Sometimes business isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Signing onto a new job is rough, but it’s even harder when you are an intern. Jackie Fiasco joins Fizzle, a soda company, as an intern. Fizzle is an up and coming brand that needs all the help it can get, and with her marketing skills, Jackie feels like she will help. When her boss sends her off to the basement, she’s thrown into something new, monster hunting. Jackie, the unpaid intern, must take on the denizens of the deep who live under the company. Evil monsters that are bent on destroying everything and will cause as much mayhem as possible. Jackie will need to be quick and careful to take on all that lies beneath. This game will test the player with challenges and other things to keep it fun.
Players will face waves of monsters as they head through the many rooms of the dungeons below. These monsters may just be living their lives, but they need to do that somewhere else. Jackie will have to take out the monsters, and make her way to the bottom of the dungeon to take out the boss. The dungeons are easy to navigate, but with very little money and few healing items, it can be hard to survive. This game is a roguelike, so players will die and die again as they play through this game. It’s cartoony and fun, but players will have to face the fact that death is inevitable. Every run into the dungeon is a chance to better Jackie, so it’s best to spend as long as possible on every run. The dungeon runs get easier; as the player picks up and masters skills they find in the dungeon.
Jackie can pick up just about anything in the dungeon. It’s necessary to pick up these weapons as Jackie’s bare hands aren’t going to cause much damage. The weapons she picks up can be just about anything from a keyboard to a sword. Jackie will pick up a myriad of different items and will need to get up close and personal and even attack from far away. The further she travels into the dungeons, the better the weapons. Weapons each have a power rating and a weight rating. Depending on these ratings, the weapons will change in power. The heavier weapons are slower, so it’s good to equip a skill to decrease the weight. Weapons will also break after repeated uses; it’s a good thing Jackie can hold up to three different weapons at one time. Pick and choose when to use them so you aren’t left defenseless.
Like in many games, there are also status effects to consider. Jackie might have to deal with shock or a burn. She can even destroy explosives to cause massive damage. Work with the environment to cause massive damage. Don’t be afraid to pick up an explosive crate to toss into a crowded room. Burn the whole basement to the ground; the boss won’t mind. Skills will also help Jackie out, and she can pick up many different skills. These skills can do a variety of things, from increasing weapon size, electrifying weapons, and even healing Jackie. These skills are all going to increase the chances of Jackie completing the dungeon, so pick them up whenever possible.
As Jackie uses the powers, she will level them up. Once they hit the first upgrade, she can endorse them and use them for any run. By having this skill-based incentive, players will feel like each additional run is a good thing. Gather as many skills and create the perfect loadout the skills might save Jackie from continuously falling in the dangerous dungeons. Jackie will also make friends with her coworkers. These people are also just trying to get by at Fizzle, though none of them know there are dungeons below. Jackie can complete quests for them to increase their friendship. By leveling up their friendships, she can assign them as a mentor. Mentorship is a great way to increase the chances of survival in a dungeon. For instance, Ray, the owner of Fizzle, can give Jackie a work credit card that will allow her to buy things even if she doesn’t have the funds. Tappi will help Jackie collect more change, which means more money. In a game where capitalism will save you, it’s a good idea to work towards increasing her funds to buy more healing items or weapons if need be.
Aside from the character quests that delve into the story, there are quests in the dungeons. Players will take on small challenge quests that usually involve killing a bunch of monsters in a limited amount of time. Players will take out a few monsters, and the better they do, the better the reward. These rewards are great reasons to take on challenges, so they are worth it. The challenge system might be a small time-trial of sorts, but players can get massive weapons or healing items. The first challenge I completed netted me a Warhammer, which is by far one of the best weapons in the game. This weapon can take enemies in one or two hits, and whenever I find one, I go to town, taking out as many enemies as possible. As Jackie travels through the dungeons, she will also be able to buy things in stores. There are a few monsters who believe in capitalism and will offer to sell Jackie both skills and weapons. These stores can be incredibly helpful, especially if the player needs healing. The stores will always have healing items, so head there if Jackie has taken too much damage.
After playing through the game, I learned something that would have helped a lot. If players go into debt underground, they will not have to pay it off when they die. Players will also get a ball and chain that says debt. The ball and chain may slow Jackie, but it’s a weapon that will only break when she pays off her debt. Use this information, abuse it even, it may save the player early on. This game is a roguelike, that while similar to others, is also so lighthearted and fun. The music is upbeat, and the colorful handless characters are fun. Jackie can fight hard and take out many enemies, but she wants to help out Fizzle. It’s a charming game and one that anyone can enjoy even if they aren’t usually into Roguelikes.
Going Under is a fantastic Roguelike and one that players should enjoy. It’s a fun dungeon crawler roguelike and a perfect first roguelike for a younger player. There is something cathartic about taking out monsters in dungeons, and I appreciate this game. Jackie’s got a big job to take care of; will the player help her defeat monsters and save Fizzle?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided