14 DAY TRIAL // The walls are closing in. It’s not the first time, so I know not to panic and simply place my back to one of them, watching for the spots where monsters are warping in. My knight is perfectly capable of taking a few out before they have time to move. Of course, the rest will be eager to hit but I have a shield and a dash ready to get out of their way.
The tight quarters brawl isn’t easy, mainly because the enemy force features a few nasty crossbowmen, but I only lose around 10 hit points. I get a treasure chest for my trouble and choose an upgrade that will permanently increase my health.
I’ll certainly need that to get through more levels, especially given the relative paucity of healing potions. I need to make sure to use my secondary weapons as often as possible, which can be easy to forget in the heat of battle. And it’s time to start preparing tactics and hoping that better weapon sets drop to give me better chances against the inevitable boss.
Shadow of the Depth is developed and published by ChillyRoom. I played on the PC using Steam, where the game is in Early Access right now. This is an action melee rogue-lite with a traditional structure.
The narrative can be safely ignored and follows pretty standard fantasy tropes. A blacksmith picks up his father's armor and weapons to get revenge on the monsters that destroyed his village. There are five heroes (four need to be unlocked) each with their own main weapon and different playstyle. The tutorial quickly explains the core ideas.
The game doesn’t make much of an attempt at creating immersion via lore. Players move through levels, guiding their chosen character from a top-down perspective as it eliminates enemies and avoids traps while looking for those all-important health potions and upgrades.
Careful management of the dodge move is important. The cooldown, at least for Arthur, is long enough that this is not a tool to simply move through levels. Enemies drop plenty of mana, so use special abilities as often as possible. Arya can rely on her dodge more, while Phyllis can summon animals to draw attention.
Gamers will get improved weapons from treasure chests, and they can also buy potions and character upgrades. On death, unlock points are used to improve fighting ability and ability to survive. A Rune system enhances customization.
Combat is fast, and players have to make split-second decisions. Big groups that feature a variety of enemy types pose a challenge, enhanced when the player is locked into a small area with waves coming in. Boss battles are difficult even for character builds that easily dealt with the previous three areas.
Shadow of the Depth isn’t a particularly complex-looking game, and the chosen perspective helps hide flaws. Looking down at levels means it is clear what enemies are planning to do, with the game visually warning players when they are about to get hit. There’s a lot of brown and gray to deal with. The sound design seems decent, with soaring fantasy music and some chunky weapon effects.
Conclusion
The boss fights currently feel a tad too difficult compared to even the more complex normal engagements. But I had fun slaying tons of enemies and constantly thinking about the unlocks I will focus on for my next run. Shadow of the Depth does not bring significant innovation to the genre, but it will draw in fans.
Preview key provided by the developer.
