The older I've gotten, the more I come to appreciate slow-paced games that encourage you to kick back for an hour or so at a time. Coffee Talk and Donut County are among my favorites in this "chill" genre. SCHiM may soon join them if its demo is any indication.

I gave the SCHiM demo a try when I spotted it while perusing the sea of survival crafting games in Steam Next Fest, egged on by the low-key visuals and the promise of a relaxing time. In this hectic life and industry, we can all bene??fit by giving ourselves an hour to unplug and unwind.

The premise of SCHiM sounds like something out of Studio Ghibli or maybe Pixar. Everything, from living beings to various obje??cts, has a "spirit" called a schim. Losing it is akin to the loss of your soul.

Hop along

SCHiM starts you o??ff teaching you how being a spirit works. Apparently, the rules on losing your schim are a bit fluid, since you can hop out of your host at will and enter other shadows so long as you eventually return. The protagonist schim in question is shown belonging to a young boy, whom you can briefly control while the schim operates in his shadow �as characterized by fantastic?? googly eyes.

Controlling the s??chim is a breeze. You can manipulate the spirit in various shadows as if swimming in a darkened pool. A single button tap allows you to leap from the ?shadow, and you make progress by entering another shadow nearby.

The schim can't survive on illuminated surfaces, but you ar?e given a short "safety hop" to make it to a shadow that was just out of your reach. Don't worry about dying; you warp back to the nearest shadow if you mess up. You can swap the isometric camera's angle around when you need to find another shadow just outside of your vision.

A single button press lets you interact with some objects, usually as a fun way to see how they react. You can cause a tree to shake or a child to sneeze if you hit the button while in their shadow. The moment I learned you can make bicycle bells jingle, it was over. I had to voraciously jingle every bike chime and make each duck I found quack with reckless abandon. For those desperate to know, yes, you can make ducks quack to the "Shave and a Haircut" jingle. No doubt 90% of everyone who plays the game will tr??y it.

Spirit hopping

As suggested, SCHiM does have a story to share. It's not as subtle as something like, say, Unpacking, where you connect the delicate threads via the enviro?nment and the objects you manipulate. The game begins with you paired with the young boy as you view his life in brief fragments. As a child, he plays without a care in the world. Time passes, and you ?watch him experience high school, heartache, college, and finally, early adulthood in his very own tiny cubicle in the corner of an office. Things quickly go sour for the young man and, at his lowest, he trips and gets separated from his googly-eyed spirit.

That is pretty much the crux of SCHiM: You've been separated from your human host, who is now meandering through the city oblivious to what was los??t. Your goal is to give chase, navigating your way from shadow to shadow across levels with various hazards. It feels like an environmental puzzler, as you can find yourself needing to cross a street or get over a bridge by only using shadows to progress.

Most times, waiting for a few seconds will solve the issue with a passing hum??an or animal. You can slip into the shadow of a cyclist or a car, which can speed you closer to your destination if you time it rig??ht. Shadows from cars can also grab you and carry you away if you're caught relaxing a bit too hard in the wrong spot.

But the game isn't tough with its challenges, which is the entire point. Its one-button approach to "solving" the navigational hazards makes moving your shadow frog from one end to another a rather cordial affair. At least, that's what I picked up from the demo. Based on the game's description on Steam, it doesn't sound like SCHiM will ultimately venture into the waters o??f frustration ??often, if at all.

Clean styles

It helps that the visuals are so crisp. Purposefully monotone, the game juxtaposes one color against a darker variant for texture, creating a look that's clean and pleasing to the eye. The calming greens of a neighborhood park give way to a busy street punctuated by rain and light-blue hues. It's all tied together with a soundtrack in which the tunes match the energy? of each stage.

I have little criticism to lobby against SCHiM. The controls are tight, and the visuals and music melt together to create a little puzzler that puts me right in that Zen state I was searching for. SCHiM will launch next month on July 18.

The post SCHiM is a chill navigation game where you play as a shadow-hopping spirit searching for its lost huma??n appeared first on Destructoid.

Team Ladybug has shown that it knows how to craft a solid Metroidvania with games like Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth and Touhou Luna Nights. The studio is almost ready to return to the exploratory genre with Blade Chimera, but a de??lay has moved? it out of its previously planned spring release window.

With spring off the table, we'll have to switch gears and look ahead to August 2024. There's also a demo on the way as part of June's Steam Next Fest event. For now, you can see more foo?tage in the new trailer from the WSS playground below. 

So far, Blade Chimera looks like it ticks all the right Metroidvania boxes. There seem to be varied areas to explore, littl??e weirdos to meet, and plenty of bizarre enemies that somehow manage to peacefully co-exist in the same hallways. You can also apparently control a dog, slice through little chimps, and battle colossal alligators. There's even an extremely Belmont-like swinging mechanic on display in the trailer.  

Blast from the past

There are also, naturally, lost skills for the Demon Hunter known as Shin to acquire. Just as genre legend Samus foretold, Shin will gradually reclaim these skills as he progresses. He'll also hopefully learn more about his own lost memories and discover?? the whereabouts of his missing wife while fighting alongside the Missa Association to take the world back from demons. 

Shin's amnesiac ways aren't just a convenient means of explaining his initial lack of abilities. He can also use his demon blade to pull other things in from the past, including platforms that pave the way to new areas. It's all delivered with the detailed sprite work we've come to expect from Team Ladybug, so if waiting a little longer is what it takes, that's more than fine. When Blade Chimera eventually launches �fingers crossed for August �it will be available on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. 

The post Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth dev’s new game Blade Chimera delayed to August appeared first on Destructoid.

The delightfully short and sweet series of Momodora Metroidvanias is coming to a head with Momodora: Moonlit Farewell. Publisher PLAYISM and developer Bombservice describe it as "the culmination" of the series, and it's officially set to drop via Steam on January 11, 2024. 

You can see a glimpse of the latest in the exploration-f?ocused series in the release date trai?ler: 

The original Momodora was released in 2010. Moonlit Farewell marks the fifth installment in Bombservice's series.

Moonlit Farewell maintains the detailed, meticulously animated aesthetic of previous entries with a Sigil system that helps customize each run. Sigils can be found while exploring, during events, or purchased at shops. Effects range from attack boosts to increased healing effects, weapon summ?ons, and beyond, and they can be turned off and on?? at any moment. Using an effective mix of attacks and Sigils sounds like it's going to be key to defeating the assortment of boss battles that await along the way. 

Bombservice promises improved visual effects in this one, with the aim of bringing the already established mystical world of the Momodora series to life.

The story of Moonlit Farewell is set five years after the events of 2014's Momodora III. This time around Koho village's High Priestess Momo has to set out to save the world from demons after a mysterious bell summoned them. Beyond the main Momodora storyline, there was also the 2016 prequel Momodora: ?Reverie Under the Moonlight and Minoria, a spiritual follow-up with si??milar thematic elements. 

With just a little over a mon?th to go before launch, we'll find out how the saga expands shortly. 

The post New Momodora trailer reveals the ‘culmination’ of beloved Metroidvania franchise appeared first on Destructoid.

Are you a bad enough crab to flip over another crab? You'll be able to find out all over again in Fight Crab 2, wh??ich PLAYISM and developer Calappa Games are preparing to bring to Early Access on Steam ?on February 13, 2024.

Brace y?our carapace for combat in the Early Access? trailer.

Fight like a crab in Fight Crab 2

If the novelty of the first game is still strong with you, or if this is your first crab rodeo, there are some new fea?tures to grab onto this time around. Chief among them is Career Mode, which has you raising your own crab and growing along with it as you get ready t??????????????????????????o throw it into battle.

Throughout the campaign, you can raise your crab's stats, get new skills and weapons, and climb up the ladder of ranked matches. Once you've had your fill of fi?ghting evil crabs or other crustacean warriors o?nline, you can pass all the obtained skills to another aspiring crab fighter. 

There's also a new control scheme that hews closer to a traditional third-person action game, which is just one addition aiming to make Fight Crab 2 easier to play. Another is the ability for crabs?? to learn skills that let them automatically perform certain actions.

All the claw-crackin' confrontations feature live commentary, too, just in case you're not shouting over the action enough already yourself. You can see more of Fight Crab 2 on Steam while we wa??it for the Early Access period to begin. 

The post Fight Crab 2 takes crustac??ean combat to Early Access in February appeared first on Destructoid.

Flipping from top-down strolling to side-scrolling, Journey Record is a new action RPG from developer Kochi Create. Publisher PLAYISM revealed plans to launch the perspective-switching game on Steam in 2024. You can see how Crystals change your perception of the world in the announcement trailer below. 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUd7NMn4rBA

In Journey Record, a young girl who lost her vision can see thanks to her cat companion and its Magic Eye Camera. Seeing through the camera's lens and using Crystals allows the girl to change the perspective of the world and uncover the secrets within it. In the vein of games like Fez, switching views is the key to solving puzzles ??and progressing.

As the trailer showcases, Journey Record isn't just about puzzles. Combat puts the action in action RPG, as our heroine uses her trusty broom to swat enemies into oblivion. It looks like there are some larger beasts to watch out for, too, including some kind of funky elephant and an imposing dragon. Like the rest of the game, switching the perspective can often give you the upper hand in these battles. 

[caption id="attachment_403465" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via PLAYISM[/caption]

PLAYISM after Journey Record

The reveal of Journey Record came along with a handful of publishing announcements from PLAYISM today. Petit Depotto's single-player werewolf game GNOSIA is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on December 14, 2023. Lizardry's adventure game Refind Self: The Personality Test Game is on the way to Steam, iOS, and Android this November. SHIZU KANO UMI's roguelite Invitation from the Detective Grim Reaper is also on the way, as is Touhou Luna Nights. Look for the Touhou effort from Team Ladybug (Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth) to hit PlayStation 4 and 5 on January 25, 2024. 

We'll have to wait for more on the official release date for Journey Record. In the meantime, PLAYISM will be holding a playtest survey at its Tokyo Game Show 2023 booth later this month. 

The post Perspective-switching ac??tion-RPG Journey Record anno?unced for 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Swing for the fences

Rusted Moss will finally swing onto PC very soon. Developers faxdoc, happyquared, sunnydaze, and publisher Playism have confirmed that Rusted Moss will land on PC via Steam on April 12.

This twin-stick, side-scrolling shooter has some definite Metroid vibes. With the same sort of grid-based map and world to explore, it feels a bit familiar. ??But its own unique quality lies in the grappling hook.

One of Rusted Moss' core featu??res is a grapple, letting the protagonist Fern hook and swing across the world. That, plus big guns, makes ?for a pretty fast and active side-scrolling shooter.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iteSJWwSaAg

It'?s a full-on twin-stick shooter too, so no limits on what?? direction you can point. Add in some big, chaotic boss fights, and this feels like a search-action game made for folks who want a little more adrenaline in their secret hunting.

The hook brings you back

I've played the demo for Rusted Moss a few times, at PAX and through events like Steam demo festivals. Heck, the demo for Rusted Moss has stayed live and is playable right now if you head over to the store page.

Each time, I've really enjoyed the mix of movement and shooting that feels like it's got shades of Titanfall or Spider-Man. It's punishing in a good way, though I definitely recommend tink?ering with the grapple options to fin??d the playstyle that suits you best.

With April looking a little light compared to the heavy-hitters of May and June, it might be a good time to check out a smaller title like Rusted Moss. The demo's there ei?ther way, and if it hooks you in, the full game hits on April 12.

The post Grapple-?swinging shooter Rusted Moss arrives on Steam in April appeared first on Destructoid.

Still kind of shines, just not that bright

Bright Memory: Infinite has been a game I’ve admired from afar since word of it first dropped a couple of years ago. The idea that a single person was developing an action shooter that looked like it could belong to a AAA developer was intriguing, if only for what it said about the future of indie development. Each new trailer contained a myriad of potential, and the purchasable prelude did enoug?h to paint a portrait o??f possibilities for the final product.

Unfortunately, most of the possibilities were never met. Bright Memory: Infinite sputtered out of the gate with middling reviews that focused on its limited scope, bugs, and an exceptionally short playtime. While I’d argue most would agree it was an impressive attempt, its final release still didn’t feel like a full game. Rather, it ca???me across like yet another prelude to something even bigger.

While there may be more on the horizon with Bright Memory from FYQD Studio, Infinite is sticking around with current-gen hardware ports. Priced at $20, the game is now available f?or PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. All three versions of the game come with ??the DLC that was sold separately for the PC version, as well as the following features:

• PlayStation 5 â€?4K60 w/ Raytracing, 120fps Performance Mode, DualSense Trigger Support
• Xbox Series X|S â€?4K60 w/ Raytracing (1440p60 for Series S), 120fps Performance Mode, Exclusive Weapon Skins
• Nintendo Switch â€?Anti-aliasing, Gyroscopic Gaming

Naturally, of the console options, I was most drawn to the Nintendo Switch port. Not for an?y of those exclusive features, mind you. I just wanted to see how a gam??e that pretty much sold itself on its outstanding visuals would fare on a console that clearly couldn’t handle them. Would the cuts made for a native Switch port be too much to ignore?

Sacrifices must be made

Bright Memory: Infinite is actually not that bad in the visuals department. You’re not getting the best version of the game on Switch �just look at the poorly rendered water effects �but the downgrade from the PC original isn't as rough as it might have been. ARK: Survival Evolved this is not. There are a lot of great text?ures and rain-slicked surfaces throughout the campaign, particle effects can dazzle, and character models lo??ok pretty good even if everybody has weird, film-like hair.

The main issue with the visuals is how easily your enemies blend into the background. FYQD Studio used the full palette of dark browns, grays, and blacks in creating this world, leading to something of a camouflage effect in certain areas of the game. This does make the vibrant greens and r??eds pop more than they would otherwise, but I'm not sure that's a worthy tradeoff for facing gunmen who seamlessly obscure themselves when standing in front of a big rock. For just about everything else, it's a pretty impressive feat even if this stunning game looks a generation old on the Switch hardware.

The frame rate is another story. Bright Memory: Infinite aims for 30fps on Switch and regularly drops below that. It’s particularly awful in the early sections when aiming a gun, which must be why I mostly stuck to using Shelia’s sword. The slowdowns aren’t game-breaking in any way, but they are frequent enough to be annoyed with. I also encountered ?various bugs in my playthroughs of the campaign, including disappearing enemies and bosses who would get trapped in the ground, but they were negligible. I mean, it's hard to be too upset with bugs when the game as a?? whole is rather unexceptional.

I dig what FYQD Studio did with the combat here as Shelia has an amazing arsenal of weapons and skills at her disposal. But it's all rather wasted in a game that emphasizes spectacle over substance. Outside of some misguided stealth moments and nonsensical cutscenes, Bright Memory: Infinite is basically non-stop action. A lot of that action, however, is limited to extended sections that feel like nothing more than simple shooting galleries. Even when new enemy types are thrown into the mix, the challenge in these parts stays pretty low. There are some dynamic fights that kick up the excitement a bit, but not nearly enough to make up for Infinite's duller sections.

I did take a moment to test out the gyroscopic controls on my second playthrough. For me, the option worked best when I limited it to just aiming with the sensitivity notched up a bit. Yo??u can use this feature outside of aiming, but I didn't really care for it. It was too sluggish, even with the sensitivity cranked to its maximum setting. Whether or not ??you opt in or opt out of the gyro control options, you should go into the settings menu at the start of the game to fix the camera controls as the initial setup is far too slow for a game that moves this fast.

At the end of the day, this is just a somewhat homelier version of the same Bright Memory: Infinite that was released last year. Which is to say, an ambitious if quickly forgettable experience. It's obviously worth cel?ebrating given this is the work of a one-man development team. But just because it's worth celebrating doesn't mean it's necessarily worth your $20.

_{[This impressions piece is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Bright Memory: Infinite works better on Switch than I tho??ught it would appeared first on Destructoid.

For a split second, I almost thought I was looking at a Dynasty Warriors demake

A handful of cool game reveals were shown off at the Playism Game Show this weekend, but one upcoming title in particular �a Japanese mythology action-roguelite game called Samurai Bringer �stood out to me. Alphawing's pixelate??d st?yle really drew my eye.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Hb-lvL1VM

To be honest, we've seen a ridiculous number of roguelite games on Steam to varying degrees of success, and have run off on plenty of demon-slashing adventures in recent years. I'm not here to deny it! That said, Samurai Bringer is looking pretty sweet from where I'm sitting. I dig the game's pulled-back camera and its flashy retr?o art direction.

The end goal is to become powerful enough as Susanoo to bring down Yamata-no-Orochi �so here we go again! Samura Bringer is about toppling troops and hordes to unlock Combat Scroll techniques and ultimate?ly improve your loadout, giving you better odds of surviving procedurally generated zones with mixed-up enemy types and placements.

"Over 100 legendary warriors from Japanese legend and history including Oda Nobunaga, Date Masamune, and Sanada Yukimura will be summoned to stand ?against you," according to the Steam store summary. "Defeating them will reward you ?with their weapons and armor imbued with various status boosting effects. Donning this armor will not only give you an advantage in battle, but also add a little style to your loadout too."

Of course, there are a million little things that can work to unravel an otherwise good roguelite game. We'll see how it plays later, but for now, just with first impressions, I like the premise of Samurai Bringer. Giv?e ??me all of that sick armor. The bigger the better.

While it's already got a page on Steam, Samurai Bringer is also coming to Nintendo Switch ??and PS4 in spring 2022. The PC-Swi?tch-PlayStation trifecta continues to do its thing.

Even if you skip Playism's trailer, pop by to see the "spinning sl??ash" ?gif.

The post Samurai Bringe??r is a demon-shredding roguelite action game with a cool retro style appeared first on Destructoid.

Nobody trusts anybody, and we're all very tired

Great news for Sci-fi and mystery fans, as Playism's stylistic "social deduction" release Gnosia is now available to purchase on PC, following on?? from its Nintendo Switch back in the spring of 2021.

Gnosia, developed by indie outfit Petit Depot, tasks the player with rooting out a dangerous imposter aboard a lonely space vessel. I know what you're thinking, but no, not like that. Gnosia has the player step into the role of one of a number ?of crew members, forced to face inward when a mysterious being �the titular Gnosia �infiltrates the team, manifesting as one of th?e isolated group.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC6GydWCXEM

The player must use investigation and interrogation to not only identify, but convince the others of, the Gnosias' current identities. The suspects are then placed into a "cold sleep" in a desperate effort to isolate the baddies. So you better be darn sure. Not only that, but you also need to ensure that you don't end up on the suspicion list yourself, lest you find yourself taking a frozen nap... Or much, much worse.

Meet a wide cast of extremely col?orful characters, enjoy some pretty wild art and music, put your finest deductive skills to the test, and, who knows, maybe you won't spend the rest of space winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!

Gnosia is available for PC via Steam now, priced at $24.99. You can check out our own CJ Andriessen's review of the Nintendo Switch edition right here.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_w6ip2dgc4

The post The fab Gnosia brings its deductive dilemma to PC appeared first on Destructoid.

The PlayStation and Xbox ports are here, but the Nintendo Switch version is coming in January

Almost nine months later, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is available on some �but not quite all �consoles, an??d I figured a PSA was in order. It's a neat ga?me!

If you missed the PC release of this Symphony of the Night-lookin' action-RPG, perhaps you'll be more into the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X/S ports. Those console versions are all a?vailable as of this week from Team Ladybug, priced at $24.99 a pop, while the Nintendo Switch edition is held up until January 28, 2022, due to a last-minute delay.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5IUiPqSOL8

Crucially, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a part of Xbox Game Pass, and that's actually how I've been playing �with cloud streaming in my browser, in fact. I played up through the first boss to get an impression, and while it's got a more straightforward structure (which could be a pro or con depending on how much exploration you want in your Castlevanias and/or metroidvanias), the pixel art is sweet and the wind, fire, and b??ow mechanics are pretty interesting. Wheth?er the short run time matches the price will be up to you.

I don't know the first thing about the source material �we've got Chris for that! �but Zoey said that was fine in her review of the PC version, and so far, I tend to agree.

If you're hoping for a physical release, one's coming. Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is gearing up for a physical version on PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch from Red Art Games. And as a status check of sorts, Playism says the Steam release has cle??ared 100K sales to?? date.

With such a late-in-the-year launch, I could easily see this going under the radar. Hopefully it connects with the hungry SotN crowd, even if it's not on that level.

The post Now that it’s on consoles, don’t forget about Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth appeared first on Destructoid.

The Xbox Series X|S version is 'coming soon'

The storm is on its way to PC soon, as Bright Memory Infinite has locked in a release date for PC. The fast-paced FPS will?? arrive on Nov. 12 for PC via Steam and GOG.

Bright Memory Infinite is a follow-up to its prequel Bright Memory, which throws ??protagonist Shelia into combat against both futuristic soldiers and mythological beings. To fight them, she can make use of guns, blades, gad??gets, and movement options.

Really, this trailer needs to be seen to be believed. At multiple points I thought I had hit the theoretical action-climax of it, only to see Bright Memory Infinite top itself again. It's a really fun watch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K5mMGR5CDo

Bright Memory Infinite is from the one-man game studio FYQD Studio, which is pretty impressive given how nice th?is game looks. It's only set a date for PC at the moment, though it will be coming to Xbox Seri??es X|S at some point in the future too.

Owners of Bright Memory on Steam or GOG will also be able to get a free copy of Bright Memory Infinite, ?as long as ?they picked up the former before Nov. 11.

I'm digging this high-octane FPS. It's giving me shades of Titanfall and Ghostrunner, and maybe even Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. I'm just saying, over-the-top action? Fast movement? Sick future tech and swords? That sounds like some Metal Gear Rising to me, and I'm down for that.

We'll see how Bright Memory Infinite turns out when it launches for PC via Steam and GOG on Nov. 12, 2021.

The post Bright Memory Infinite will laun?ch i??n November for PC appeared first on Destructoid.

Deadly pre-meow-nition

It's honestly difficult to think about where to start with The Good Life. It is the latest from White Owls and Hidetaka Suehiro, a.k.a. Swery. From its outset, you are Naomi Hayward, a photojournalist who's accrued inhuman amounts of debt. And so you've been sent to Rainy Woods, a quiet English town dubbed the happiest place on Earth, to uncover their secr??ets using your detective?? skills and trusty camera.

Then the moon illuminates the night sky, and the townspeople turn into dogs and cats. And soon, so can you. The Good Life is certainly a photography game mixed into a little slice-of-life sim, but it's also g?ot elements of investigation, resource management, and puzzle solving.

The Good Life does a lot, but I don't really think it does any of it well enough to carry it through. It's a world held aloft by its quirkiness and charm, but the way it barely fits together and often grinds its own gears into itself can wear its cheerful? veneer thin?.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ypIZB9ZRg

The Good Life (Nintendo Switch, PC [reviewed], PS4, Xbox One)
Developer: White Owls Inc.
Publisher: Playism
Released: Oct. 15, 2021
MSRP: $29.99

Not long after Naomi? arrives in town, eager to uncover the secrets of Rainy Woods and learning to transform into both a dog and cat herself, she stumbles upon even more intrigue. A well-liked local is murdered, and Naomi has only a few clues to go on as she ventures out to both discover more secrets a?nd find the killer.

This might sound like an appealing scenario for fans of Swery's Deadly Premonition, and it definitely has tinges of that, in both the small-town setting and penchant for the supernatural. But The Good Life doesn't just?? lean into the uncanny and odd, it leaps for it.

Over the course of about 10 to 12 hours to see the main narrative through, parts of the story can feel like they're whisking yo??u between ever-increasing fantastical activities. The surprise of finding out just how far these go is one of the highlights, and so I'll avoid spoiling them; but I will say, there were multiple times where I thought a story had reached its peak absurdity, and it escalated even further.

But between its peaks of bizarre surprise, there is also a lot of just walking around. The Good Life might hit the gas when it calls for it, but on the whole, it's a game where you are moving from place to place as often as you're doing things in those places. And movement always ??costs you.

The Good Life has a constant running clock, on a running calendar complete with moon cycles and important events on certain days of the week. Characters will be in places and??, importantly, only be a?vailable for some tasks at certain times of the day.

You do have health, but that's honestly the meter I paid the least amount of attention to. Instead, I was usually watching my stamina, as I ran in short sprints through the English countryside; or hunger, slowly creeping down throughout the day; or my wellness, separate f?rom my health, which could lead to a cold or a headache if left unattended. Medical bills are??n't cheap either. And at some point, I'll need to sleep too, or risk passing out from exhaustion.

The world is fairly large, with the quiet?? town of Rainy Woods in the center?? of a countryside that also contains lakes, quarries, ruins, farms, and even a mountain range. It's also fairly spread out, and until you get a faster means of travel part-ways into the main quest line, you're hoofing it (or pawing it, in animal mode).

Gen?erally, I liked how easygoing this still felt. I would fill my quest log with little activities and tick them off as I went about my day. On my way to see one character to advance a main plot point, I could also stop off to eat some food, catch up with the quirky and endearing folks living in Rainy Woods, and take a few snapshots to boost up my social media account. Of course, it al?l could all fall apart thanks to a little cold or a shortage of cash, and then you're sent into a spiral trying to scrape together what you need to be healthy again and resume a quiet, easygoing rural life.

The most steady income in The Good Life comes from Flamingo, a ??social media app where you upload photos you take in the world and get paid for likes, or "Emokes." The photography works, and I like that there are also options for picking up additional lenses in a wide-angle and telephoto lens. There isn't much more customization beyond that, and it was really more point-and-click than something with involved post-processing or finicky camera controls, but it fits?? the vibe.

It's more that the photography felt underutilized, and much like other aspects of The Good Life, starts to feel like an afterthought. The Good Life introduces a lot of ideas and then moves them aside for other ideas. At the start of the game, it seems like a mystery game where getting to know the locals and snap good shots will be key. Instead, I sp??ent a lot of time riding sheep and tracking smells as ??a dog.

Most of the photo targets focus on either searching for an object or setting in the world, or in some cases, waiting for a person to do something so you can snap a picture of it. And getti??ng more Emokes in general entails adhering to certain "buzzwords" that refresh twice a week. They encourage paying attention to the environment, but also feel like they could be a bit more involved. There are a lot of side quests that I could only make a fair dent in, so there might be more there as each citiz?en's quest line goes deeper, but I soon saw side quests as a means to earn cash rather than something I was eager to engage with.

There were also some weird cases of certain side quests not tracking what I had done unless I had them active, while others did. In general, I didn't encounter anything else majorly buggy, but the performance of The Good Life on different platforms is something to make note of. I played through the game on PC, but I did spend a few hours with the Switch version, and the difference is really noticeable. It chugs and forgoes some of the graphical features that smooth out The Good Life's graphics in the PC version, making it look and play rougher. The Good Life isn't a visual powerhouse either, but it has a certain cha??rm to its look, and that charm comes across better when it isn't stuttering.

By story's end, it felt like The Good Life had lost the threads of its story, as it tried to wrap up a lot of story beats while also bringing things to a clos??e and showing how Naomi, a jaded photojournalist apathetic towards anything not involving money, can start to care about more than just her debt.

And even though I liked some of the quirky characters in Rainy Woods, and enjoyed how over-the-top its story beats went, and found an endearing charm to managing its many meters and side activities to become both a successful detective and titanic influencer, The Good Life feels like it spreads itself too th??in? to make its breadth feel impactful.

It's cool I can mine for ore, then turn it into chunks and use those to fund a home renovation, but the individual steps of that feel too similar to taking a special picture for a townsperson or gathering mushrooms for a new dish. Their simplicity makes tasks feel too repetitive after enough time doing them. There are a lot of things to do in The Good Life, but the reward is often just getting to do more of it. And in between doing those tasks, there's lots and lots of trav?el, unless you want to spend some cash to fast travel between the animal shrines you unlock aro??und the map.

There are certainly folks this will appeal to, especially if they like the feeling of checking tasks off lists in a virtual world. But even then, there are other games that do this better. Between all of the hobbies and sidequests Naomi can pick up, there's a lot to do but not quite enough to set it apart. The quirkiness of its world and characters is the one aspect that really makes The Good Life feel its own, and it has to?? carry a lot on its shoulders. Even exciting aspects, like turning into a dog or cat, feel mundane after a while.

The Good Life does many things, but they never felt like they coalesced together into an experience that could stick with me. I certainly enjoyed parts of it, and some of its stranger moments really do land as big, enjoyable peaks. But there's a lo??t of valley in-between, and wh??ile I arrived in Rainy Woods eager for a pleasant countryside escape, I didn't feel like making a return trip after the credits had rolled.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: The Good Life appeared first on Destructoid.

It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then

I can’t claim to be intimately familiar with Record of Lodoss War, but then, it’s a little scarce in the West. It started out as a “replay�of a group’s Dungeons and Dragons campaign, then spun out in about a million directions. We previously only got o?ne of the games on the Dreamcast, and, frankly, I’m not sure how this o??ne happened. A lot of the media remained in Japan.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is an absolute mouthful of a game that Playism has bestowed upon us. What’s immediately fetching about it is its outward similarities to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Just look at it and tell me you don’t see it. The title character, Deedlit, has practically the same walking animation as Alucard. But mockery is the sincerest form of flattery! No, wait�/p>

Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth- (PC)
Developer: Why So Serious?, Team Ladybug
Publisher: Why So Serious?, Playism
Release: March 27th, 2021
MSRP: $19.99

If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering if you need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. Thankfully, no. The characters in the title largely consist of the cast of the franchise, so it might be interesting to recognize their faces, but there isn’t a whole lot of dialogue or exposition. Furthermore, it’s pretty obvious from early on that thi??s is some sort of dream or hallucination that Deedlit is going through, so the plot is mostly isolated from the series at large.

What plot there is can be understood without knowing the characters or their relationships. Deedlit loves Parn; that’s all you need to ?know and you’re told that within the context of the game.

Really, there’s probably more here for fans of the explore-’em-up Castlevania titles. Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth feels a bit more linear than, say, Symphony of the Night, but it still subscribes to the interconnected world and light RPG mecha??nics. For equipment, you’re limited to bows and swords, but searching f??or secret areas also reveals new spells and power-ups. There aren’t any major optional areas to explore or deep secrets to be found beyond breaking a few walls. This might be a little confining for some, but I feel it fits the scope of the game.

There’s a bit more of a mechanical feel to the entire game. The world is split up into six levels and the goal of each one is essentially to find the switch that opens each area’s locked doors an??d beat whatever bosses haunt its hallways. You could say that this fits with the game's theme of being an illusory labyrinth, but from a gameplay perspective, it’s a bit predictable.

My biggest grievance is with the labyrinth itself. It never really deviates visually from being a, well, labyrinth. This area’s forestry, that one looks like a castle, this one has tech lines, that one is sandy. Dracula’s cast??le may have always had an incohesive appearance to it, but it seems like that was so the developers could play with visual diversity, and that just lacks here. It’s a good-looking game, to be sure, with excellent pixel art and animation, but it can be quite mo??notonous.

Which means it’s probably a good thing that it’s als??o a rather short game; maybe just north of five hours. Again, it fits the game’s scope. Any? longer than that and things would start feeling redundant, but it seems to know well how far to extend itself.

It helps the game’s pacin??g, as you are never far from a save point, a new item, or even a boss. There isn’t much time wasted climbing “stairways�an?d dashing through corridors. The bestiary is mercifully limited, so you don’t have to learn new weaknesses every time the screen flips.

That’s one novel idea that the game has in its quiver: every enemy has its own strengths and weaknesses that are visible once you deliver the first hit. You can regularly swap between fire and wind attacks, but ?there’s a slew of different elements available if you take the time to search out the game’s many spells. It’s not the deepest system, since you’re not doin?g much beyond selecting whatever spell the game tells you will be effective, but it does give you incentive to not just spam one single attack.

Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth hits all the right notes: big bosses, harrowing platforming, and cool weapons. The music is fun, energetic, and varied between the six areas. The story, while not particularly deep or unique, progresses at a good clip and resolves in an extremely satisfying way. It’s also a bit on the easy side, but really, I never found any of the explore-’em-up Castlevanias to be difficult in the slightest, so it at least st??icks close t??o its inspiration.

Simply put, it’s a title that knows what it is and seems to hit all its targets with deadly precision. This results in a game that isn’t exactly transcendental, but is as solid as bedrock. Even if you’re not a fan of the Record of Lodoss War source material, it is worth a look. At the very least, it took me back to my days of binging on Castlevania’s Game Boy and DS titles, which I mean?? as a compliment. It m??ay not be the freshest meal in the cafeteria, but it’s still a tasty dish at the right price.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer.]}

The post Review: Rec?ord of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wond??er Labyrinth- appeared first on Destructoid.

A Cat's Tale

As the gray hairs have slowly replaced the brown ones on my temples, I've become quite fond of shorter games. I don't mind diving into s?omething meaty that takes me two weeks or more to complete, but with the color of my hair reminding me of how little sand I have left in the hourglass, I'm gravitating more and more toward bite-sized adventures.

But just because a game is short doesn't mean it can't be memorable. In fact, some of my favorite titles of the past few generations have been those I can complete in 10 hours or less. And while Giraffe and Annika doesn't quite measure up to those short adventu?r??es that came before it, its endless charm has me appreciating the experience anyway, warts and all.

Giraffe and Annika (PC, PS4, Switch [reviewed])
Developer: atelier mimina
Publisher: NIS America
Released: August 25, 2020 (PS4, Switch), February 17, 2020 (PC)
MSRP: $19.99

Giraffe and Annika can best be described as a playable fairy tale. Its characters, situations, morals, and enchanted world evoke the more kind-hearted aspects of those old Grimm and Andersen yarns. The story is set on Spica Island, where the cat-eared Annika awakens with a fuzzy memory about this place. It's familiar to her, but not in a way she clearly understands. After breaking into a local house a??nd stealing a bag, she meets the floppy-eared Giraffe, who tasks her with exploring three dungeons to retrieve the star fragments from within.

From its opening moments, it's clear Giraffe and Annika was made with more casual players in mind. It's an action-adventure game sans the action. Annika has no attack or combat buttons. In fact, at the start of the game, she can't even jump, though she eventually learns how to do that -- as well as swim and run -- with each completed dungeon. These dungeons are a hotbed for ghosts and Annika can make it through unscathed if she notes the route they take while patrolling their s??ection. Or you can do what I did and just run through each dungeon not caring about damage because health restoration points are plentiful throughout the game.

This isn't a title that's going to challenge you. Rather, it's a fanciful adventure across an adorable island with friendly inhabitants who each need a little assistance. Some need you to collect shells for them, others need you to restore forgotten monu?ments across the island. In turn, they'll help you out, such as sewing a new dress for ??you or being your gunner in the few mine cart portions of the quest. It's a rather pleasant experience and the charm of it all was enough to put a smile on my face for most of the five-and-a-half-hour run time.

The only time I wasn't smiling here was when the lax controls butted heads with the light 3D platforming sections. Annika moves as if her feet are butter sliding across a?? hot skillet. For a majority of the game, this slippery movement doesn't matter much as no tasks here require much skill to pull off. However, when the game did decide to challenge me with retrieving it?s more difficult-to-find "meowsterpieces" -- collectible art hidden across the island -- that uneasy movement became my prime source of contention.

Thankfully, that's a very s?mall piece of this otherwise uplifting package. For the rest of Annika's quest, I admired how the developers slowly revealed more of the island to me and lightly rewarded my fondness for exploring on my own. The best times I had on Spica Island were the moments I just happened into certain areas far earlier than the game expected me to, setting up a tease for what was to come later.

The small, open-world design is perfectl??y suited for an adventure like this, constantly beckoning me back to areas I'd previously exp??lored once I had a new item in hand. As much as I enjoyed this on Spica Island itself, I wasn't too keen on going back into the dungeons. In fact, they're not that engrossing the first time through. Their designs lack a unique imagination and the length of time it takes to complete each of them varies greatly from two that you can finish in a matter of minutes to one that feels like it goes on forever. There is also time mechanic where certain events happen at specific hours, forcing me to find a bed to sleep until morning or night and then wait it out until it was ready to go. It's not the most taxing wait, but it certainly karate chops the rhythm of the experience.

Keeping a proper rhythm is the key to boss battles found in Giraffe and Annika. At the end of each dungeon, the witch Lily will challenge you to a rhythm game. She sends little cosmic bulbs at A??nnika who needs to hit them in time with the music using her magically manifested staff. These are not terribly complicated battles as they only require one button and the joystick to play. You're even able to choose the difficulty level before every encounter. Successfully hitting the bulbs in time to the music will deplete some of Lily's energy, but you don't need to wipe her energy meter completely clean to defeat her or her cohorts. You just need to survive a few sections of the song without ?missing too many beats and losing all your energy.

Like the rest of the experiences found on Spica Island, these rhythm battles can best be described as quaint. And while that term may not be the one publishers race to add to an accolades trailer, I hope the developers see it as the compliment I intend it to be. Because this is not the most engrossing game I'll play in 2020 or one I'll even remember six months from now. But the congenial nature of Giraffe and Annika was enough to be a welcoming, b?rief respite from an otherwise weary worl??d.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Giraffe and Annika appeared first on Destructoid.

Time for Switch insurance

Publisher Active Gaming Media has announced that La-Mulana 2 will be hitting Japanese co??nsoles (PS4, Xbox One, and Switch) on June 27, 2019. The digital release will cost 2,980 yen, while a physical release for PS4 and Switch will run you 3,980 yen. First-print editions of the physical version will include a soundtrack CD and custom notebook to jot down your insane ramblings. The game is still planned for a Western release, though the date is unknown.

While I was unable to finish the game before my review went live, I did manage to complete it before 2018 came to a close. My thoughts didn't change much from what I wrote: La-Mulana 2 is absolutely perfect for fans of the original and a total turn-off for anyone not willing to deal with cryptic nonsense. It's simultaneously a 1/10 and 10/10 depending on how you enjoy video?? games. Maybe that's a cop-out, but I really enjoye??d the game. I just can't imagine playing it on Switch and tossing my console across the room. That would suck worse than any death the game throws at you.

The post La-Mulana 2 hits Japanese consoles this June appeared first on Destructoid.

Angels of Discounts

Whenever a popular game gets adapted into an anime series, the presumption is that the anime is intended for folks who can't be bothered to play the game. That's been less the case in recent years with adaptations that cater directly to existing game fans (like the Persona 4 Golden anime), or adaptations that act as supplemental material, with things to offer to fans new and old (like Persona 5 or the Ace Attorney series).

Looks like Playism and Crunchyroll are banking on the latter approach with the debut of Angels of Death's anime adaptation on none other than Steam, where the original Angels of Death game has been available since 2016. Both game and anime are available in a low-priced bundle to customers in some regions ?;(if you click the link and see the product page, you're in the right region), and the sale lasts until December 4. 

For the uninitiated, Angels of Death is a horror adventure originally created by lone creator Makoto Sanada in RPG Maker. The freeware title grew in popularity and turned into a franchise, with manga and the aforementioned anime adaptation. It's about Rachel "Ray" Gardner, an amnesiac girl who wakes up in a weird building crawling with serial killers. There she meets a bandaged man with a scythe named Jack, and the two strike a partnership, with Rache?l helping Jack escape the facility?, and Jack offering to kill her in exchange.

I'll rea??dily admit I haven't seen the show ??or played the game, but if the bundle were available in my region I might be persuaded to check it out.

The post Angels of Death’s game/anime bundle debuts on Steam with a huge sale appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a console-ation, but you'll find little consolation

Everything about La-Mulana and its sequel is cryptic. This unintuitive, tough-as-hell, completely unforgiving action ad?venture series is renowned for the way it terrorizes players with death after death. That cryptic nature apparently applies to announcements too.

La-Mulana 2 will receive an Xbox One version. This news doesn't come from a press release, or some sort of official reveal from developer Nigoro or publishers/localizers Active Gaming Media and Playism. No, it's simply a bullet-point among a list of games that Xbox will be showing?? at PAX West at th?e end of August.

According to Xbox, this is the first reveal of these games coming to Xbox One and it's all through the ID@Xbox program. The full list of titles is: Bot Rods, La-Mulana 2, Museum of Simulation Technology, Orphan, Revenant Dogma, Super Retro Maker, Thunder Rally, and Where the Bees Make Honey.

Console versions of La-Mulana 2 were originally a Kickstarter stretch goal back in 2014, but the crowdfunding campaign didn't raise enough money for those to happen. It seems as if Nigoro is going ahead with it anyway -- at lea?st for one console.

We've reached out to representatives for La-Mulana 2 to ask if there?? are any more platforms planned and when the Xbox port is scheduled to launch. We'll update this po??st if/when we hear back.

Register Now fo?r the Fi?fth Annual ID@Xbox Pre-PAX Open House [Xbox Wire]

The post La-Mulana 2 is coming to Xbox One to terrorize and frustrate consol??e players appeared first on Destructoid.

Like the original, just much more young and hip

When we received a code to review La-Mulana 2, I was simultaneously excited and frightened. I greatly enjoyed the first game, but La-Mulana isn’t what I’d call intuitive. The original basically simulates what it would be like to land in an Indiana Jones situation and have to figure your way out of ancient ruins with cryptic clues. Calling it an adventure would be putting it lightly, as completing? it feels more li?ke an exodus.

So while I was clamoring to try out Nigoro and Playism’s latest mind-bender, I also had this fear that I wouldn’t be able to finish it before the embargo. For a lot of people, conquering the original La-Mulana without a walkthrough can take upwards of 50 hours depending on how keen your situational awareness is. Was I astute enough to surpass the trials of Eg-Lana and reunite L??umisa with her father?

As you may have already guessed from the title, I haven’t yet reached the conclusion of La-Mulana 2. That being said, if you’re wondering if you should grab La-Mulana 2, the answer is an easy yes depen??ding on your t?olerance for old-school game design.

La-Mulana 2 (PC)
Developer: Nigoro
Publisher: AGM Playism
Released: July 30, 2018
MSRP: $24.99

For those unfamiliar with the original La-Mulana, one could easily describe it as an ultra-difficult version of Metroid. It shares a lot of similarities with Nintendo’s beloved franchise, but shifts the theme from futuristic sci-fi into modern-day spelunking. You play as Lemeza, a guy clearly cosplaying as Indiana Jones, as he delves into the ruins of ??the titular La-Mulana to uncover the secrets that were buried within.

La-Mulana 2 does little to change the foundation of what its predecessor set before. To the untrained eye, this might come off as a gender swap?? mod since the art style is strikingly similar to the original. Before taking a look back at the original, even I was a little shocked at how closely? the game resembles its forefather.

The story this time is that you’re playing the role of Lumisa, Lemeza’s possible daughter, as she explores the ruins of Eg-Lan?a after receiving a letter from Xelpud, the leader of the ??tourist spot now situated on the ruins of La-Mulana. Xelpud had originally summoned Lemeza, but you’ve shown up in his place and are good enough for him. Some monsters have appeared where Xelpud is trying to build and he wants you to figure out why so he can get back to making money.

As you start your cave-diving adventure, you quickly learn that there is a sister site to La-Mulana, a place known as Eg-Lana. This is where the source of evil is coming from. Following in the footsteps of her father, Lumisa is eager to jump in headfirst without stopping to ask why. It? won’t be long before you’re facing down giant bosses, collecting all sorts of tools and smashing your head against a wall as you hit a seemingly impossible puzzle.

While there were some concerns among fans that La-Mulana 2 was going to be dumbed down a bit, I can safely assure you that Nigoro has done no such thing. While the opening couple of hours are a little more straightforward than the original, yo??u’ll eventually hit a point where it looks like you’re at a dead end. For me, this happened after around seven hours of playing, which is a remarkable improvement over the first game.

La-Mulana 2 requires you to have a keen sense of awaren??ess as you traverse the many different areas of Eg-Lana. Clues will be hidden in plain sight and often through cryptic messages that you’ll need to refer to later. In a nice touch, Lumisa can actually record specific messages into her handy smartphone-like device, the Mobile Super X3, and pull them up at will. This will at least prevent you from needing to backtrack to a one-off room just to remember a riddle that seemed pointless hours earlier.

Still, you’re going to reach a point where you’ll think you’ve turned over every stone and you’ll end up walking through every area multiple times with nothing to go on. It is exactly what I feared when I took on the review and it kind of got me into a funk. With a few helpful hints from?? Playism’s PR rep, I was able to get back on track for a few more hours until I eventually hit another dead end. Ah, the joys of old-school gaming.

I could have kept that going, but one of the coolest aspects of the original La-Mulana was how eager the community was to dig up its treasures. After roughly five years of existence, the guides for the original are so detailed and well written that new players are likely to never get lost, but that aspect of sharing informat??ion and lending a helping hand is reminiscent of my youth as a dumb kid. I didn’t always know how to progress in games, be it from poorly translated text or because of obtuse game design, but getting a different viewpoint on the schoolyard would typically lead to me having a eureka moment and running home with renewed fervor.

So I thanked Playism for even helping me a little and told them I would be waiting to render a full review. La-Mulana 2 is a game made for fans and one that hardcore players will likely get a real kick out of exploring to its fullest. Nothing ?I say is going to stop them from lapping it up, so why not contribute my current knowledge and nudge people on the right path?

At l?east I can talk about some of the more subtle changes to gameplay that are likely to make fans happy. For one, Lumisa controls a bit better in the air. She still has the frustrating ??tendency to fall in a straight line should you walk off a ledge, but Lumisa can almost turn around immediately after jumping and it even gets factored into some of the platforming challenges. Within minutes from starting, I was doing backward jumps and accessing areas that would have taken several upgrades to reach in the original.

The inventory is virtually id?entical to the first game with a lot of similar items making a return. The whip still has a long animation that can see you take damage if you aren’t careful and your secondary items can be swapped with the L and R buttons on your controller at will. Using those isn’t required, but will certainly make enemy encounters a lot more manageable.

The boss fights are quite numerous and while I’ve only taken out two guardians (basically the “main” bosses of La-Mulana 2), I’ve encountered possibly 10 mini-bosses that have seen me invent some new curse words. In my efforts to not give up until the latest possible m??oment, I’ve actually defeated every boss I’ve met up to this point.

One of the best aspects of La-Mulana 2 is how open-ended the structure is. I’m not exactly sure if this was the same for the original (I definitely used a guide to finish that), but the order in which you find upgrades in La-Mulana 2 is non-linear. While you’ll naturally gravitate towards certain items, you can basicall??y travel to the different areas in a random order and still make quite a bit of progress.

This came to a head when I encountered Mulbruk and had her explore the “Annwfn” region. She then got stuck in there and I had to figure out a completely different route to reach her (which is what led to me asking Playism PR for help). If I had sent her to the “Immortal Battlefield,” she would have relayed information to me about another region and I could have gone ??there, first. Instead, I then set off to rescue her and ended up in the complete opposite direction.

For me, the only real issue I’ve been having is just that the clues are still overly obtuse. I know this is a huge point for fans that makes La-Mulana what it is, but I would love to just have a bit more guidance in-game. At points, characters will chime in with what they think is a hint only for you to realize you’re missi?ng an item that you never even knew existed. When you eventually get around to finding that item, you’re now in some other spot where you’ve forgotten the room they originally told you about to use that item.

Fast travel still exists like in the original, but the points often require you to backtrack through a bunch of tough platforming sections that can be littered with sudden traps or instant death. To say it gets annoying is an understatement. At least teleporting around to the various areas triggers a quicksave, but it?? still sucks to get a plan in your head and have it immediately crus?hed when you plummet into a pit of lava and perish.

Even with that frustration, though, I still want to play La-Mulana 2. I think the dread of trying to race through it for review triggered the worse parts of my brain, but I really do want to conquer the challenges that Nigoro has concocted. The refreshing lack of guidance is a real joy for me since it reminds me so much of the games that I cut my teeth on. That and the music is just fucking incredible, which makes me want to sit around and simply listen? when I get utterly? lost.

It may be a while before I ever reach that finale, but La-Mulana 2 is every bit as engaging and well-crafted as its pre?decessor. In a lot of ways, I prefer it over the original for the added level of polish it has. I think by the time I do conclude Lumisa’s journey, I may have my personal favorite metroidvania game to return to.

_{[This revi??ew in progress is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review in Progress: La-Mulana 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Mulbruk is best waifu

It has been a couple of months since we last heard anything about La-Mulana 2. The kickstarted sequel to the original cult hit was given the vague release date of "this summer." Now, out of the blue, developer Nigoro has posted a Steam community forum titled, "La-Mulana 2 Coming Soon." Holy cow!

Going for $24.99 and coming to Humble, Steam, GOG and Playism's website, La-Mulana 2 is ??probably right around the corner. To hype people up, Playism will be hosting a live stream event on July 29. Maybe they'll be showing off a final ?build of the game or possibly springing the release on us. Whatever happens, though, I love when games randomly release out of the blue.

La-Mulana 2 Coming Soon, Special Event Planned! [Steam Community]

The post La-Mulana 2 is coming very soon appeared first on Destructoid.

Legends of the hidden temple

Nigoro's ruins-exploring adventure La-Mulana 2 is gearing up for a summer release on PC and Mac.

It's been, what, a few years since we last covered the game? I had forgotten it was on the way! Nigoro and Playism ran a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2014, and my attention span can only stretch so far. Knowing that La-Mulana 2 has been? chugging along this whole time and it's not far off puts a smile on my face, though. (A smile that'll be wiped off not five minutes into the sequel, I'm sure.)

"Have most of the users already lost their interest during all these years? No! It's the opposite! These days we have seen many indie ga?mes being released after years of development and they all succeeded. If the game is good, people will follow, that's all. More than worrying, I'm just happy that finally we can announce this game's actual 'release!' Keep your eye on our every move from now!"

I like La-Mulana 2 director T?akumi Naramura's enthusiasm. The original game slowly but surely bu?ilt up a following of dedicated fans over the years and I'm hopeful good things are also in store for the sequel.

La-Mulana 2 Steam Page Released! [Steam]

The post La-Mulana 2 i??s ready to break our spi?rit this summer appeared first on Destructoid.