Pixel Mine Games’ action RPG Underworlds was released into the App Store tonight [link].
The $4.99 game offers a Diablo-like dungeon crawler in which you play a guard who has been asked to help discover the source behind mysterious activities happening around the town.
The game is played in an isometric view with both d-pad and touch controls. The d-pad allows you to move your character in any direction while simply tapping on the screen causes you to move to that spot. Items can be picked up by simply tapping on them or walking over them and pressing the “Loot" button.
Your character has Health and Vitality stats depicted by on-screen skulls (red and blue). Health and Vitality potions can be cast by simply tapping on the corresponding meters. Four character stats that can be upgraded (leveled up) include Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Constitution. Special “Feats" offer new capabilities for your player and include Slash, Shield Bash, Berserk, Health Boost, Vitality Boost. These special attacks can be invoked by pressing the corresponding icons on the bottom of the screen.
The game’s story progresses in a series of Quests. Equipment and gold can be found while fighting off enemies. These resources can be traded in at a shop for additional potions or even better equipment.
The following video shows off the basics of gameplay (note, that the attack button actually need not be pressed repeatedly):
[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]
We’ve had a full version of the game for a number of days and while our full review is still pending, our initial impressions have been very positive. We personally quite like the art style of the game. The lead artist for the game was revealed to be Denis Loubet — the primary artist for many of the Ultima games. And we’ve found the overall gameplay to be solid/fun and feel that fans of the genre will enjoy it. The d-pad controls, however, are somewhat awkward and both control schemes can result in inadvertent actions due to the cramped area of the screen.
Meanwhile, early TouchArcade forum impressions (Big Albie overview) have also been very favorable (though with some similar control criticisms).
App Store Link: Underworlds, $4.99
