This article is written in partnership with UNDECEMBER.
With the release of LINE Games’ UNDECEMBER, fans of the hack-and-slash ARPGs will have a compelling new title with unique features compared to any other title in the genre. The developers made a conscious effort to make UNDECEMBER a unique experience fans of the game type would be unable to experience anywhere else — standing out in multiple respects.
The first aspect worthy of praise is the game’s commitment to immersion. Although an ARPG, the developers do not stray away from making the game’s world something people want to invest in. To bring out the dark and interesting world of UNDECEMBER, every cinematic and line of speech has been fully voiced. The amount of effort is very apparent — all the characters come to life. The game also packs a very potent storyline, with books and other mementos highlighting different aspects of the world.
The world doesn’t end with only the environment, though. The character design throughout the entire adventure is very well done — players won’t get tired of all the interesting and highly detailed enemies throughout the world. UNDECEMBER has also been very mindful of designing the characters in tandem with the environment around them — adding another layer to the game’s immersion. It isn’t a generic environment filled with bland monsters, but a world.
Something also noteworthy about UNDECEMBER is its accessibility. The game takes a huge investment in cooperative play —something supported across PC and mobile. Whether they’re playing on a PC or a phone, your friend can join you in UNDECEMBER and aid in beating the more challenging sections of the game. In addition to that, the game offers several options to get into the action: mouse and keyboard, mobile touchpads, and even gamepads.
What sets UNDECEMBER apart from other games, though, is its gameplay. For a hack-and-slash game, it definitely holds its own as a great addition to the genre. Like any other title, the combat system will take a little getting used to, but becomes a very satisfying and entertaining exercise once learned. Even throughout later portions of the game, still running around and fighting enemies remains fun.
However, the most notable aspect of UNDECEMBER that sets it apart from other ARPGs is easily its commitment to class freedom — allowing players to traverse the dark fantasy game on their own original path of advancement. There’s no linear progression like in other games, those enjoying UNDECEMBER have complete freedom.
While other games have skill points determine which play style the player sticks with, UNDECEMBER takes a different approach. The game focuses far more on having balanced character progression — encouraging players to boost all of their stats instead of concentrating on one or two. How this works is through the game’s Zodiac system. The core components to build out a character are Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity, with players receiving points to upgrade and strengthen those three categories as they gain levels (the system expands to more specialized skills after reaching level ten).
The weapons themselves are very interesting — all of them simple but satisfying to use. Again, this is an area where UNDECEMBER’s freedom of choice shines, as there are so many customization options. While those unfamiliar with other games in the genre will probably do best to learn the ropes of the game with a simple sword, there’s still the option to go for other choices like a magic staff or other ranged weapons. The weapon choice isn’t the only fun option to play around with, though. Various customizations exist that make for a much more interesting experience — allowing you to tailor the game a lot closer to your own personal play style. An ordinary sword can soon have interesting add-on’s such a bonus experience or a poison effect to enemies — same with a bow and arrow. In fact, since freedom of expression is the name of the game in UNDECEMBER, even off-the-wall choices like casting magic from a sword are permitted. With how much emphasis UNDECEMBER puts on this, the choices are essentially endless.
Finally, there’s the number of interesting abilities that the game has to offer — thousands of them, in fact. Instead of only unlocking specific attacks at set intervals, players are able to collect Runes that give them the ability to perform different techniques (they can also have their power increased or be imbued with unique skills).
Overall, UNDECEMBER has put together a very interesting and fun spin on the traditional ARPG format. It still holds up as a worthy adversary to any game in the genre — the hack-and-slash action is very enjoyable, the graphics and visual art style are great, and there’s an endless road of content to have fun with. It’s a game that can no doubt be enjoyed for a long time. At the same time, the sheer amount of customization and freedom offered make for a game that allows for far more personality than any that have been released before. Since it’s free to play, it is definitely worth trying out.
You can play the game for free on Steam, IOS, and Google Play.
