Downwell

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 47
  3. Negative: 8 out of 47

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  1. drlowdon
    May 12, 2018
    5
    Downwell is a rouge-like with the simple premise explained by the apt title. Put simply you literally have to travel down a well avoiding/killing enemies until you reach the bottom and move on to the next stage. Along the way gems can be collected that allow you to purchase special powers, such as additional lives or more interesting items like jet boots.

    In short bursts Downwell is    Downwell is a rouge-like with the simple premise explained by the apt title. Put simply you literally have to travel down a well avoiding/killing enemies until you reach the bottom and move on to the next stage. Along the way gems can be collected that allow you to purchase special powers, such as additional lives or more interesting items like jet boots.

    In short bursts Downwell is relatively fun and thus probably more suited to the PS Vita than the PS4. The gameplay is however very one-dimensional and doesn’t evolve in any shape or form and as a result, having to start over every time you die quickly became a little tiresome.    … Expand
  2. valente_nebula
    Aug 18, 2021
    6
    Downwell is a brilliant little game, with tight controls, a frenzy fast gameplay, old school 8 bit graphics, and... a difficulty level that will make it very hard for 90% of players to actually enjoy. It's a shame that there's no way to control difficulty, as this game deserves more people to try it out. Despite being short, the lack of any progression save makes things even worse, makingDownwell is a brilliant little game, with tight controls, a frenzy fast gameplay, old school 8 bit graphics, and... a difficulty level that will make it very hard for 90% of players to actually enjoy. It's a shame that there's no way to control difficulty, as this game deserves more people to try it out. Despite being short, the lack of any progression save makes things even worse, making you start all over every 5 or 10 minutes. I think there could've been a better way to balance things out here, to avoid so much frustration.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Jul 12, 2016
    80
    It’s addictive, it’s charming in its retro design, and it absolutely has the “just one more go” thing about it that can turn a short play session into a marathon.
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  2. GameCritics
    Jul 5, 2016
    80
    The difficulty of Downwell will turn away just as many players as it attracts. While persistent effort will ultimately unlock alternative starting stats that benefit less-skilled players, the game starts players from zero after each death—it’s a formula that will either exhaust or inspire the player depending on how they feel about this kind of experience. As for me, Downwell joins the ranks of Spelunky as a go-to, action-oriented roguelike, but I expect many who try it will quickly shelve it for less difficult adventures.
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  3. DarkStation
    Jun 27, 2016
    80
    Downwell is highly recommended, whether you have a few minutes or several hours to devote to getting down this well.
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