The guardian of a traveling caravan, you find yourself seasonally unemployed when the caravan's owner decided to set up camp for a while. He tips you off to a nearby inn that needs the services of a strongarm like yourself, and that sets off a cascade of events that culminates in you facing the forces of Hell itself.

Underworlds has many of the trappings that action RPG enthusiasts have come to expect--you can create a custom character, equip your warrior with loot that the bad guys drop throughout the game; as the game progresses, better quality armor and swords are yours for the taking. One concession to simplify the game for the iPhone is that all combat is melee-based; you're bashing skeletons and shambling monsters with swords, not using magic or ranging weapons like bows and arrows.

While you can select from one of several portraits, including male and female characters, though that will have no effect on gameplay or abilities. It has no effect on sound effects or graphics in the game, either. It's a bit unsettling to create a female character only to hear very male gasps and moans come from the character when she's hit by a baddie. A minor quibble, I admit, but it's distracting and took me out of the game.

As you progress through the game your character gains experience; with each new level you get points to spend increasing your statistics, such as strength, intelligence and dexterity--factors that improve your skill at fighting or using the items you find. You also can plow points into "feats" such as shield-bashing or smiting your foes with a whirlwind "Berserk" sword attack. You can also loot corpses, find traps and treasures, and more.

Teleport charms you'll find along the way let you return to McTavish, your former employer, who's only too happy to buy rare items from you and sell you items like stronger armor, health and vitality potions, and other objects you might find useful in your travels.