➤ In free fall into the well 🎮

In a reality like the current one, where a preponderant slice of the public no longer seems to have the same transport for the challenge and the high difficulty of use in video games, indie titles like Downwell can be a real godsend in the eyes of fans. more seasoned and conservative. After making its debut on PC and mobile devices, the excellent roguelike platform created by Japanese developer Ojiro Fumoto has also arrived on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, bringing its effective 8-bit minimalist energy to the Sony landscape. Fumoto's story as a developer certainly cannot be defined as one of the most traditional: after taking part in lyric studies at Tokyo University of the Arts, the boy understood that he had a considerable interest in game development and that he had some arrows to own arch to make yourself known. By his own admission it was works like Braid, Super Meat Boy and Cave Story that thrilled him to the point of inducing him to experiment, using a relatively accessible platform like Gamemaker Studio. So Downwell was born, a bit by chance, a bit out of self-denial and the pursuit of a dream, managing to be appreciated for a tight gameplay, faithful to tradition but equally endowed with some distinctive features.

Downwell is synonymous with attention and patience, because it really takes a moment to die

Throw yourself that ... die!

The little protagonist of Downwell must, quite recklessly, free fall into a well to try to free him from multiple threats. The mission is far from obvious due to the particular dynamics of control of the fall and the limited number of lives available. The only weapon that can be exploited is in fact glued to the protagonist's boots and allows him to shoot bullets downwards after performing a jump or a fall. This kind of dynamics will look somewhat familiar to anyone who has already controlled Cherry Broling in Broforce.

The high level of challenge and the nature of the attack techniques quickly lead to capitulation, but the random generation of each level also allows you to receive continuous variations on the theme. This factor in some ways improves the player's sensations and makes him perceive a slightly more nuanced level of frustration, while in others it prevents memorizing the exact location of the enemies in view of subsequent attempts, making the whole of the task always different. from the previous walktrough. The game approaches can be of two types, the first involves a reasoned advance and a descent by degrees, trying to eliminate as many enemies as possible and to collect a sufficient number of gems to spend from time to time for the purchase. of life points or additional charges to improve the rate and rate of fire. In this sense, the possibility of scoring combos allows you to obtain even higher rewards to be used in the few shops that you are lucky enough to meet along the perilous path. The second interpretation is diametrically opposite and provides for a very fast descent, all based on quick reflexes. While proving successful in keeping one's health bar intact and speeding up operations, it involves sacrificing the eventual obtaining of more effective weapons, such as the laser beam or the machine gun, and limiting purchases made with gems. In addition to the upgrades that can be activated during a single stage, there are also a series of upgrades that can be chosen at the end of each level, usually from a shortlist of three alternatives. Thanks to these tools, for example, it is possible to unlock the use of a jetpack that dampens the dead when you run out of bullets, or an upgrade to attract even more gems located nearby. In other cases, you can improve range and accuracy of the shots, get the support of a drone, unlock the rocket jump and much more. The game is therefore very proactive, it stimulates the player to find an imminent solution to the situations that arise in each level and to plan the next move in the most intelligent way.

PlayStation 4 Trophies

There are 23 Downwell Trophies and they mainly focus on completing all levels of the game, both in normal and hard mode. There are also some tasks that require the accumulation of gems and the execution of combos.

Minimalism of yesteryear

From a graphic point of view Downwell is faithful to its minimalist imprint. The game screen is limited to a narrow corridor in the center of the video, while the default color palette includes a black on white tone, interspersed with the red color of the gems, upgrades and the most fearsome enemies.

The very stylized nature of the drawings and the absence of backgrounds makes the gaming experience more suitable for portable use, with the advantage that the control system guaranteed by PlayStation Vita offers greater certainty compared to the interface that had been adopted in the versions mobile already released previously. During the game you can also unlock additional palettes, which can be set as desired from the initial menu. The color variations are more than ten and also include the classic colors inspired by the Game Boy and the Virtual Boy. Moreover, many of these alternatives are quite annoying for the eyes and can sometimes make it more complicated to be able to distinguish the enemies or the position of your character, consequently we tend to prefer the available default settings. Through the appropriate style selection menu it is also possible to access some variations in the movements that the protagonist performs during his descent. The choice of these new variables, unlockable with the progressive accumulation of gems, allows you to affect some specific characteristics of the character, such as the amount of maximum HP, the frequency of shops within the levels and the obtaining of some items . The game system is finally supported by a soundtrack perfectly placed in the 8-bit context, frenetic at the right point and with a retro flavor that will undoubtedly be appreciated by those who have experienced a certain type of video games on their skin in the old days. .

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Tested version PlayStation 4 Digital Delivery PlayStation Store Price 4,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

8.5

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8.1

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Downwell opens its doors to those who, mainly for personal reasons, still want to have immediate and at the same time challenging video games in their hands, simple to play but inflexible in terms of skills. The variety of approaches allows you to marry a staid and precise playing style or to prefer a more frenetic interpretation, all based on the quality of your reflexes. One way or another to get to the final boss you will have to spend the proverbial seven shirts. Of course, the very low price does not exclude other audiences a priori, but it is unlikely that the latter will be able to get passionate as they should and to allow themselves the number of attempts necessary to reach the epilogue. But if you belong to the first category we have described you can rest assured: Downwell will not disappoint you at all.