After wasteland 2 I was slightly underwhelm with the gameplay aspects, but after feeling dissapointed I saw this recomendation. Looked into it at first I was sketchy because it was an early access game, but 9 dollars was a bargaining price. I found this game like a real spritual successor of the original isometric fallouts and so many skill choices and traits that can be overwhelming but with rewarding effects later on. Whats also intresting is this game pervents players from making easy cash selling the same item once too many times, and I also love the number ways you can find to replay this game. I really hope the full game to be just as good or better.

I'm 110 hours in and just hit where there is no more content on main campaign. WOW!. I don't often write in these responses, but this game is amazing. if you like Fallout 1 or 2 or any other isometric rpg, this is a MUST HAVE! For $9.99 the value it outstanding. I can't wait to see what the finished product is. This could be one of those games that define good gaming.

Let me just start by saying that this game is amazing, and you just have to grit through the initial learning curve. It is WORTH IT. I initially bought the game and played for like an hour and quit. The game was super hard, and I was just like WTF!!! However, I was bored and looked at my steam library of games and saw this game again. I gave it a shot one more time, but looked at some guides first for how to survive the inital part of the game. If you can get past the first few missions and not make any critical build mistakes, you can create just about any type of char you want and survive. I'm currently playing on normal, which is like hard mode for this game. I recommend googling how to play first for noobs, before playing. However, once the game gets going this game is amazing. I can't believe it's only Alpha... I am playing through and i'm 39 hours in and I dont think I'm even halfway done with CURRENT content... Just buy this game...

I have been searching for a original Fallout type game for so long, and when I say FO game I mean: isometric+RPG+openworld+REAL turn-based-combat(not that pause command BS with the space bar). Problem is, you can never really get all those elements together in a new game anymore. You might get 3 out of 4 if your lucky. Sure theres a few games that kinda play that way but really don't pull it together like the first 2 Fallout's did.


So after buying the game and putting in 10 hours of solid gameplay I think I've reached a point where I've had enough for now. But before all the fanboys get their panties in a twist just understand that I totally get that this guy put a hell of a lot of work into this game and it shows so I'm not here to sh~t on the product. Yes it is a unfinished title, but I highly doubt anything of my own concerns will be addresed at this stage. It is what it is now, and my constructive criticism is exactly that. Of course this review isn't for the fanboys. Its a honest opinion for people like me who want a game with similar mechanics and X-factor similarly to the original fallout experience.

(deep breath)........OK, here we go


There are two main critical issues with the game.

The game becomes exponentially difficult very fast. This would be ok if you had multiple ways of getting around baddies but this simply isn't the case. I reached level 5 and put a lot of points into guns as well as perks that enhance gunplay. Didn't have much impact as everything killed you and had like a million more action points than you. To make things worse, aim accuracy would drop from 90+ to 19% at point blank range at any given time for no reason. The only time FO did this was when you had moved into a darker spot, and you would have to lure a critter closer to a light source for better shots. I checked all possible reasons why this might happen and could find nothing wrong with my guy or weapons.

I love that Guns and ammo are hard to get and that they have a "quality/condition" stat that goes down making your stuff less effective as you play. This requires buying mechanical fix kits to keep that stuff going, but in order to buy a "kit" you need the right amount of coin. Chances are your not going to have that much coin so you need to barter with some of your inventory items. Thing is you can't just trade with what you got. Each vendor has a list of certain items that they will ONLY take. If you don't have said items then you need the right amount of coin to compensate. I really liked this system at first. It made you think about what you needed to collect in order to get what you wanted from any given dude. Then you could trade said item to a different dude with a different list of items he/she needs and so on. Seemed like a cool workable system. Problem is.....well, there are actually many problems here, but ultimately it leads to the second major issue with the game....Inventory/items.

If you can't buy what you want and you can't barter for it then you have to make the item yourself using the many crafting skills. Of course you will also need to put stat points into each of those skills. As always this is fine and dandy for those who enjoy crafting but I personally prefer to FIND stuff rather than have to make it. This game does not give you the choice. As the game progresses you have less barter potential. Vendors don't need what you have and if they DO chances are very likely that they don't have what YOU want. Even if you try to embrace the crafting aspect(which you will) it becomes so overwhelmingly monotonous and boring that you may want to punch your computer right in the face. Virtually all items in the game are built around a recycling pyramid structure wherby each item needs various parts to be made. You get those parts by breaking down other parts or killing things. On the other hand If you don't have one of the many types of kits to fix one of the many types of items then you can break it down into scrap. Its a workable system yes, but there are SO MANY items that require so many differen't components I just can't keep track. At a certain point you will require beer. LOTS of beer.

The limitation, implementation, and tedium of the inventory panel makes the whole mess even worse. Each item and component takes up one miniature square of space in the inventory and is efing tiny to look at on screen. Like MICROSCOPIC!
Now if that was the intended desire ok. There is a crapload of "stuff" you will need to hoard so fine, we need the real estate. Just let me be able to separate and move my stuff around so I can keep track of it. WHAT!!! no no no no no, are you SERIOUS? Your telling me I can't move my items around and keep them there like every single other game in existence??? Dude, what were you thinking?

This is what you get folks: a sort button, and category tabs(which you will HAVE to use). The sort button is totally usless, everything is super tiny, and you have to stare a hole into your screen just to see whats what. If you try to move an item to say the bottom of the panel it will auto snap back up with the rest. This is completely unacceptible given the sheer amount of stuff and the way you have to play the game.

I could go on about some of the minor things but its probably redundant at this point.


My verdict here is buy the game if you love crafting, have the patience of a Turtle, have the eye's of an Owl, and have the memory of a Elephant.

For everybody else, well.....even if all the issues were fixed and changed this still wouldn't be the Fallout type experience you wanted. That said, it still would be a great game. If the inventory was better then the game would atleist be tolerable play wise. Unfortunately I cannot recommend the game as is.

I've been a supporter of this game back when it was only availiable on Desura.

Back then Styg seemed like he was listening to community input on the game, then a slew of decisions began that I didn't agree with. To be fair it is his game, but every review I've read on it has the same gripe with issues that I have.

So let's start with my biggest gripes with this game:

What's up with the lockpicks?

This was the first thing I remember the community rallying behind telling Styg to just "leave the lockpick system alone." It was fine, it didn't need to be changed. You had a lockpick? great you can use it as a lockpick if you have the skill. Then Styg changed it to this teired disposable lockpick thing.... needlessly complicated. You'll burn through lockpicks like your girlfriend burns through toilet paper.

Wait, why don't you want to buy my stuff?

Styg decided to go with the "oh people only want to buy certain things" aspect of Skyrim. Yeah, that makes sense in a location with a working economy maybe, but Skyrim at least gave you a person who would buy anything, and in Fallout, pretty much anyone will take any item if it has value.

Let me put it this way, you're in a desolate world, you're a trader, and some idiot has offered you an item you know you could sell for double the price. Well you obviously won't take it because your a gun dealer, and this person is offering you gold pressed latnum.

Now a lot of you reading this might be saying "Hey Hans, these are game mechanics, they're not based in reality."
Well, in response to that I have to say it's an immersion breaker to have the game pick the most frustrating game mechanics every time.

In a nutshell, this game is overly complicated. There isn't enough flexibility to play it the way you want to. When Styg was developing the game he seemed to put more priority on making the game needlessly harder and more complicated than adding additional content. That being said the guy is a great developer. I hope he joins up with a team of individuals who have equal input on the direction of the game as he does.

I'm also glad I supported this game as I believe there should be more like it out there. In it's current state, I would not recommend it to my friends because of the constant needless complication.

Fans of isometric, turn-based, RPGs should seriously consider picking up Underral.

Underrail stays true to the format, while maintaining a unique flavor. Not content with riding the coattails of famous iso RPGs such as Fallout, Underrail creates a unique vibe and world that does not run on nostalgia alone. With more content and tweaks to gameplay always coming, the game is set to only get better. And what content that is already implemented is excellent.

With its combination of psychic powers, cyberpunk, and post apocolyptic-chic, Underrail occupies an place at the crossroads of Shadowrun, Metro 2033, and Fallout.

If you like Fallout 1 and 2 - buy this game.

It is the real thing, the Fallout legacy you've been waiting for.

The ayatollah of metropolitan rock and rolla.

Very interesting rich and complex gameplay. It feels like old Fallout, but with tons of new immersive features and mechanics on top, as well as unique and engaging setting and storyline. The versatility is superb - each situation, each encounter can be played in several different ways. The stats, the skills, the perks the equipment you choose all have a big impact, your choice is meaningful, you will feel its weight.

I recommend to play on normal difficulty with oddities xp (you don't get xp for killing stuff, only for completing quests and examining odd stuff you find while exploring vast underground labyrinth of Underrail). Be prepared though to get your butt kicked, as Underrail can be hard and unforgiving. Just turn on your tactical thinking and try different options - you will be surprised how well it works, and when you pull it off - its the best rewarding experience you can get from playing an rpg.

Fallout 1 and 2 fans need to buy this.

Pros:
Lots of content for EA game: 70 hours logged already

This has stealth and pickpocket skill, Wasteland 2 does not:) A must for these types of games! I love hoarding loot and selling it:)

No game breaking bugs encountered so far.

I could go on and on, I just love these types of games.

Cons:
Not many tbh

I would like to be able to maybe reset or redistribute misspent attribute and skill points.
Maybe the devs could throw in some skill point books which could be found or earned from side quests.
No world map but then again the game is set underground, so thats fine.
While I like the crafting element it seems to require to many skill points to create elite items.

All in all I would like to thank the developers in creating this well made and thought out game.

Initial thoughts of the game:
The basic concept of the game feels pretty "open worldish". That is a great thing. I feel like I could play this game for hours at a time. I enjoy isometric games like this or Project Zomboid. The price was right, so hey... Why not!?

2.0 hours in the game:
At the main menu, I look through the options. The game first started in a window, so I have to change that to a full screen experience. Hmm, that’s kind of a bummer. You are unable to edit the keyboard shortcuts or key bindings. However, it does say "no key binding configuration yet". Yet? This game has been released for over a year! You can't get something as simple as that in the game yet?! So, I created my character, and I must admit, I like the depth of the character creation. It is not too much, but it is not too light. It is just right. Before you start playing you create a character and place skill points into the areas where you think you want your character to progress. It took me about 10 minutes to read the options and figure out where I want my character to excel, and what abilities I can sacrifice. Once that is complete the game can start.

What the heck does any of that text say?! I have to squint at all of the text in order to read it. My game resolution is 1920x1080 and yet the text is still somewhat small to read. Wow, there is A LOT of text to read in this game. If you have played the newer Shadowrun game, you know what I am talking about. I almost fell asleep at my desk while reading all of this banter between characters. You have to go through any dialog in the game using your number keys. You are not able to use the number pad which is somewhat disappointing. Some people find it more convenient to use the number pad rather than the number keys above the letters on their keyboards.

Finally, I can play! I am standing in what I presume is my “room”. What now? What do I do now? Well, it can be difficult to see behind the walls when you are walking around. They don’t “disappear” so to speak so you can see your character. Can’t even use “WSAD” to move. Have to move around the game like its DOTA by mouse clicks. You can use the arrow keys to move your view to see what is around your character. Everything looks somewhat small as well. No zoom feature either. Yes, I know, I can change my resolution size and that may help, but why can’t I zoom in on my character? That is very frustrating.

After I annoyingly go through the first sets of “quests” I am finally off to power some generators. Yes, my character is a level 1 but damn! Even the beginning enemies are tough! I find the targeting system to be clunky as well. I hover my mouse over an enemy to shoot it (I see the “shoot” related icon), then I click my mouse and all of a sudden I see my walking path and my character starts walking toward the enemy! I lose the action points for that round and usually get killed anyway. Perhaps, it would be better to make the hit boxes a bit larger so I don’t continually walk toward the enemy instead of shooting the enemy like I had planned to do.

Conclusion thus far:
Not a bad game! I can safely say that I will spend a lot of time playing it due to its gameplay and content. The only gripes I have are minor tweaks such as text size and controls, zoom feature, cutting out the wall graphics when my character is behind a wall (so I can see my character or what loot may hide behind that wall), and still after a year there are no key bindings.

I really want to like this game. In theory it has all of the elements required to make me love it: post-apocalyptic setting- check, turn-based combat- check, detailed character levelling- check.

That said, having played several hours, I have spent all of that time waiting for the moment to come when it would really grab me by the throat and say 'Love me'. It's not happening. There is something lacking for me, which hopefully might change in the course of development, but I don't get the impression that it will. What's lacking is any real depth to the NPCs, the dialogue is just about the minimum required to move the game along, I feel like I am doing quests for a bunch of mannequins. Part of what made the likes of Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Planescape etc. so great was how vibrant the characters were, and how you developed relationships with them.

If this changes as the game progresses I'll amend my review, but as it stands I find the game to be mechanically adept but soulless.

While I do think this game has decent potential, it seems nowhere near a finished product. Because this game is early access, my "not recommended" evaluation is tentative. I will watch how this game develops and hopefully I will be able to revise my recommendation.

The Good:
- Post-apocalyptic subterranean environment
- You get to loot stuff!
- Quite challenging right from the start
- Solid turn-based combat
- The graphics are pretty nice to look at

The Bad:
- Somewhat clunky controls for dialogue and combat
- Difficult to click on some environmental objects and enemies
- No key binding configuration
- Screen panning with the mouse has issues on a dual monitor setup
- UI elements are tiny pixel graphics
- Tons of text to read, all in very small pixel font

The Unfortunate:
- From what I've experienced so far, NPCs seem lifeless and uninteresting. For "important" NPCs you get a decent amount of dialogue options, but the characters themselves have all the personality of a block of tofu.

UnderRail is intriguing, have interesting game mechanics, some kind of walkthrough varieties based on skill choices and dialogues - which are good for replayability, it's also turn based and have some other nice features as crafting to dig and develope.
It's a very promising game - I played & enjoyed alpha some time ago and looking for any updates and progress, to discover and complete the game story. I want to admit that game is quite challenging in some ways and that's good.
I also don't see any pathos and loud words around the title so it's still a little bit undiscovered and that's good - developer gonna be more focused on game, instead of populism which is more popular as far as we live. I respect that and wishing Stygian Software all the best.

Really nicely done old school RPG. Made me feel like it was 1997 and I was playing a Fallout 2 but with an easier interface and deeper combat.

Best things:

The oddity XP system. There's an optional system where instead of gaining XP for usual RPG things, you instead only gain it when you find oddities. Sometimes these are found behind locked doors, sometimes in hard to reach areas, sometimes they're body parts of enemies (though these are limited). It works pretty well to reward all play styles, since the sneaky dude avoiding combat is still raking in XP by breaking into forbidden areas and looting their oddities.

The combat's really fun. I loved Fallout, but combat really just came down to "shoot everyone in the eyes". Here you probably start with one or two abilities depending on which path you go down, and the special items are big game changers. A net to immobilise a powerful melee enemy while you gun him down can completely turn the battle. A bullet in the knee cap to slow someone down, a kick to the nuts to incapacitate someone, or a psychic power to summon a ghostly enemy to harrass them. The abilities actually matter and must be used to get through battles.

The exploration element is pulled off really well. At the start of the game it feels scary to go outside to base: Attract one too many psi beetles at once and you're dead. There are also so many areas to explore at any one time, and you'll come across interesting things you might not have the skill to unlock yet or enemies that you can't quite handle yet, so it pays to draw out your own mini map. I don't know why I find this fun instead of annoying, but it seems to suit the genre to be taking paper notes for this game.

The crafting system is great fun. You'll get the best weapons and gear out of crafting if you keep your skills up, rewarding a MacGuyver character who pumped electronics, mechanics and chemistry.

Plus the graphics are pretty well done, the pixel work evoking the era well. There are no voiceovers or anything (except for a few combat shouts), but eh, I didn't really miss them. I'd rather just have text than cut rate voice acting. And the ambient sound is great, from constant hisses of machinery to echoing underground corridors, it really sets the scene,

The only complaints I have are tiny, tiny things that'll hopefully be addressed as it progresses. For one it's really hard to tell if a merchant will buy a certain thing because the highlight system doesn't contrast the sellable item from all your other stuff very well. There's also some balancing to be done in the feats (too many "Timmy Cards"), because some of the early ones sound good but once you get more of a sense of the game you realise they're pretty useless. For instance, early on psi users are desperately strapped for psi points and they don't regenerate, and my sense of the economy at the time was such that I couldn't imagine ever having enough psi boosters syringes. So I spent a feat that gave me psi points every time I picked a blue mushroom. I haven't seen a blue mushroom in about 20 hours now, and I'm so rich (despite no barter skill) that I have 50+ psi boosters. Feats that save you a few bucks can't compare to some of the awesome ones that cripple your enemies, but it's hard to realise that at the start of the game so it seems like a bit of a newbie trap. There's a couple odd balance things combat wise as well--by the time decent energy weapons appear, they're mostly blocked by energy shields (which are mostly bypassed by melee weapons, and partially crossbows too). But since energy weapons is governed under the same skill as conventional firearms, it's not like you're lost out investing a bunch of points in a useless skill. Still, hope they find their niche beyond shooting unshielded wildlife!

Overall there's a lot of game here already for $10. have 43 hours logged at time of writing, and this is all just one character, and the quibbles are so tiny compared to the good stuff. I Can't wait to see the final product.

I don't usually do this, but this game needs to be reviewed, because it needs to be made and it needs to be played.

I'll just put the TL;DR first. This is quite possibly the best RPG I've played since 1999.

The combat and character building is outstanding, and very balanced. There is essentially no filler combat, and the vast majority of encounters are really damn hard. The combat system uses a good variety of special attacks acquired through perks and appropriately rare single use items like special crossbow bolts, grenades or even caltrops to strategically tip the scales of a tough situation in your favour. Several encounters took me 3+ tries to get through. Cool downs between 2 and 5 turns make sure you can't just spam stims or a very powerful special attack to win.

Exploration is the second thing that stands out the most, along with combat. Stealth can get you places combat won't on several occasions, especially by using the black mesa developed technique of crawling through ventilation systems.

One of the areas you explore a few hours into the game stands out in particular to me, it's on par with genre classics like the Glow from Fallout, or Sierra Army Base from the successor. Those levels that are so well desgined that they feel like playing a Pen and Paper RPG with a good DM.

In a time where everything has to be a successor to something it's also really refreshing to see something do it's own thing. There's no "canon" to "break" for once. You've got your psi-abilities that reminds me of some PnP games I played a long time ago, a perk system reminiscent of Fallout, but with key differences, especially how you have to unlock things like aimed shot. Perhaps the subway civilization has also been done before. Despite all that it manages to feel really unique and innovative. For example, pretty much every single beast enemy you encounter has some kind of special ability, they're never just hit point bars with teeth. Even the equivalent of the Fallout rat sometimes comes with a leader of the pack individual that changes things up. The more difficult inhabitants of the caves will poison you as well as lay eggs that hatch more-than-annoying youngsters that swarm you at just the wrong time.

The game's economy also seems well balanced and interesting in terms of the crafting system.

If you like post apocalytic themes, turn based RPGs in the vein of the original Fallouts, that draw heavily on pen and paper rule sets, where your stats, tactical thinking and meticulous preparation matter and frantic clicking doesn't, you're sure to enjoy this game immensly.

Love this game, best buy I have made via Steam in a long time. It's a mixture of wasteland, fallout, and jagged alliance. If you enjoyed any of them titles you will enjoy this one. The game can be quite hard but that is why I like it so much, it does not hold your hand and makes you think and use different strategies to get through to where you need to go next. Lot of customization character wise and so many different ways to play the game per your character build(s). highly recommend and it's only in alpha state.

It feels strange to reccomend a game that isn't even finished yet, but from what i've seen so far this game is definately worth the cost.

Set in a dark, sci-fi setting this isometric RPG heralds back to the times of the original Fallout and X-Com UFO games. It has a detailed and lovingly thought out game environment, crafting and combat system and most of all a great story backed up by memorable characters.

You have quite a bit of freedom in this game too - the introduction of the "oddity" leveling system is unique and tries (quite successfully) to allow the player to choose a "non-combat" approach to the game.

However, from playing through the available content thus far I have to say that the oddities are normally guarded by some enemy or even on their bodies. This kind of defeats the object of attempting to bypass combat as a means to level as you will normally have to fight to get the oddities in the first place. But the great thing about this game is that it gives you the choice whether to use that system or a more traditional, XP based system.

When creating a character, the developer has made it possible and plausible to pick certain playstyles, adding to the replayability and allowing you to play the game in a number of interesting and challenging ways. The game is difficult but then I think this kind of game should be challenging.

Freedom definately is the plus of this game, you can pretty much do whatever you want, even if that means doing something suicidal - the point is the game lets you. I think this is a very important feature for any RPG. Also there is no "morality" system - the game niether rewards, nor punishes your actions, although some people may not take kindly to your actions - this is all fine and believeable.

As it stands - i reccomend this game. Try to think of this as a positive preview rather than a review. I may very well write a separate or updated version once the game is actually finished (whenever that might be).

Underrail is a Turn Based Isometric RPG, much in the vain of the original Fallout games. The art style is nice but not as good as Shadow Run Returns, however it is definitely a step up from the Fallout games which this game was heavily inspired by.

The game is a lot of fun and runs very smoothly even though it is still in early access, there seems to be plenty of content so far and with more to come I am sure this will be an excellent title.

If you enjoyed the original Fallout series and looking for a similar experience with lots of new features of modern technology and programming or are just a fan of the Turn Based Isometric RPG genre in general then this is definitely worth a look.

When this game ended for me, (after I found Armadillo Quest, etc) I was so excited I went & got Fallout 1 and 2 and beat them all over again. This game is what Shadowrun Returns wishes it was, which is just an overpriced turd compared to this little indie gem. I'd say take Metro, mix with Fallout, add a pinch of Thief 1/2, and a hefty teaspoon of Deus Ex, stir, and then you would be close to how awesome this game is. Well worth asking price for the content, but I will say that it is about 10% of the length of Fallout 2, maybe 25% of Fallout 1. True, I logged in over 100 hours, but that was me farming my character & exporting & farming again, which at times almost felt like an exploitive bug. After the Armidillo Quest, I figured I was only at most a quarter through the game, and next would be a main City or Hub 3 times the size of the starting area, but all this failed to materialize. I do hope that the final game has more areas to explore, say, maybe twice the area that is available now. My opinion is that by the time you get the Armidillo Quest done, you should only be 20-40% of the way through the game. Also, more crafting recipes, items, and variance of item stats, and crafting slots, perhaps some tweaks to some of the powers/feats etc. Now these last few sentences are about the most I could come up with complaint-wise, and the dev has stated a plan to add a lot more content, including quests and items, so my concerns may be moot.

As it stands, though, it is well worth even $20, and I had a blast! Unlike Project Zomboid and NEO Scavenger, 2 recent early release purchases of mine I deeply regret due to poor experiences, I would have to say YOU MUST GET THIS GAME if you want to have a positive early-release experience with a game where the dev actually listens to the gamers! 9 out of 10 of my reviews on games are negative, but this game almost broke the scale with 10+.

UnderRail is one of those games that comes along every so often, that when you play it you can feel the love and attention that has gone into it's development. I have played almost every version of this game since the day it was available for purchase and can tell you with all honestly this is a must have for anyone who ever enjoyed the cRPG's of yesteryear (Baldurs Gate, Fallout 1 and 2, etc).

It is also perfectly difficult. It is quite possible to make a character that just cannot make it through the game, there is plenty of variety in skills and feats even this early in development. The battles are strategic down to each and every turn being critical to the outcome.

It is the perfect homage to those oldschool games that we used to spend weeks and weeks and months perfecting the perfect party or character. If you consider yourself a REAL RPG gamer I think UnderRail will be a much loved addition to your library.

Fully recommend this game, even in it's beta state. I cannot wait to see how the finaly product is in the end.

This game, by far, has been the best Early Access game I have bought on steam. I love getting Early Access games, but there are always flaws that make me question why this game should be bought. This game shouldn't even be early access because there are no bugs (from how much I've played), and the gameplay so far has been amazing. Not only this, but the fact that this is my first turned based rpg and I am having so much fun, is enough for me to go out and buy this game for even 20$. If you have 10$ to spare, or just looking for a game to get later on, this should be your new game to experience.