Undivine is a dark, 2D Metroidvania by indie dev Brainium Games, makers of Aidan in Danger and Beef Cat Ultra. Despite a few minor blemishes, this is a ten-dollar digital download that offers plenty of value and checks all the boxes for what you would expect an exploratory action RPG to be.
Playing as some dude, the narrative is little more than jumping down a hole and trying to find a way to escape. There are NPCs along the way that provide some background into the lore but there isn’t much plot-wise to provide a reason for navigating these underground tunnels. I don’t want to spoil too much here but the ending has the protagonist facing an eyeball God that provides multiple ending depending on performance and decisions made. In other words, the narrative isn’t the high point but checks that multiple endings box for those willing to find and complete everything. Granted, the old English “thee, thou art” dialog is unnecessary and only adds more confusion to the canon.
Although the player starts with a limited inventory and moveset, abilities grow and remain highly responsive overtime. Jumping, dashing, and simply moving left and right feels exactly right. Any missed jumps are solely on the player, although, I did occasionally have some trouble jumping from the top of ladders. Having accurate controls is always important for any exploration-based gameplay and it is done well here. Good controls, checked.
For an indie Metroid-like, this is a beefier-than-expected romp. The in-game clock was listed exactly at five hours when I saw the credits roll for the incomplete first ending. Tack on another hour or two to clear out all the side quests for the final ending. Which leads me to my next point – side quests. All optional, NPCs are sometimes seeking your favor, completing fetch questions and even tombstone cleaning duties. These little extras provide just enough additional incentive to make navigating these corridors worthwhile. Side quest box, checked.
Since this underground labyrinth is on the bigger side, I wish the mapping system had more detail and provided more direction. When first starting, you can pretty much only go one way. One the training wheels come off, there is a good chance you will venture deep into the one direction you were not supposed to go, only to double back and hope that you are going the right way. In time, the player can unlock an ability to leave a general marker in that area on the map, but this isn’t the same as Metroid colored door and item icon indicators. Therefore, I found myself wandering with nothing but luck as my guide. Checkpoints and teleports are also spread far apart. One time I lost 20 minutes of progress because I jumped off a cliff thinking there was something below only to one-hit fall to my doom. I wasn’t happy. So there is a mapping system, but it isn’t the best, so maybe this one gets a half a checkmark.
The inventory subscreen and item collection isn’t as strong as it could be. Several new weapons, armor, and accessories can be found throughout the quest, but they don’t necessary make the player stronger, just different. For example, one might slightly increase the Critical percentage while another might increase Luck. Further, the limited inventory space meant I needed to drop items in order to pick up new ones. There are a couple of shops available but there is no option to sell, only buy. Like the narrative, the inventory system might be the biggest shortcoming. There are, however, several optional collectables to find/destroy. Again, don’t want to spoil anything here but I appreciate the shoutouts to other popular games in the genre.
Visually, the purposely simple, small, pixel-based sprites are appreciated. The same goes for each of the environments; each one is visually different than the last and there is always one transition area letting players know they are about to enter the water area, or the catacombs, for example. This transitioning of the stages is something I which more games in the genre included as it visually helps the player identify if this is a spot they want to explore at this time. Check box.
Unfortunately, I am torn when it comes to the soundtrack. I can identify it was made with care and is of higher quality, but there is something about how each track repeats that starts to become annoying after a few minutes. Maybe it was because I was struggling in the beginning area, so it sounded like the game was tormenting me… so it could very well be a me problem. At the same time, the “you found a special item” dark, haunting prelude firmly hits the nail on the head, fitting for the darker tone.
Undivine isn’t a perfect Metroid-like but offers plenty to justify its cost, especially since it was created by a very small team. As highlighted, the checkboxes fans would want are checked, just some are not as strong as others. Either way, I really hope to see more 2-5 hour exploration RPGs like this, especially ones with quality 2D pixel art, a simple-yet-effective combat system, and highly responsive controls.
Also Play: Axiom Verge
Not Quite As Good As: Cosmo Bit
Don’t Forget About: Trash Quest
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
OUR SCORE - 7.5
7.5
SCORE
Undivine is a 5-hour indie Metroid-like that hits all the bullet points fans would want but there are a few shortcomings that hold it back.