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A surprisingly challenging and engaging turn-based roguelike that has a style of its own
As someone who is generally down for pretty well anything considered to have roguelike elements, it’s always exciting to see what someone has come up with this time. When it comes to strategy, for the most part you’ve been able to assume to this point that anything roguelike would likely be a deckbuilder. Slay the Spire really kicked off that trend, and it is still going strong. That’s part of the reason why I’ve found The Land Beneath Us to be so fascinating, as its take is something completely different.Looking and feeling much more like its action-oriented brethren, at a quick glance you could almost miss the fact that it is turn-based in nature. The thing is, once you’ve got a handle on things you’ll probably be able to move through stages pretty quickly, decisively seeing the ways to attack and defeat your foes before moving on. What helps to set it apart is that you’ll be able to assign specific weapons to be used in each direction, and you’ll quickly come to understand how important taking care which weapons you choose and what directions they’re pointed in is to your success. As you get started you’ll need to be mindful of which weapons you have where, especially if their attack is more ranged or if they have any healing properties associated with them. A big piece of the puzzle for success can often involve simply maneuvering into position, so you can be sure you’re using the best weapon for the job in any given situation.What gets even more wild is that as you conquer different phases of the game, even more versatility and means of survival will continue to arise. Performing a specific series of moves will begin to trigger special attacks and buffs, and you’ll also gain the ability to teleport, which can absolutely be a lifesaver when your enemies have managed to pin you into a corner. You can count on new enemies continuing to meet you along that path of growth though, taking on new and more unpredictable traits and consistently demanding that you mind your surroundings to be sure you’re not dooming yourself by getting into the wrong portion of a map.All in all, this is a surprisingly satisfying and pretty unique strategic take on roguelikes, one I haven’t really encountered to this point. Once I was able to latch onto how critical your weapon choice and placement were it really helped to take my game to the next level. Throw in some critical meta progress that will continue to help you improve your chances to survive longer, and this is a reliably tough but fair roguelike contender for your attention.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.4]