satisfying combat mechanics, and engaging roguelike elements, providing a unique blend of physicality and strategy. Players appreciate the depth offered by customizable mechs and the adrenaline-pumping action, although some note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of polished mechanics, vibrant art style, and a compelling soundtrack creates an immersive and enjoyable experience that stands out in the VR space.
- “Simply put, Underdogs is one of the best gameplay experiences you can have in VR; every hit has solid weight behind it, and the flow of fights leads to you getting 'in the zone' very easily.”
- “The gameplay loop is incredibly addicting; the only things stopping me from playing this for hours on end are the battery life on my headset and the accumulation of sweat from moving around.”
- “The art style, the music, the mechanics—bravo! The gameplay is satisfying and the various different weapons you can find all provide unique ways to fight.”
- “The presentation is decent, but gameplay is dull and simple, locomotion is clunky and no smooth locomotion is available.”
- “Gameplay is quite too casual; you want some strategy, but the best strategy is just mashing everything.”
- “It's got some original aspects but ultimately feels kind of shallow; combat is mindless and the arena is small, the gameplay loop is really basic and slow as it takes you out of the action constantly.”
story
362 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
60%
2%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its unique visual novel style and engaging narrative, but expressing disappointment over its brevity, often completing it in just a couple of hours. While the storytelling is described as compelling and atmospheric, there is a strong desire for more content and depth, as many players feel the current story ends on a cliffhanger and lacks sufficient character interaction and choices. Overall, the story is seen as a solid foundation that could greatly benefit from future expansions and updates.
- “Outstanding visual style, pretty interesting story, gameplay is unlike anything I've seen - especially in VR.”
- “The story and worldbuilding clearly has a lot of passion put into it, and while you don't get to interact with it very deeply, it's still nice to see such effort put into creative writing.”
- “I wanna start off by saying this VR game has a great story, I don't think I've been more invested in a VR game's story; this is one of the biggest things that make me wanna keep playing this game.”
- “It's a story-driven game that cuts off where you'd imagine Act I to end.”
- “The only flaw is the short story; they have so much room for expansion with the current ending, and it's a shame they have yet to do anything with it.”
- “I wish the story of the game was longer, but all in all, it is very fun, and there's still plenty I can do.”
music
288 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its ability to enhance the immersive experience and energize gameplay. The soundtrack is described as a perfect fit for the game's gritty atmosphere, featuring a blend of genres that keeps players engaged and hyped during combat. Overall, the combination of high-quality sound design, dynamic music, and fitting voice acting contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature for many players.
- “Great music and world building really immerse you in beating up robots.”
- “The music is top notch, the atmosphere is consistent and the story is 'good enough'.”
- “The soundtrack is a banger, it's really damn good.”
- “The only gripes I have are purely subjective though, I'm personally not a fan of the music genre but I can easily just swap it out for something else.”
- “Some bugs here and there (one in particular is the grabber arm can get stuck under the ground which roots you in place, but quitting and reloading the level usually fixed it), and the music isn't super up my alley, but the visuals are amazing, the combat is both responsive and a hell of a lot of fun, and it's clear a lot of love went into making it.”
- “The music isn't my cup of tea but fits with the style of the game.”
graphics
246 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their unique and immersive art style, which effectively combines 2D and 3D elements, creating a visually stunning experience that enhances the gameplay. Players appreciate the vibrant aesthetics, detailed environments, and the effective use of VR's capabilities, resulting in a captivating atmosphere that complements the engaging combat mechanics. Overall, the visuals are described as top-notch, stylish, and well-optimized, making the game accessible to a wide range of hardware while delivering an impressive visual experience.
- “The aesthetics are perfect, the visual design makes good use of VR's strengths in regards to depth and scale; the developers clearly understand what makes VR great on a visual level.”
- “The art style and gameplay loop is incredible; highly recommend it for old and new VR users.”
- “The graphics are high resolution and the art style paints some huge jaw-dropping cities around you, but it's not very demanding on a GPU which means anyone can pick this up.”
- “Realistic graphics look a bit bad in low resolution, and my poor 3080 doesn't run them in high resolution.”
- “It's hard to see details in Underdogs because the game is so dark - but the darkness also hides the low-quality phone VR graphics (Quest 2 uses the Adreno 650 phone GPU, part of the XR2 SoC).”
- “9.5/10 would be 10 with better optimization and more graphic options.”
replayability
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
37%
5%
The game offers significant replayability, primarily due to its rogue-lite elements, diverse build options, and a variety of weapons and upgrades that keep the experience fresh. While some players note that the story can become repetitive after multiple playthroughs, the continuous updates and potential for new characters and mechanics enhance its longevity. Overall, it is regarded as a well-rounded experience with a solid replay value, making it a worthwhile investment.
- “Worth the price and is being continuously updated from the looks of it, has plenty of replay value due to build variety and the 'daytime' mechanics.”
- “The variety of weapons, upgrades, and enemies makes it highly replayable.”
- “The story gets repetitive after a few playthroughs; I hope they make more playable characters, each with their own quirks during the day.”
- “There's just enough variety of upgrades, add-ons, weapons, and other parts for you to make quite a few different builds to suit your play style and keep it fresh, so replay value is definitely there.”
- “The rogue-like style makes it very replayable, and when new content drops, it makes it an addictive game that I would play much longer if I didn't tire my arms out.”
atmosphere
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
25%
6%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and gritty aesthetic, enhanced by a strong soundtrack and engaging visuals that effectively convey a dystopian, cyberpunk vibe. Reviewers highlight the consistency and depth of the atmosphere, which complements the gameplay and narrative, making it a standout feature that elevates the overall experience. Many agree that the combination of art style, sound design, and worldbuilding creates a captivating environment that keeps players engaged throughout their journey.
- “The atmosphere in this game is incredible, with great art and aesthetics that really give you a vibe for the setting of the game before you even play.”
- “The atmosphere is amazing, the combat feels great, the music makes you feel like an absolute badass, and there's a really good balance between high octane smashing of mechs and restful downtime activities.”
- “Game is well done, atmosphere is amazing and puts you right in the action.”
- “The atmosphere created by the graphics and sound is well made.”
- “The cyberpunk atmosphere, dialogues, and music really kept me in the zone, moment-to-moment.”
- “Gameplay is so fun and the atmosphere is like an 11/10.”
optimization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
21%
9%
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed feedback from users. While some players praised its performance, smooth gameplay, and stunning visuals with minimal stuttering, others experienced significant issues like screen tearing and stuttering, particularly when using Air Link on the Quest 2. Many reviewers expressed a desire for further optimization and additional graphic options to enhance the experience.
- “9.5/10 would be 10 with better optimization and more graphic options.”
- “It is one of the best VR games performance-wise; I haven't experienced any stuttering, input lag, or other issues.”
- “My biggest complaint with any VR game is when it just doesn't feel properly optimized.”
- “Hoping for some more content and some performance updates to allow more carnage and eye candy as smooth as possible.”
- “I have a Quest 2 and use Air Link, and every other VR game I've played has never had performance issues like this.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it funny and immersive, though some note that it can be a bit crude. The gameplay is described as both challenging and hilarious, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience that keeps players engaged and laughing.
- “Exquisite art and visuals, funny gameplay and very immersive too.”
- “Genuinely challenging, made me laugh, and super addicting gameplay.”
- “No other game has had me laughing maniacally as much as this.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be intense, often requiring significant time investment, but many appreciate the variety in each run that keeps the experience fresh and engaging. The roguelike elements enhance the gameplay, making the grind feel rewarding rather than tedious, despite the necessity to start over after each death. Overall, the grinding is seen as a core part of the experience that adds to the game's enjoyment.
- “You do have to start from scratch each time you die in the game, but it can vary so much from run to run that it still feels great and not tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Nothing beats grabbing robot dogos and yeeting them into each other or grindy machine thingies.”
- “One of the few recent games where being a roguelike adds to the experience and fits lore-wise instead of being tedious.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game is praised for its stability, being largely bug-free and polished, with only a few minor glitches reported. Players have noted that it runs smoothly on the Quest 3, contributing to a positive gaming experience.
- “Bug free, polished, voice acted, beautiful art, excellent combat system, in-depth story.”
- “PC VR runs great on Quest 3.”
- “Only a few glitches (had to start over a run on day 13 because I couldn't select one of the two options).”
- “Only a few glitches (had to start over a run on day 13 because I couldn't select one of the two options).”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have praised the game for its emotional depth, highlighting its ability to evoke strong feelings and provoke thought about modern society. Many have expressed that it successfully made them feel a range of emotions, including sadness, marking it as a standout experience since titles like Alyx.
- “It is a clever critique of our modern-day society, made me shed a tear.”
- “Since Alyx, I have been struggling to find a game that made me feel...something.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers emphasize that the game's monetization strategy is focused on enhancing the overall experience rather than exploiting players for profit, indicating a commitment to quality over mere financial gain.
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight strong character design and art, complemented by good music and mechanics, suggesting that while the visual and auditory elements are well-executed, there is little emphasis on character development itself.