Underrail - Review @ Destructoid

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Destructoid has reviewed the recently released Underrail:

Home Under Da Riles


Dejan Radisic first began development of UnderRail, then known as Timelapse Vertigo, almost seven years ago. Originally a solo effort, and then later conducted by Radisic and his team at Stygian Software, the game proceeded apace, until December 18th, 2015 when UnderRail exited its Early Access period into a full release state.

[...]

Ultimately, UnderRail is a loving tribute act to the role-playing games of yesteryear, and in preserving those old forms and mechanics, also recaptures some of their soul and the unique sense of possibility afforded by those old, arcane systems. But it also falters when it comes to replicating the narrative and atmospheric qualities that cemented those old games as lasting classics in many players' minds.

If what you miss most about games like Fallout is the act of rolling your character, exploring a space from that particular camera angle, allocating your AP in combat, or tweaking a build after several runs' worth of trial and error, you'll be in good hands with UnderRail. Otherwise, it may be more productive to simply play the older games again.

Score: 7.5/10
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More information.
 
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Only 7.5 out of 10?

What an insult! This is one of the best games ever made! And I've been playing rpg, rogue like and turn based games for over 2 decades (like a lot of folks here ofcourse :biggrin:).
 
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Pretty damn light review. However they did hit Underail where it deserved to be hit. The story. If there is one thing lacking in the game its the story and narrative.

It works well enough, but the flat writing lacks the creative spark that made those older games stand out, igniting imaginations to fill the gaps where primitive graphical engines couldn't provide the details.
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The other stuff is pretty subjective. Art, atmosphere, graphics.
 
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I would just like to add that Underrail is more than simply a "loving tribute". Despite being obviously reminiscent of Fallout, it brings some new things to the table like original, authentic core systems. I.e there are reasons to play this over Fallout 1-2

I'd definitely rate it higher than Pillars of Eternity which was little more than a regurgitation of nostalgia e.g "loving tribute". The difference is huge, here we have better systems that actually work
 
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luj1 said:
I would just like to add that Underrail is more than simply a "loving tribute". Despite being obviously reminiscent of Fallout, it brings some new things to the table like original, authentic core systems. I.e there are reasons to play this over Fallout 1-2

I'd definitely rate it higher than Pillars of Eternity which was little more than a regurgitation of nostalgia e.g "loving tribute". The difference is huge, here we have better systems that actually work
Click to expand...

I disagree on PoE ... But think BOTH games are very much worth playing. Love Underrail ... Just need more hours in the day :)
 
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I would also rate it higher than Pillars. From me it's a 10/10 and I can't remember any other game in recent years which I would have given that rating.

Also don't agree on the story front. The Story is pretty solid. Well, I am maybe 50% though the game yet, so it might get worse. But personally I prefer the amount of text to that of Pillars or Shadowrun (in Underrail there is flavor but they also come quickly to the point) in addition the story is 100% solid and I prefer that to "some god troubles" (pillars) "fighting against the void" (Divinity:OS) or other abstract nonesense. Problem and Solution are always comprehensible.
 
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Well the complaints in the review are not new, I seen same from different people around the net (even on Codex there is a big battle around no map, and need to walk multiple screens to get somewhere). Personally I find the game 9/10, it could be improved further and I hope it does. It certainly surprised me, I didn't expect to love it so much.
 
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Hey! I agree with Archangel for once :)
 
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Kordanor said:
A map would have been cool though. Especially because of the additional Z axis…
Click to expand...

I wonder if that was part of their decision to not do it.
 
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Underrail Score: 8.5/10 more like. PoE was an epic fail. Underrail I'll finish. PoE is sunk into the deepest pits of hell, forgotten forever in its miserable Act I where I left it.
 
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What's with the time when games didn't have maps? Frankly, after playing Underrail for a couple of days I don't need a map anymore. It makes it more of a challenge … don't say its tedious because game speed is what's tedious…. you're free to scroll ahead each instance, get acquainted with the surroundings, instance is a map in itself, it's just the time it takes to get somewhere… Maybe a better solution would be to allow for adjusting the game speed in some sensible rate…. like 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 and 2…. Furthermore having no map makes you memorize locations which was rewarding and reminded me of how much I miss that… This guy, Styg, obviously didn't want to focus on the map yet… It's a convenience that's okay to include in the future, but it's good for me now as well.


For me having no map is,
- rewarding
- intuitive
- a challenge
- evolves gameplay to new levels
- more immersive


IMO, maybe better to add first,
- more non-rail ingame ways to travel
- a slider to adjust game speed optionally

PS a map would be fine by me, I don't object it, just saying… I'd probably not even use at it this point… Having no map in this sense advanced the gameplay and my fun
 
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I'm not sure the requirements to bash other games to make your point....

POE and Underrail are good games.

I don't think epic fail ever enters my vocabulary as a good way of expressing reviews.
 
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Well, I don't even want a minimap. But something like a general overview would have been cool, and I think it would also have helped with the immersion actually.

Something like an completely out of date metro plan with some notes on it. Just that you know "ok, A is North of B". In the beginning it would help feeling more connected to other outposts and once you can use the train it would have helped orientation quite a lot without giving anything away.
 
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double
 
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Kordanor said:
Well, I don't even want a minimap. But something like a general overview would have been cool, and I think it would also have helped with the immersion actually.

Something like an completely out of date metro plan with some notes on it. Just that you know "ok, A is North of B". In the beginning it would help feeling more connected to other outposts and once you can use the train it would have helped orientation quite a lot without giving anything away.
Click to expand...


The compass is in , though :)
 
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Yes, it would be cool to have a large map at the beginning to show where all the factions are and different rail stations. I used to stare at the Might and Magic maps for hours when I was a kid and it really brought the game to life for me. Underrail is a solid 9/10 for me and it is a blast to play. I also like the story a lot. Simple and to the point. I have enjoyed the story way more then a game like Divinity OS.
 
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Story and way characters are written have a certain style that I understand are not for everyone. Destructoid reviewer didn't like the style. I like it a lot. Oh well.
 
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I have played quit a bit more of this and I can certainly see an issue with constant map walking....I suspect as I get farther away from the main hub it will get even more annoying.

I'm wondering why they didn't add a hub system once you discover an area to make a bit of a fast travel like a railway or something. I don't mean for jumping quickly from place to place but I can see this getting rather tedious.
 
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