Is It responsible for all my missing underwear. It could do with a few more nudges. You could say all of that about It Lurks Below. Broadly, It Lurks Below just brings it more to the forefront through defined classes and character progression. There are different damage types, like fire or poison, but also different forms, like huge death rays or bouncing projectiles. Mindless enemies and the ability to build barricades, knock through walls and dig through the floor means that combat usually only gets challenging because of overwhelming numbers, though a couple of the bosses do require a bit of light pattern memorisation. A particular nuisance are a group of Jawa cosplayers with a penchant for suddenly appearing behind me, knives at the ready. Every battle is a kaleidoscope of multicoloured projectiles, bouncing off and demolishing walls and filling the screen with mayhem. Instead of picking abilities when you level up, you have to go out and search for ancient items that give you a leg up. As a Necromancer, for instance, I got to wander around with my best pal, a skull that shoots things. By spending cold, hard cash, I was able to increase my circle of friends, adding three more skulls to my posse. On top of these magical relics, there are gems that can be slotted into armour, rings that confer even more magical abilities, and for those times when fashion must take precedence over power, a fine selection of cosmetic-only hats. Indeed, you can build a hat shop. It Lurks Below, however, only makes brief detours. The it lurks below and town building side of things is cursory at best. At least 75 percent of my time in its progenitors has been spent building it lurks below. Castles, space terminals, tiny villages and massive flying citadels — some sort of huge project is always the end goal. The village is a tool, rather than something you might take joy in creating. Brevik, as you might expect, is still pretty good at making the grind compelling. It Lurks Below is out now on for £15.
