Downward: Enhanced Edition

Downward: Enhanced Edition - Nothing enhanced about this game. Don't be fooled by the positive reviews. This game is bland, empty and the mechanics are just awful. The biggest gripe I've got with Unreal Engine is that devs think it's the be all, end all for game development. Sure, it does most of the legwork, but devs think that is good enough and if a game is pretty, then the mechanics don't matter. That might've been a couple of years ago, not anymore. Now, if a game has Unreal Engine, you better hope and pray that the mechanics and story are great because you already know that the game will look good. It's like they hide all the issues behind graphics and hope that carries the game. The okay-ish: The game has voice acting, which is good enough. It looks decent, again Unreal Engine The bad: The movement mechanics are trash. For a parkour game, it's very finicky with certain jumps and ledge grabs. The biggest gripe I've actually got with this game is that I needed to go to a speedrunning turorial video in order to get gold on the challenges. Why you ask? Because the more "advanced" movements are not explained in the game itself. Things like dash jump is so inconsistent on mouse and KB, but you need to use it in order to get gold in the challenges. "No, you're just bad! It's implied that you learn the movement mechanics in order to get gold. Git gud scrub!". Ok buddee, listen here buckaroo, the game actually needs to make it consistent number 1 and number 2, let the player know they can do this. Obviously, being a okay-ish gamer myself, it was the first thing I tried. I ended up using my xbox controller in order to do it consistently. Story is so bland and predictable. I get it, it's not easy writing a story that everyone will love. But it is so obvious what's going on and what's going to happen. At no point do you feel any connection with the 3 characters you get in this massively empty open world. Yes, there's the merchant, you and the lady. That's it. Lore is something that they tried to flesh out the world-building, because with a world this empty, you ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ need it. All in all, I'm severely disappointed in this game. If you like being frustrated by movement mechanics that don't feel like you've got weight or is inconsistent AF, then get this. You'll enjoy it. Otherwise? Steer clear.

A Mirror's Edge-inspired first-person parkour platformer with vaguely Metroid-esque progression sounds like a good time, and I actually found Downward pretty fun for its first few hours despite an abundance of rough edges, but this is ultimately just too janky and unpolished to recommend except on deep discount, with controls that get increasingly unreliable as you acquire new abilities, and level design that gets increasingly convoluted and tedious to navigate with minimal direction (there's no map, only onscreen objective markers).

Too inconsistent to be fun. You get caught/stuck on so many random things. Movement, dashing, sliding, climbing, etc all feel slow and janky.

Story is nonsensical and levels slowly become repetitive and frustrating

Its not a very good parkour game. Movement never gets to be consistent enough to fun. You will be constantly tripping over small rocks and ledges. As the game gets harder it becomes more apparent that the movement just isn't up to the task with it never quite feeling right.

Downward: Enhanced Edition, developed by Caracal Games and published by Plug In Digital, is a first-person parkour-focused platformer that immerses players in a post-apocalyptic Earth filled with mysterious ruins and altered gravity. Released in 2017, the game emphasizes exploration and traversal over traditional combat, inviting players to navigate a world shaped by the aftermath of strange celestial phenomena. Its combination of fluid movement, atmospheric environments, and light RPG elements makes it a unique entry in the parkour-platforming genre, though it is not without its shortcomings. The gameplay centers on mastering parkour mechanics to traverse expansive environments. Players can jump, climb, slide, and perform acrobatic maneuvers to overcome obstacles and explore the world. The movement system is intuitive and fluid, allowing for satisfying traversal that rewards precision and timing. An upgrade system tied to collectible orbs allows players to enhance stats such as health and mobility, adding a subtle layer of progression that encourages exploration. Time trial challenges further extend replayability, pushing players to optimize their routes and refine their parkour skills. Visually, Downward: Enhanced Edition excels in creating a sense of scale and atmosphere. The game features a variety of landscapes, from jagged volcanic terrain to snow-laden ruins, each rendered with attention to detail and designed to encourage vertical and horizontal exploration. The environments are filled with hidden paths and collectibles, rewarding players who take the time to explore thoroughly. The enhanced edition takes advantage of modern hardware, offering improved textures, lighting effects, and smooth performance that heighten immersion. Subtle design choices, such as environmental cues and level layout, guide players naturally while still allowing for a sense of discovery. The narrative in Downward: Enhanced Edition is minimalist, framing the game around the player’s quest to recover three crystals that could restore balance to the world. A mysterious female voice guides the protagonist, adding an element of intrigue, but character development and storytelling are limited. While this minimalism allows the focus to remain on traversal and atmosphere, some players may find the story underdeveloped and emotionally distant. The plot serves primarily as a motivation for exploration rather than a driving force for engagement, emphasizing experience over narrative depth. Combat is minimal and largely incidental, consisting of simple interactions such as dodging attacks or retrieving crystals from enemies. This simplicity reinforces the game’s emphasis on parkour and exploration but may leave players expecting more action feeling underwhelmed. The short runtime, averaging around five hours, also contributes to a sense that the experience, while visually and mechanically impressive, could have benefited from additional content or challenges to deepen engagement. Overall, Downward: Enhanced Edition is a visually striking and mechanically satisfying parkour adventure that rewards exploration and mastery of its traversal systems. Its fluid movement, varied environments, and atmospheric design create a distinctive experience that stands apart from traditional action or platforming games. While its narrative is sparse and combat limited, the game succeeds in delivering a unique and contemplative journey through a beautifully realized post-apocalyptic world. For players seeking an immersive parkour adventure that prioritizes movement, exploration, and atmosphere over combat, Downward: Enhanced Edition offers a memorable and engaging experience. Rating: 7/10

The game's visuals are good, and the parkour is almost okay. I couldn't make sense of the narrative, how the "planet switching" alters the current level and the ending meant nothing to me. I found many bugs — in particular, the currency increases indefinitely when selling an item (which made gathering currency and unlocking new "powers" completely useless for the entire game). The HUD also disappears every now and then, and some actions can't be performed unless you reboot the game.

Bad controls. Bad level design. The fights are also really bad.

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I don't think I can really recommend this to anyone. I was recommended this game cause I wanted a game similar to Metroid Prime. I heard that it has metroid like progression with Prince of Persia-esque parkour all in 1st person. Conceptually I should really like this game, and I really wanted to, but it hurts me to say it didn't really live up to my expectations. I will say graphically it's great for an indie game. It's also not too pricey either, I think I got it on sale for around a dollar, and the game is not too long. But the problems arise when it comes to the gameplay. The parkour is a bit too janky, and sometimes doesn't work when you want it to. The combat is not super engaging, just a lot of dodging and not much else, kinda chose to avoid it when I could. I found the voice acting a bit annoying, kinda gives me that "focus m" dialog, but at least it can be toggled off. Overall, I'd say you should skip this one.