Item - Catacombs of the Undercity

The fifth in Tin Man's Orlandes/Rema GA cycle finds you hurled into the undercity beneath Orlandes and having to find your way out before infiltrating the secret cell that stitched you up. Thematically similar to GA 4 before it (in the revenge sense), this could not be any more different to the previous book in any other way. The initial section in the sewers is by definition quite claustrophobic and eerie, and the foreboding and dank atmosphere is handled very well. There are several moments where you can encounter warped creatures that inhabit the dark depths of this part of the undercity, including a maze full of plague-ridden zombies that is quite tough to escape should you find yourself in it. Most of the undercity is quite disorientating, and finding the best route through requires time and patience, but your effort is rewarded eventually. The latter part in the Orlandrian undercity itself is less imposing and much briefer, but by this time the focus is on trying to defeat the cult that is at the heart of your/the problem. There are many cultists to meet along the way to give a flavour of what to expect later, although I found the two moments where you can encounter a summoned demon and/or a sort of shark God a little far-fetched and underplayed considering how dangerous these moments should have been. As with GA1, this book's black and white art is from a third person perspective meaning you get to see yourself again which is slightly odd and makes you think you keep meeting people who aren't there, but the art is suitably murky and suits the idea well. Overall, this one is a mixed bag. It's not too hard but it requires time to find the true path and there may not be enough material here to hold some players' interests. It's not as good as GA3 or 4, but is an improvement on the first and second entries and offers something a bit different with its sense of underground gloom and foreboding.

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