UnderRail Demo

Back in the isometric era of video games, developers battled each other using ingenious gameplay mechanics and intricate stories. The graphics quality was as good as the artwork allowed, which means that it depended on the artists behind the scenes to make the game worlds look pretty. However, once technology started to allow three-dimensional environments, a part of that magic disappeared as well.

UnderRail rubs a bit of salt on the wound, by resurrecting the genre in the most glorious way possible: by borrowing a lot of elements from classic titles, including the Fallout series and a variety of other isometric games from back in the day. The result is a lot better than what you would expect nowadays, although there are some inconveniences you might want to hear about first.

As far as the story is concerned, the plot is basically a combination between Metro 2033 and Fallout, given the fact that it all revolves around a post-apocalyptic world and a group of survivors who have taken refuge into the subways beneath the ground. You play the role of a survivor, who must deal with both the unsavory conditions, and the conflict between humans.

When it comes to gameplay, your options are vast and very different from each other, which means that you can replay the adventure and obtain an entirely new experience. There are a lot of skills you can learn along the way, whether you make better use of fire weapons, or to repair items and be able to craft certain objects from materials you find laying around.

Combat-wise, the system may not be as intricate or as precise as the V.A.T.S. was in the Fallout series, but it’s close enough, especially when you consider the fact that it is at least sort of turn-based. Moreover, plenty of other things affect your accuracy and damage during a fight, including range, angle of attack, and the amount of action points available.

Although UnderRail loses some points for the general lack of originality, the gameplay mechanics work like a charm for the most part and the game world is fascinating. For a change, you are compelled to explore the world and see what lies after the safe zone, rather than just run toward the finish line as fast as you can.