Reasonably good for the price – Downwell Review

I'm not certain this game is deserving of the praise it's received. It's good value for the price, but I grew tired of it quickly. I enjoy the concept, the art style is nice, and the audio and music enhance the experience. If you want to enjoy about 8 hours of roguish gameplay for a reasonable price, pick this game up. Great? Good. Now here's what I don't like: • The game doesn't save its sate in the background. If you have to switch apps and Downwell is pushed out of memory by the OS, you lose your progress. This is inexcusable for a mobile game. • When I play a roguelite, I expect to have a drive to unlock things that could potentially help me finish the game (see Wayward Souls, Binding of Isaac, Rogue Legacy). I want that, "Oh, that's new. Wonder what it does?" experience. None of that in Downwell. There's a dozen upgrades and around 8 gun modules. You end up unlocking "styles" that barely make a difference on gameplay. Big whoop. • Because you have little control over your trajectory, a single mistake is *very* punishing. • The controls really should be at the top. • The controls sometimes don't work. I've absolutely had instances where I put my finger on the Go Left button, and the little dude doesn't go left. I look at my finger resting on the screen, look at my dude not going left, and just stop playing.
Review by kccricket on Downwell.