UnderRail
" Deep indie RPG with rewarding tactical combat and rich progression, but steep difficulty and tedious travel "
UnderRail Review
UnderRail is a deep, old-school, turn-based isometric RPG that appeals strongly to hardcore CRPG fans. It offers extensive character customization, tactical combat, and a sprawling post-apocalyptic subterranean world to explore. Players praise its intricate stat and skill systems, rewarding loot and crafting mechanics, and engaging story with impactful choices. The game’s difficulty and build specialization demands careful planning, often requiring multiple playthroughs or external guides to avoid soft-locking characters.
Exploration is a major highlight, with richly designed locations and diverse encounters that keep players hooked for dozens of hours. However, some criticize the game’s tedious travel, vague quest directions, and frustrating inventory and merchant mechanics. The final areas are often described as a slog due to backtracking and repetitive enemies. Despite these issues, the game’s combat depth, atmosphere, and replay value make it a beloved title, especially among fans of classics like Fallout 1/2. DLC content further expands the experience, promising over 100 hours of gameplay.
Highlights
Players highly praise UnderRail's tactical turn-based combat system, which is considered one of the best in CRPGs, with deep customization and numerous build options.
The game's exploration is lauded for its detailed subterranean world filled with varied enemies, quests, and lore.
Many enjoy the compelling story and impactful choices, alongside rewarding loot and crafting systems that enhance gameplay.
Fans appreciate the retro visual style that complements its old-school RPG vibe, and the overall challenge that provides a sense of accomplishment.
Criticisms
Common criticisms focus on the game's steep difficulty curve and the need to min-max builds to avoid soft-locks, which can frustrate new players.
Traveling and backtracking are described as tedious due to a basic map, slow movement, and lack of fast travel early on.
Quest objectives can be vague, leading to confusion without external guides.
Inventory management and merchant mechanics are cumbersome, with limited carrying capacity and restrictive vendor stock.
The final game areas and quests often involve excessive backtracking, infinite enemy respawns, and unclear goals, detracting from the experience.
Pros
- • Deep and rewarding tactical turn-based combat system with extensive customization options.
- • Rich character progression with numerous skills, feats, and build possibilities.
- • Engaging story with meaningful choices and multiple faction paths.
- • Expansive subterranean world full of diverse locations and encounters.
- • Immersive exploration that encourages off-path discovery and lore hunting.
- • Rewarding loot and crafting systems that impact gameplay significantly.
- • Old-school RPG vibe with retro graphics and atmospheric design.
Cons
- • Steep difficulty and build specialization can cause soft-locks and frustration.
- • Tedious traveling and backtracking due to rudimentary map and slow movement.
- • Vague quest objectives often require external guides for clarity.
- • Inventory and merchant mechanics are restrictive and cumbersome.
- • Final game areas involve excessive backtracking and infinite enemy respawns.
- • Sound design and UI could be improved for better immersion.
- • Some enemy encounters are irritating and anti-fun.
Rating Criteria
Underrail is an old school turn-based isometric indie role playing game that focuses on exploration and combat. The game is set in a distant future, when the life on the Earth’s surface has long since been made impossible and the remnants of humanity now dwell in the Underrail, a vast system of metro station-states that, it seems, are...
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