Back in 2013, developer Capybara Games‘ Below was the official indie darling of Microsoft’s E3 presser that nobody could stop talking about. Put more simply, there was a lot of chatter around Below.
And this was then followed by silence. For the next few years Capybara Games hardly talked about the game or showcased it, indicating that something was obviously not right.
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And thus nobody was surprised when in mid-2016 it was indefinitely delayed by Capybara who was electing to take its time in order to properly develop and publish a game that could live up its anticipation. Further, Capybara needed more development time to finish OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes for Cartoon Network, which is poised to release itself sometime this year for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
In development for years before its announcement, Below has been a long time coming. Many have speculated at various points that it was cancelled. While many simply forgot it existed.
But its back, and with a ton of new gameplay footage spilling out of the PAX East where it is playable. And guess what? It still looks terrific, and from the few mouths of people who have played it, it is as good as it looks.
Below is in development for PC and Xbox One. Originally, the game was pitched as a timed console exclusive for the Xbox One. It is unclear if this is still the case. A release date also has still not been divulged.
For those that don’t know: Below is an action-adventure rogue-like game viewed from a top-down perspective. In it, you play as a tiny warrior exploring the depths of a remote island. The gameplay is largely about exploration and surviving as you explore randomly generated environments deep below the surface.
According to the developers, Below is designed to be difficult, with “brutal but fair combat” and permadeath. It will also notably feature some type of multiplayer component.
As for Capybara Games, it’s a Canada-based independent developer that got its start making mobile games. However, it’s most recent game, Super Time Force, was developed for consoles and PC. It released in 2014 to decent critical acclaim, but never did it have the type of buzz around it Below has.
