Beneath Oresa – We will find the way down, by sword, fist, or pistol.

I often deal with a feeling. One that overcomes me whenever I do not do something. I am afraid of doing whatever responsibility I’m facing wrong, but I can’t fail if I don’t start. Right? Well, this is partially correct. But the harsher truth I want to lay bare before your eyes is that not making a choice is always the wrong choice.  

Videogames have always been excellent methods for escapism, avenues you take to not think about work or any burden that plagues you in your day-to-day life. But given how much we can learn from games, is it not plausible that in looking for this liberation from reality we can stumble upon some solutions for its stress and overwhelming concerns? For me, the answer is yes, and the argument I wield is Beneath Oresa.  

Games are naturally good at reproducing the failures we might deal with in real life, in space much more controlled and freer of consequences. Roguelikes take this formula and compress it into hundreds of randomized instances. For me, this has always been one of the highlights of the genre, the ability to fail quickly and try again with new knowledge. But surely there’s something more Beneath Oresa. 

Having come out recently and being the first game of Canadian studio Broken Spear, Beneath Oresa is a deck-builder roguelike that sees one of nine main characters try to descend the ruins of the mythical city, into basements packed with odd enemies and strategies galore. On each floor, our protagonist and their sidekick will engage in combat, search for abandoned technology, and strengthen their bond while resting. 

The golden city of Oresa is a fascinating environment and everything in the game comes together to bring it to life. The models, the animations, the descriptions, the sounds. They all collaborate and make a convincing mirage of a post-apocalyptic dream in constant decay. 

Every card has a W and a M evolution, that changes their utility across characters and playthroughs.  

This game constructs an unending waterfall of choices. Some simple (would you like your card to do A or do B), some more complex (can you afford to receive damage this round or are you letting go of this window of opportunity to attack). Strategizing is the name of the game, and as with the flawed characters we controlled, we too are not impervious to mistakes. Rest assured: you will fail. Combats are complex in matters of positioning, order of play, enemy intention, etc. Each added layer of systems works together to construct a harmonious and intricate puzzle where every action has a clear consequence. The game is harsh but fair. I’ve never found myself not taking responsibility for losing, for each decision has taken me right to this point. But dealing with that failure is perhaps the most valuable lesson this game has taught me. 

  

In a world where failing encroaches on us at every turn, Beneath Oresa is a good game, but it has the potential and the hallmarks of a great one. It forces us to overcome its myriad obstacles and come out on top by sword, fist, or pistol. It is still to be seen whether it will receive the attention I believe it deserves or if it too will be buried in its ruins.  

Beneath Oresa Basic Info 

Publisher: Goblinz Publishing
Developer: Broken Spear Inc. 
Platforms: Windows 
Release Date: (PC) 27 Sept 2023
Genres: Roguelike Deck builder, Turn-Based Combat, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction
Age Rating: Not rated 

Photos: The cover picture and images of Beneath Oresa (Broken Spear, 2023) are screenshots taken by the author.  

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