Below (video game)

Below

Game poster
Developer(s) Capybara Games
Publisher(s) Capybara Games
Microsoft Studios
Composer(s) Jim Guthrie
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Xbox One
Release date(s) 2015 [1]
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution Download

Below is an adventure video game by Capybara Games for the Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. The game was announced during Microsoft's E3 2013 press event.

Gameplay

Below is an adventure game viewed from a top-down perspective.[2] The player-character is a "tiny warrior exploring the depths of a remote island".[3] The game is about exploration, though that goal is contingent upon the character's survival.[3] Microsoft's Phil Spencer described the game at E3 2013 as a "creative take on roguelike gameplay" in a "mysterious world".[2] The environments are randomly generated.[3]

The game is designed to be difficult, with "brutal but fair combat" and permanent death.[3]

Below is expected to include multiplayer.[3]

Development

Below was announced at Microsoft's E3 2013 event.[2][3] The project had been in development for years.[3] The company had discussed ideas for the game, particularly the difficulty element with Capy's Kris Piotrowski, before games like Demon's Souls tested the genre.[3]

Capybara ("Capy") compared the game to "roguelikes of yore", as a "roguelike-like" with design choices like permanent death and high difficulty.[3] The game punishes recklessness and is designed for fair, but rigorous combat.[3] Capy president and co-founder Nathan Vella called the game the company's largest by number of features, artwork, and development time and difficulty.[4] He described the game as a "super video game-y video game" for its aesthetics, soundtrack, and game mechanics.[3] While the game is mostly single-player, the multiplayer aspects are important in some of the world's areas.[4] In March 2014, Vella said that the game's development progress was hard to gauge, but its foundation was laid.[4] Its first playable demo is scheduled for the April PAX East 2014.[5]

To create and emphasize scale, Capy chose to make the player-character small and use a dramatic tilt-shift photography effect.[3]

It is expected for release on the Xbox One,[2][3] but is only exclusive to the console for a limited time.[6]

Music

Singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie composed the score.[2] His compositional work on a previous Capy release, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, led to their Below collaboration.[3] Capy has described Sword & Sworcery as a game built upon Guthrie's music, and Below as Guthrie's music built upon Capy's game.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Ben Reeves (August 12, 2014). "[Update] Below Releases In 2015 On Xbox One, New Trailer Added". Game Informer. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Corriea, Alexa Ray (June 10, 2013). "Below by Capybara Games coming to Xbox One". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 McWhertor, Michael (June 11, 2013). "Below from Capy Games is an ode to roguelikes, with 'brutal but fair' combat". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Farokhmanesh, Megan (March 19, 2014). "Super Time Force shooting for summer release, Below 'hopefully' playable before E3". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  5. ↑ Tach, Dave (April 3, 2014). "Capy's Below will be playable at PAX East 2014". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  6. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (August 8, 2013). "Capy's Xbox One roguelike Below will come to other platforms". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
Additional sources

External links