Underrail (english)

Fallout like Metro

Underrail is an indie-project that I have been neglecting to report about. Well, the game is isometric role-playing adventure much like old Fallout 1&2. After some sort of apocalypse or other mishap humans live underground and fight against each other, mutant rats and cannibal gangs. The game begins when South Gate station accepts player character as a new occupant. After this our hero starts to make missions and scavenge around.

Game Information

Name: Underrail  Publisher/Developer: Stygian software (2015)
Platforms: PC Pelin tyyppi: roolipeli, retro, indie
Age ratings: -
Reviewers: Rami (37)
Links:
Underrail release trailer
Let's Play Underrail

First Impressions

The game has direct Fallout 1&2-feel. The system differs abilities and skills requiring player to divide points amongst them. Familiarities are quite apparent with SPECIAL-system. This can however generate some sort of irritation because player might want to be good in everything and spec his character totally wrong way - not apparent at first but after four hours of play! This kind of gameplay is quite retro, 20 years ago games were merciless and player had to ask help. Luckly today we have youtube that offers several tutorials for generating the characters



Source of pictures: Steam

Mechanics and playability?

The gameplay is free form adventure which stops for turn based combat. Depending on player characters abilities he has turn points for attacks and movement. The mutant rat can't be aimed at the head but instead of going for the limbs game gives player myriad of other ways to make combat interesting. Psionic abilities are one ways to make your character "wizard". The game mechanics are pretty self explanatory if player has played any similiar game. Meaning if you want to hit something you need to invest your points to Dexterity.

Interesting features?

Some old players like me do have soft spot for retro like games. I did end up stealing anything that can be removed without fight, but then again South Gate station has everything that has interesting tools under constant observations. Thieves get shotgunned in this game so that is the saving grace.

The stealth mechanics allow special thanks because security cameras can't observe whole corridor at once. In other hand player can sneak close those mutant rats before starting to fight so there's no artifical line of detection like in certain X-series of games. Of course you can hack the security center and get rid of camers as well.

Ethical message?

The game doesn't explain first what did happen to metro network. The plot is revealed slowly with the emphasis being exploration. Player tries to find more experience and better equipment. Tunnels are divided to both upper and lower parts with organizations that fight over the control of the network. Lower tunnels are filled with cannibals and monsters so that's no go at the beginning of the game.

The world is indeed dystopic and harsh but the game has clinical way to depict it.

At the first player is accepted to the South Gate town inhabitants. Some of the triumvitae are in oppsition of this. Citizenship needs work so player character is given free pass to do missions and kill rats with the meager pistol in hand. Luckly chracter can craft better armor and trash piles offer some important loot for trading. Even bullets run out meaning either crafting or bartering. It would appear that after the apocalypse everyone happens to be a trader.

DLC:s?

Game is about to get DLC-packet called "Expedition" which lets player to sail across the subterranean sea and learn about the history of the underworld.

Early Access-version demo can be downloaded from IndieDB-site.

Age rating?

The game doesn't have age rating. If someone really wants to know the outdated looks are distancing player from the scene. 'Distancing' is actually offical term from Finnish audiovisual program classification. The depictions in these kind of games are both unrealistic and minimal: the hits are registered with damage numbers on peoples heads and wounds are bandage with animation that shows couple blood splats on the character.

PEGI-system doesn't give pixel graphics much of athought, however implications can get game released with 12 or even 16 ratings. On other hand really psychedelic Hotline Miami was released with age rating of 16.

Families can talk about

• Metro vs. Fallout - which one resembles Underrail more?
• What is the appeal of old Fallout games (1&2)? Why some people are die hard fans of the games?