Creature in the Well is one of those games. The mixture of Breakout, pinball, and a dungeon crawler was not something I can say I ever wished for but I’m so glad that Flight School Studio brought these things together in one incredibly fun package. I had the opportunity to check out this unique title at PAX East.
First off, I must also applaud these developers for delivering a fantastic demo that gave a great sense of what to expect in this brand new IP, all the while leaving me wanting a lot more and wishing to see all of the secrets this world holds. Players take control of a sword-wielding robot and have to navigate a labyrinth filled with dangerous machinations and monsters. The robot is not the only one in these depths though, as the titular creature in the well appears from time to time as if just to remind players of the dangers that lurk below.
The gameplay is simple in concept but the difficulty comes from steadily learning the systems at play, steadily adding nuances with upgrades and weapons. There are orbs of energy that have to be hit and/or collected and hit at objects in the world to gather energy. This energy can be used to open doors to proceed farther and deeper into the dungeon. I had this incredible feeling of getting a good launch, like how I would feel on a good combo in Breakout, multiple times throughout the demo. I would hit a ball just right and watch it ricochet around the room and gather a ton of energy. It’s really satisfying.
One of my favorite parts of the demo was one of Creature in the Well‘s optional puzzles. Certain objects had to be hit in a certain amount of time that would then activate another object that also had to be hit in another timeframe. It took me a couple of tries, but it felt so gratifying when I conquered the puzzle.
The entire time, however, I was wishing I had one of those Breakout powerups like the one that adds a line shows where the ball would travel. Well, lo and behold, solving the puzzle opened a secret room that contained a double katana that had that ability built in. Flight School Studios built that puzzle, and many more in the game, with the intent for players to get the items they wish they had.
Brilliant.
I also got to try out a boss fight, which was an elevator with different levels and moving platforms of constant rotating pillars that I had to hit. Death was a constant threat, forcing me to keep moving and firing back when the chance would open. I got in that proverbial zone and when everything clicked it felt awesome and I felt a great sense of power and accomplishment.
While there is a lot to love about the game, I had a couple of control issues, especially when I would gather a few balls and attempt to move around and shoot them elsewhere. I understand it was probably a design choice to signify the gain of power and struggle of holding these in, but in practice, it felt slow and a bit off. Besides that one gripe, my time with Creature in the Well left me wanting so much more, and I can’t wait until this game arrives on Nintendo Switch this summer.
For more information on Creature in the Well, check out the official Switch listing or the Steam Store page.
