Info about Beneath Oresa:

Official game description:
  
Choose your hero. Choose your companion. Choose your cards.  
Dive into Oresa and face its many perils in fast-paced missions.  
Beneath Oresa is a fighting roguelike deckbuilder. Deep within the city, confront your foes in real tactical arenas. As a strategist, choose your cards, upgrades, and artifacts wisely, but as a fighter, keep your distances with your foes, engage them at the right moment and turn their positioning to your advantage. With several factions, many heroes with unique abilities, daily missions, unique game mechanics and more, this furious combination of roguelike and tactics elements will lead you deep beneath Oresa.  
Each time you dive into the depths, you choose a second hero to accompany you. As a companion, each hero brings eight unique powers. With dozens of possible duos you can develop your own playstyle or try improbable duos.  
Do you need an expert against boss fights or a proto-blacksmith that enhances your card upgrades?  
Position on the battlefield has never been more important! Line up enemies for super attacks, move to a different zone to avoid being hit, or position enemies to knock into each other.  
Cards don’t just get better. Each card upgrade comes with a difficult strategic choice between two upgrades. Choose wisely, depending on your deck and playstyle.  
A powerful bonus but only for the round? Or the same bonus but for the whole fight? Two different paths...

Release date: 27 Sep, 2023

Categories: Roguelike, Deckbuilding, Turn-based Combat, Strategic Combat, Character Progression, Environmental Combat, Single-player


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging & Addictive Gameplay (weight 0.74): Players consistently praise the game's core mechanics, particularly the card-based combat and deck-building, finding them highly enjoyable, addictive, and rewarding. The game's unique features and strategic depth contribute to a satisfying and replayable experience.
- Outstanding Visuals & Animations (weight 0.6): The game receives widespread acclaim for its exceptional visual presentation, including stunning graphics, fluid animations, and a distinctive art style. Players highlight the cinematic combat sequences and detailed character designs as major strengths that enhance immersion.
- Balanced & Rewarding Difficulty (weight 0.2): The game's difficulty is generally perceived as fair and challenging, encouraging strategic thinking without being overly punishing. Players appreciate the learning curve and the sense of accomplishment from mastering the mechanics and achieving wins.
- Strong Deckbuilder Innovation (weight 0.18): Many players compare the game favorably to 'Slay the Spire,' often noting its unique twists, enhanced visuals, and more engaging combat. It is frequently cited as a strong, refreshing, and even superior entry in the roguelike deck-builder genre.
- Diverse Characters & Companions (weight 0.17): The game offers significant character and companion variety, allowing for diverse playstyles and strategic combinations. This extensive roster and the ability to customize runs greatly enhance replayability and player engagement.
- High Potential & Underrated (weight 0.13): The game is recognized for its significant potential and is often described as underrated or a 'hidden gem.' Players see it as a solid foundation with room for future growth and content, deserving of more recognition.
- Innovative Zone Mechanic (weight 0.04): The unique 'Near and Far' zone mechanic in combat is highlighted as a creative and strategic addition. This system adds depth to positioning and allows for dynamic, visually appealing battlefield maneuvers.

Common complaints:
- Core Mechanics Unbalanced (weight 0.93): Beyond general difficulty, specific game mechanics, card scaling, and character abilities are frequently cited as unbalanced. This includes issues with card power levels, enemy scaling outpacing player progression, and significant power disparities between different playable characters.
- Weak Progression & Replayability (weight 0.86): Players express a lack of motivation to continue playing due to insufficient meta-progression, unrewarding unlocks, and a general absence of compelling reasons to replay runs. The game's progression system does not adequately incentivize continued engagement after losses or initial completion.
- Unpolished & Unfinished Feel (weight 0.85): The game is perceived as unpolished and unfinished, with many details lacking in interaction design and overall refinement. This contributes to a clunky and frustrating user experience, with some players feeling the final product falls short of expectations set by earlier versions.
- Lack of Content Variety (weight 0.83): Many players feel the game lacks sufficient content variety, particularly in terms of enemies, bosses, and map layouts. This leads to repetitive gameplay experiences and a sense of monotony after only a few runs, impacting replayability and long-term engagement.
- Poor Tutorials & Clarity (weight 0.73): The game suffers from a significant lack of clear tutorials, guidance, and in-game explanations for its mechanics, keywords, and card effects. This makes the learning curve steep and frustrating for new players, forcing them to rely on trial and error or external guides to understand basic gameplay.
- Absent Story & Lore (weight 0.68): The game is criticized for its minimal narrative, lack of compelling story, character development, or lore. This absence of a strong narrative framework leaves players feeling uninvested in the game world and without a clear purpose for their actions.
- Inferior to Slay the Spire (weight 0.09): Many players compare the game unfavorably to 'Slay the Spire,' citing it as less innovative, less refined, and lacking in depth and branching paths. This comparison often highlights areas where the game falls short of genre expectations set by its predecessor.
- Underwhelming Companion System (weight 0.08): The companion system is widely criticized for being uninteresting, confusing, and lacking meaningful impact. Companions often feel useless, do not appear visually in combat, and their abilities are perceived as underwhelming or unbalanced.

Gameplay feedback:
- Slay the Spire-like Deckbuilder (weight 0.24): The game is a roguelike deckbuilder, heavily inspired by Slay the Spire, often described as a 3D version. It incorporates familiar mechanics like character selection, deck progression, and boss encounters, while also introducing new elements such as unique scaling and a focus on defensive play.
- Diverse Character Factions (weight 0.16): The game features nine playable characters, divided into three distinct factions or classes. Each faction shares a core gimmick and card pool, while individual characters within a faction offer unique skills, starting decks, and playstyles, providing varied strategic experiences.
- Challenging Enemies and Bosses (weight 0.14): Enemies and bosses are challenging, possessing unique abilities and mechanics that require strategic understanding. Players must analyze enemy intentions and formations, as well as adapt to different enemy types and their interactions with the game's distance-based combat system. There are three distinct bosses per floor, making each run challenging.
- Generous Unlock Progression (weight 0.08): The game features a progression system where new characters, companions, and cards are unlocked through gameplay. Players generally find the unlock process to be quick and generous with EXP, allowing access to most relevant content relatively early.
- Near/Far Combat Zones (weight 0.08): A distinctive combat mechanic is the division of the battlefield into 'near' and 'far' zones. Cards and enemy abilities often interact with these zones, requiring players to manage character positioning and enemy distance to optimize attacks, defense, and avoid detrimental effects.
- Virus Mechanic Complexity (weight 0.08): The starting character, Sora, introduces a unique 'virus' mechanic. This involves gaining 'virus cards' that can clog the deck and deal damage if not managed, but also provide enhancements. This mechanic requires careful balancing to leverage its benefits without overwhelming the player's hand.
- Relic System Impact (weight 0.06): Relics (Antiquities) are present and provide various buffs, though some players find a portion of them to be less impactful or even useless. Relics can influence strategy, with some offering significant advantages like energy generation or cost reduction.

Performance notes:
- Improved game stability (weight 0.08): While some initial stability issues and crashes were reported, particularly at launch, recent patches have significantly improved the game's stability. Many players now report a largely bug-free experience with few to no crashes.
- Strong visual performance (weight 0.02): The game offers a visually appealing experience, supporting 4K displays and running smoothly on various setups, including the Steam Deck.
- Occasional progress loss (weight 0.01): One player reported a game freeze that resulted in the loss of progress, indicating a potential, albeit isolated, issue with game stability.

Recommendations:
- Buy on sale, not full price (weight 0.29): Many players recommend purchasing the game, especially when it's on sale or part of a bundle, citing its value at a reduced price. However, a significant portion advises against buying it at full price due to perceived issues or better alternatives.
- Solid, fun, and challenging (weight 0.2): The game is generally considered solid and fun, particularly for players willing to invest time to learn its mechanics. It offers a challenging experience that can be rewarding for those who stick with it.
- Great for deck-builder fans (weight 0.16): The game is highly recommended for fans of roguelike deck-builders, especially those who enjoy titles like Slay the Spire. It offers a fresh take on the genre while appealing to its core audience.
- Better alternatives exist (weight 0.08): Some players do not recommend the game, citing the existence of superior alternatives in the roguelike deck-builder genre. They suggest that other games offer a more refined or enjoyable experience.
- Anticipate future updates/DLC (weight 0.08): Players express hope for future updates, DLC, or even a sequel, indicating potential for the game to improve. Many are looking forward to seeing how the game evolves, especially during early access.
- Good overall score (weight 0.03): Players generally give the game positive numerical scores, often in the 7.5-8.5/10 range, suggesting a good overall experience despite some flaws. Some also feel the game deserves more recognition.
- Unique genre take (weight 0.03): The game is seen as a new or unique take on the roguelike deck-builder genre, confidently joining the existing landscape. While it may not replace established favorites, it offers a distinct experience.
- Swap starting characters (weight 0.01): A specific recommendation suggests that the developers should swap the starting characters (Jokan and Sora) to make the game more approachable for new players and better introduce certain mechanics.

Other player notes:
- Exceptional and unique art style (weight 0.11): Players consistently praise the game's unique and high-quality visual presentation, often comparing it to comic book styles like Borderlands or Sable. The dystopian, cyberpunk/steampunk aesthetic is particularly appealing, though one character's design was noted as potentially problematic.
- Desire for more content (weight 0.04): Players desire more content, such as additional cards, heroes, enemy types, and an endless mode, to enhance replayability. There are also specific requests for more ways to increase permanent action points and strengthen relics, along with a total statistics tracker.
- Interesting but limited lore (weight 0.04): The game features interesting and unusual lore, though it is not extensive, allowing for player interpretation. An upcoming update is planned to expand the plot, which is a positive sign given the genre's typical lack of strong narratives.
- Underwhelming audio experience (weight 0.02): The game's audio elements, including music and sound effects, are described as merely 'okay' and largely unnoticeable. This indicates an area where immersion could be significantly improved with more impactful sound design.
- Classic roguelike card game (weight 0.02): The game is recognized as a classic roguelike card game, fitting well within the genre, though it is acknowledged that it doesn't surpass genre titans like Slay the Spire.
- Early access status (weight 0.02): The game is currently in early access and features an opening demo. This indicates that it is still under development and players are aware of its ongoing status.
- Good language localization (weight 0.01): The game offers adequate localization for Russian and Japanese languages. This is a positive point for non-English speaking players.
- Obstructive camera angles (weight 0.01): Some camera angles in the game make it difficult for players to view essential enemy information, which can hinder strategic decision-making during combat.
- Reasonable pricing (weight 0.01): Players generally agree that the game's price is reasonable, indicating good value for money. This is a positive factor for potential buyers.
- Acceptable game scope (weight 0.01): The scope of the game is considered acceptable for its genre mix, suggesting that players find the amount of content and features appropriate for what it aims to be.
- Linear progression noted (weight 0.01): The game features a linear progression system, described as having 'rails'. This might imply a lack of branching paths or open-ended exploration.
- Request for ragdoll physics (weight 0.01): A specific request was made for the inclusion of ragdoll physics for enemies, which would enhance visual feedback and immersion during combat.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.27): Players are highly satisfied with the game's strong foundation, including its unique and engaging combat system, appealing art style, and high production quality. The depth of mechanics, rewarding progression, and replayability through customizable runs and diverse options contribute significantly to this positive sentiment. The game's performance on Steam Deck and its ability to provide a challenging yet fair experience further enhance player satisfaction.
- Frustration (weight 0.24): Frustration primarily stems from the game's perceived unbalanced difficulty, particularly with bosses and elite monsters, and a lack of clarity in mechanics and card explanations. Players are also frustrated by bugs, UI issues, and restrictive design choices such as forced card additions and limited deck control. The absence of meaningful meta-progression and the feeling of powerlessness against overwhelming odds contribute to a sense of unfairness.
- Disappointment (weight 0.19): Disappointment arises from a perceived lack of content, progression, and replayability, leading to a stale gameplay loop. Players express dissatisfaction with uninteresting companion mechanics, limited build variety, and a general feeling that the game does not live up to its potential or expectations, especially when compared to similar titles. Balance issues, unrewarding progression, and a lack of polish also contribute to this sentiment.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the game for its engaging and challenging gameplay, appealing aesthetics, and the fun of discovering powerful card synergies. The game's addictiveness and its ability to provide a fresh and unique deck-building experience, even for those who typically dislike the genre, are key drivers of enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Excitement is generated by the game's overall high quality, addictive gameplay, and strong potential for future enjoyment and development. Players are thrilled by the gorgeous art style, dynamic combat, and the visceral feel of animations, along with the challenge and replayability that encourage discovering new strategies and combinations.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the thought and care evident in the game's development, particularly its unique art style, world-building, and innovative combat system. The game's polished mechanics and focus on essential gameplay elements are also highly valued.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy is experienced through the overall positive game experience, especially when achieving successful runs. The addictive and demanding gameplay, combined with appealing graphics and the discovery of a 'god-tier' or 'hidden gem' game, contribute to this emotion.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise comes from an unexpectedly positive experience, often exceeding initial expectations or enjoying a game type typically disliked. The game's quality, obscurity, and the developers' responsiveness to concerns in updates also contribute to this pleasant surprise.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion stems from overwhelming and inconsistent card effects, unclear explanations, and a generally unhelpful interface. The initial complexity of mechanics and a lack of guidance contribute to players feeling lost.
- Challenge (weight 0.01): Players acknowledge and appreciate the game's difficulty, particularly the strategic depth of combat and the challenge posed by the final boss. This indicates a desire for demanding gameplay experiences.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's current quality and its perceived potential for future growth and development, indicating a strong positive outlook.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is centered on the potential for future improvements, particularly regarding relic balance and the anticipation of new content updates and overall game development.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arises from perceived poor game balance, useless mechanics, and a general dissatisfaction with the game's overall quality and design. Players feel unfairly treated by bosses and frustrated by developer unresponsiveness and poor tutorials.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom is caused by a repetitive game flow, lack of exciting combos, and a perceived lack of variety and replay incentive after extended play. The absence of a workshop or significant new content contributes to this feeling.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance is triggered by unclear card information, tedious enemy effects, and specific character mechanics that disrupt the player's mentality. Minor issues like sound effects also contribute to this feeling.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Players describe the game as highly addictive due to its compelling gameplay loop and replayability, even in the face of difficulty.
- Interest (weight 0): Interest is sparked by the game's overall experience, strategic options, and its similarity to popular titles like Slay the Spire, which encourages players to delve into its mechanics.
- Engagement (weight 0): Engagement is driven by the game's replayability, challenging nature, and the learning curve involved in mastering its systems.
- Desire (weight 0): Players express a desire for new content, inventive encounters, and specific features to enhance their gameplay experience.
- Defensiveness (weight 0): Players exhibit defensiveness by actively addressing and countering negative reviews, particularly those related to the game's difficulty, indicating a strong loyalty to the game.}