Going Under

Genre: Action / Roguelike

Players: 1

.

Review:

Going Under is an Action game with strong Roguelike elements that puts players in the role of an unpaid intern made to plunge into the dungeons beneath the big tech company she works for to exterminate troublesome “joblins”. This game was released in 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

The presentation in this game is exceedingly upbeat given that it’s a somewhat dark satire on the expendability of modern office workers. The game’s visuals make use of a simple, brightly-colored look with simple 3D environments and characters that look like they’re made out of pool noodles, with a soundtrack that’s cheerful and energetic, albeit not especially memorable. In any case, this game’s presentation is nothing if not unique, even if it is in no way impressive.

The combat in this game is all about weapon procurement and degradation – you’re highly ineffective with your fists, and pretty much anything not nailed down can be picked up and used as a weapon, at least until it breaks. Players can hold up to three of these weapons at any time, but must be ready to switch things up at a moment’s notice, as even the strongest weapons have a limited number of swings before they’re trashed.

The combat here is okay, but aiming feels imprecise, even with a “lock-on” feature, and most weapons are dreadfully sluggish. And here’s where I have to mention the elephant in the room – Going Under isn’t Hades. I know it’s not exactly fair to compare the two directly, as they’re both trying to do different things, but at this point Hades is the measuring stick all Action Roguelikes are measured against, and if we’re using that as a measurement, Going Under comes up short, and the combat is one of the areas where it’s most lacking.

However, Going Under does have its saving graces – the variety of weapons and power-ups available to you is both interesting and diverse, the satire is well-done, the “mentor” system where you perform tasks for characters in the game to gain upgrades tied to those characters, with players being able to select their chosen patron. There is a lot to like in Going Under. There’s just… not enough to make me want to play Going Under instead of Hades.

Even if we’re not bringing Hades into the conversation, Going Under has its fair share of flaws that detract from the fun, from the less-than-fantastic combat system to the frustration of constantly having weapons break on you. Still, it’s a decent Roguelike with some good satire and a lot of variety, and if you’re looking for another worthwhile game to add to your collection, you could do far worse.

tl;dr – Going Under is an Action Roguelike that puts you in the role of a low-level office worker sent into the dungeons below her tech company to slay monsters. This game has a unique presentation, some good office satire, and a lot of variety, but the combat is somewhat lacking and the weapon-breaking game element is frustrating. It’s still a decent Roguelike, but it comes nowhere close to challenging the likes of Hades.

Grade: C+

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Andy Miller, Exlene, Johannes, Ilya Zverev, Connor Armstrong, Eli Goodman, Kristoffer Wulff, Stov, and Gabriel Coronado-Medina. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}