When falling doesn’t kill you

It kills the baddies instead.

Looking for a simple yet addicting game for cheap?

Well, here’s one for you!

Developed by Ojiro “Moppin” Fumoto and published by Devolver Digital;

Downwell is an addicting game with simple controls that lets you jump and shoot as you fall down deeper with monsters lurking in the darkness that awaits you.

And unlike any other games that avoid falling into pits,

the goal in here is to literally dive to the deep end and survive.

Jump, Fall, Shoot, Glide, Get Items, Kill Stuff

The game has only three inputs for controlling your oh so cute and tiny character and the controls are sharp. You’ll be using the left and right directional buttons or via analog, X button to jump.

In mid-air you can press and hold the X button to fire your gunboots to slow your descent and shoot baddies like so. You can also stomp on them provided that they aren’t pure red and spiky so it also tests your reflex. Shoot or stomp. It’s that simple but so frantic when you’re falling down fast.

The game gets you thinking too. Your gunboots has limited ammo and can only recharge when you step on enemies but could be risky, or; land on the ground to recharge but you’ll lose your combo. And believe me; combos are addicting as hell!

Also there are gun modules which changes your shot types but it could be a battery also to extend your shot limit or a heart to refill your HP by 1 point. That will also make you think; will you trade in your shotgun blasts for a point of HP with a crappy gun module or continue on?

There are also different playstyles that you can unlock, and a particular favorite of mine is the floaty style which lets me fall down a bit slower than the other styles. But I’d rather let you lovely folks experience the rest.

Another thing that I like about this game is the roguelike mechanics. Of course you start at the cavern but the patterns aren’t the same. You’ll also get random perks/powerups after you clear one level and it carries over to the next so you can rack em up.

And also there’s a shop where you can buy HP extenders, ammo extenders and etc. Somehow it reminds me of Binding of Isaac and Spelunky.

That’s a good thing. (Look those games up too, I promise they’re damn good!)

The down-side?

While the color palette is plentiful to change up the game, I find myself going back to the original color palette since it highlights which baddie can be stomped at or shot at.

Not exactly bad but I just feel it renders the other palettes a bit useless. But then again, it’s all a matter of preference.

So did I really find anything bad?

Nothing much really. Except in terms of unlockables; there isn’t much.

Should you get the game?

Definitely!

Why? Because it’s addicting and thrilling. There’s really this “one more game” feel to it even if you die a lot!

Spend a few bucks and you also get the PS4 version or the PS Vita version. Yep it’s cross buy so you get more for what you pay. The game is really addicting and it’s just that fun. If you like the retro vibe to it and arcade-ish games is what you like; then this is the game for you!