4) Downwell
Ahh, Downwell… Why do I love thee so, when all you give me in return is utter contempt? Well, maybe it’s got something to do with the pure, unadulterated rush you receive when you fly through a level like a bat out of a deep, dark well without making so much as a minor misstep. Or maybe it’s because the skill ceiling is higher than Hunter S. Thompson paragliding off the Empire State Building. Or maybe, it’s its simple tough love attitude towards the player. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure it out, but there’s one thing I do know for sure: I’m hooked.
The game takes place with you falling down an… erm — you guessed it — well. Hence the name; Downwell — clever huh? As you plummet down an inconceivably deep well, you control your little player character with a pair of gun-boots, which not only act as a way to control your descent into the darkness below, but also doubles up as your means of assault to quash the nasty monsters that lurk in the gloomy corners of the well. Landing on an enemy or platform is the only way to reload your handy pair of gun-boots and there are a range of different weapons you can pick up along the way. Each level is split up into three stages and at the end of every stage, the game gives you a choice of three perks a ’la Nuclear Throne.
What makes the twitch action platformer uber addictive is its easy-to-pick-up but tough to master gameplay loop, which is utterly intoxicating. Getting to the final boss is no easy task, and though skill plays a huge role in your descent, a little bit of lady luck is always handy, too. It’s also a steal for the price and a brilliant game to dive into every now and then to try and beat your personal best.
Published: Mar 1, 2017 01:01 pm