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App Army Assemble: Journey Below

Has Ravenous done it again?

App Army Assemble: Journey Below
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| Journey Below

Journey Below is an auto runner in which you, as the name suggests, travel deep into the bowels of a dungeon, slicing up enemies, gathering gold, and dying. Over and over again.

You move automatically, turning when you come in contact with a wall - much like a Lemming. You can also jump and kill enemies which is, well, what you'd expect from a game like this.

Journey Below was developed by mobile platforming wizards Ravenous Games - the very same studio that brought you League of Evil and Devious Dungeon. So you can pretty safely expect it to be good.

But if that's not enough for you, you can get our take with the PG review. Or, read on for the App Army's thoughts - our very own community of mobile game fanatics.

Erik Choong

It's an interesting twist on the genre, and reminds me a bit of Dash Quest. You get to choose from a random selection of free power-ups every time you beat a level. This forces you to think about what you'll need to tackle the challenges ahead.

There's no freedom of movement so you can't track back to kill mobs or pick up stuff you missed though, and a checkpoint system would be nice. It's brutal having to start over every time you die.

Tom Clark

I agree with Erik. It's a fun game, but needs checkpoints so you don't have to start over. It's a bit like Crossy Road crossed with a side scrolling arcade game.

The graphics are nice and it offers a great challenge but it needs a few tweaks.

GGod Hand

This is a decent game - you'll especially enjoy it if you're a fan of roguelikes and platformers. I love the retro visuals, music, and controls - which are simple but solid.

The dungeons, enemy placement, and passive abilities (which you earn at the end of a floor) are randomised - as they are in roguelikes like Downwell.

Each of the various enemies have their own attack patterns, and learning how to kill them efficiently is key.
There are no checkpoints or continues and I couldn't be happier with this decision. When you die, you die for good. Well, unless you happen to come across the life after death perk!

Aaron Carey

So far I'm torn. The controls and retro visuals are nice, but the randomly generated levels are a bit too frustrating. You find yourself dying often due to unfairly placed enemies, which just gets annoying.

If the levels had been hand-designed this would really shine, as the progression system works and it's fun to play.

Edward Davis

I agree with Aaron. If you're travelling down a wall and spot an enemy, you have to time your attack with pinpoint precision to avoid dying. Despite that, the controls and visuals are good.

Aaron Carey

Exactly that! Also, if there are two enemies right next to each other there's no way of getting through without losing a heart.

GGod Hand

The answer is not killing the enemies at all in that situation, gentlemen. Instead, jump off the wall and attack in mid air to evade them entirely.

The App Army is Pocket Gamer's very own community of mobile game experts. Each week, we provide them with a bunch of free codes and early access to the hottest upcoming games so they can provide their thoughts in features like this. We also host regular community-driven events with them in mind, like the Mobcrush stream, tournaments, and multiplayer evenings. To join, simply follow this link to the page on Facebook and request access. We'll get you in right away!
Chris James
Chris James
A footy game fanatic and experienced editor of numerous computing and game titles, lively Chris is up for anything - including running Steel Media! (Madman!)