Capybara Games’ brutal roguelite Below is out on April 7th for PS4 and will retail for $24.99. Perhaps more interesting is that Explore Mode, which offers a less harsh experience, will also be available as a free update. Xbox One and PC players can try it out on the same day as PS4 players.
What does Explore Mode change? First off, Hunger and Thirst are disabled and no longer need to be managed. To that end, you can’t drink from puddles or bottles, though you’ll still need to fill bottles with water to cook soup (which restores your health). Thirst also doesn’t go out until you die.
Players no longer have to deal with one-hit deaths or the iron maid, and all damage is now bleed-based, so you have time to actually halt the bleeding. Checkpoints and campfires also don’t clear after being used, though you still can only have one active at a time. The best part is that if you’re already playing on Survive Mode, then Explore Mode will have its own save slot.
These are all positive changes – we’ll see if it can make Below a more enjoyable experience. For an idea on how the base game played, check out our review here.