Downwell

My 15-hour transition from inelegant tank (Boulder style) laboring down the well to eyes-closed, 25-kill-combo (Levitate) falling with style has been a flurry of close calls, of “one more run,” of consistently dying to the boss despite doubling my starting health. The knees-braced bullet pounding side winding across the screen to slow my descent, the meaty pop of brain stomping and the brief upward moment it grants before gravity yanks me down again. And for such a noble reason.

Downwell is pretty much the best mobile game on the go for the Vita. If the iOS controls were better, I wouldn't have felt the need to make the platform jump. But it plays so well on the Vita, it's practically perfect.

This is an excellent port of a game that feels like it’s found a natural home on Switch thanks to a plethora of control options and the console’s natural facility with vertical orientation. Short of popping your 4K TV on its side, Switch offers the very best way to play Downwell. Its roguelike structure and twitch platforming might not be for everyone, but you should really give it a chance. For our money, it’s a modern classic that should be in everyone’s collection.

Simple, sweet, and oh so stylish, Downwell is a perfect fit on the Switch. With its easy-to-learn controls, steep but fair difficulty, and some great looking pixel art, this is a must have for anybody wanting a little challenge on their handheld hybrid.

Like most roguelikes your first few attempts are chaotic. Frantically trying to slow your descent as you rush downwards while haphazardly stomping on enemies and collecting gems as best you can. Once you start to achieve a balance between falling, shooting, and pausing to take a breath, things start to become more manageable. It’s then that Downwell becomes addictive. The “one-more-go” mentality is rampant as games are fast and it’s very quick and very tempting to hit retry. Each run has the potential to be your best yet and with every attempt your twitch skills improve. That sense of personal...

Well done.

Downwell truly feels like a classic NES game both in aesthetics and in difficulty, which paired with incredibly addictive gameplay makes the under $5 Downwell at least worth giving a try.

Every dedicated gamer knows what it feels like to get absorbed in an experience. Whether it’s another battle, race, or mission, practically every genre has the power to hook us and keep us coming back for “just one more try.” Exactly what creates the irresistible urge to keep playing is hard to pinpoint, but Downwell attempts to tap into it. This retro-styled hybrid provides short and replayable bursts of action, but the well isn’t deep enough to swallow you up.

A fun game that will keep your frustrated and wanting more but with short play time and quick turnaround it might be something you put down before too long.

Republished on Wednesday, 26th July 2017: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of August 2017's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

Retro-inspired indie games are being made faster than comic book movies. Downwell's unique concept and tight gameplay set it apart from the competition but is that enough to make it a must-have title?

The problem is, you’ll quickly realise there’s not a whole lot to gain by repeating the same fall over and over again. The skins aren’t worth unlocking, and the styles offer only a slight variation in the same gameplay. Sure, Downwell is addictive and enjoyable enough for you to overlook its circa 1980’s graphics, but not enough to keep you hooked more than a couple of hours. It serves as a great example of substance over style, but Downwell is perhaps just too one-dimensional to offer the same degree of longevity that other similar titles may offer.