BELOW

I think a lot of the misunderstanding of what this game is and is about happens and where all the hate comes from. This is a roguelite game. I think a lot of the negative reviews come from players going into this thinking its going to be like Zelda or something similar. It is not. It is a roguelite it has meta progression and the way they handled meta progression far exceeds most other games in the genre. Instead of buying chunks of a castle that give you 2% extra damage the game says no you died you know where you died if you don't remember the HUGE amounts of shortcuts you unlocked to get back there that's your fault. You need to eat. You need to stay hydrated. You need to stay warm. Try again.
That brings me to the entire reason I wanted to make this review the two biggest complaints ive seen in negative reviews. The difficulty and the story. It is not that difficult of a game. In 2018, yeah I can see it. There wasn't many games like this then. If you play this for the first time in 2025 after the golden age of roguelites you're going to be extremely confused as to why people say this game has a sadistic difficulty. If you have ever played a roguelite before and have basic resource management skills this game is going to comically under preform the difficulty you expect. There are difficulty spikes in the game and some truly hard sections but the game gives you tools to deal with them, you got swarmed in the lower levels, well you were using the caltrops weren't you anon? The combat is basic but it works so beautifully in game. The game does such a good job at creating atmosphere and immersion if you were running around like Hyperlight Drifter in Hades it would have been a horrible experience. You are just a tiny warrior surrounded by things much larger than yourself. You're not some hero capable of unbelievable feats of strength just a little guy with believable capabilities. As far as story they went for more of an Ico form of environmental story telling over the dark-souls kind. IE there isn't much story at all. I prefer that over a constant stream of exposition but I can understand why some people hate it.
Tl;Dr if you're a fan of the ico games and don't mind some roguelite tomfoolery with genuine difficulty that was way overblown and can appreciate some of the best atmosphere put together with no undertones of exposition this is a hell of a gem for you.

This game is a little difficult to recommend. However, there is so much done right that I haven't gotten from any other game.

Below is a very punishing game, more so than it is difficult. I had to take two different multi-month-long breaks because dying was so demoralizing. If this sounds like it might be you, it's worth trying out explore mode as the amazing atmosphere is there all the same. Explore mode is a bit of a mixed bag removing the needlessly cruel one-hit-kills, but also the survival mechanics. I expect most people to prefer it.

Beyond the difficulty, Below is a masterclass in ambiance. The sound and visual design is standout, while leaving room for tense and careful gameplay. The survival complements the combat and breaching into the unknown feels exhilarating. There's a certain type of person who I can imagine has Below as their favorite game, but they'd need a strong will to get over the difficulty. Explore mode is a heartbreaking compromise because the peaks are so much lower. The developers were right to make it as punishing as they did, but players were right to complain.

Try this game if you like exploration and mystery or if you like horror movies. Don't be shy about looking up a guide if you'd otherwise give up.

This game deserves to be considered on it's artistic merits.
However, If you're looking for something like:
- Zelda
- Hyper light drifter
I don't think this is going to scratch that itch.
This is more like a modern day deadly towers.
If you're looking for something closer to the above
titles I would try Tunic first or wait for this to go on sale.

High-skill combat roguelike. If you love a challenge, the ambiance and story really unfold down at the lower levels but it gets to be a bit ridiculous how tedious it can be, so this game isn't for everyone

Such a great game, patience and planning are required for success.

The game is good
A really cool souls-like with a top down camera angle. It mixes survival elements with traditional souls combat for a really cool experience. It isn't the longest game. But well worth the money spent.

It's a good game, besides one major gripe (see below). It requires patience but the sense of mystery is near unmatched. There's not really a story, but the world feels very real. Soundtrack and art direction (besides gripe, see below) are incredible. If you like Rain World, this game is for you.
Spoilers: The ending sucks. Not the final levels, I enjoyed those, just the very end. It's a really bad cutscene, both visually and narratively, that's out of place and extremely edgy. It takes away from what little story there is, undermining the whole adventure. It's one step above "it was all a dream". The fact that it's not at the very least an in-game cutscene is ridiculous - the pre-rendered visuals are by far worse than the in-game ones. It feels like it was written by someone's 12 year old son and tacked on in the last month of development.
Overall, I recommend Below, but this cutscene has single-handedly prevented me from wanting to replay the game.
6/10, 8.5 without ending