Review of Escape from the Underworld
-
Overall Score
-
Graphics
-
Sound
-
Gameplay
-
Story
-
Interface
Escape from the Underworld Review
By Thaudal on
11 January 2011
Pros: Exceptionally good music Simple, yet stylish retroinspired graphics Combat is well done
Cons: At times a bit too repetitive and frustrating
Another well done game.
I like the premise of the game: it's fun to actually play one of the bad guys for a change. It's a simple story, but it works for the purpose.
Graphics:
The graphics are, as said, simple but in a stylish way. It works. The animations, however, takes it down quite a bit, as they are a little too simple.
Because of this, I'd give it 3.5/5.
Sound:
Sound effects are simple but nice, and they fit the game well.
The music, however, is probably one of the strongest parts of the game and its atmosphere. This is exceptionally well done, and adds a whole lot of feel and atmosphere to the game. No doubt a 5/5!
Gameplay:
I liked how the player is motivated towards progress by constantly rewarding him with powerups and new items. This works very well. Also, the combat is quite nicely done.
However, at times it gets a bit too repetitive, partly because you keep on killing the same enemies over and over again (because they respawn) and partly because some areas are locked at first, so you'll have to try another route, which may or may not work, and then come back later. This means that the player will end up wasting a lot of time by simply running around through the same areas too many times, which takes away from the funfactor. I give this 4/5.
Story:
Like said, it's a good premise, and it works as a nice excuse to kill of a lot of goodguy angels. However, the story is very much in the background and not at all a dominating aspect of the game, and you barely notice it while playing. Also it's so basic that it's more like a premise than a story; we're not really being told one. So 3/5.
Interface:
The interface is very well done. It's straightforward, and you managed to make the game intuitive and easy for everyone, without writing any text; this is a very strong point, and makes it extremely easy and nice to play! Also I love the fact that you put in a well designed map, and the controls are both easy and intuitive, which is good, as well as the fact that you keep it simple all the way through; there are never too many buttons, but there are still plenty of features to play around with. I was very satisfied with the overall interface, so a clear 5/5.
Overall Rating:
I've always enjoyed your games (especially Assasin Blue), and this is no exception. It is no doubt above 90% of the games on here. The parts I've mentioned that pulls down the score in the various areas, however, makes the game miss that "Wow!"-factor, that would bring it up to be a 5/5 in my book. Do not in any way misinterpret this, however: this is a very good game, and should definitely be played. It's worth your time and effort. I especially liked the ending; it was very atmospheric without being overly climatic. Overall, I give this game 4.5/5.
Keep up the good work, your games really are pieces of art.

4th_dimention said about 1 year ago
I agree with your closing statement. Very well written review. Thumbs up.