This is a very hard indie game. The core mechanics are similar to Metroid or recent Castlevania games - you explore huge ruins with various types of (boss-) enemies and puzzles in them. The controls are good and responsive, if you come from pure jump and run games then the jumping mechanics will require getting used to however as you cannot change the direction in midair. Also the attacksThis is a very hard indie game. The core mechanics are similar to Metroid or recent Castlevania games - you explore huge ruins with various types of (boss-) enemies and puzzles in them. The controls are good and responsive, if you come from pure jump and run games then the jumping mechanics will require getting used to however as you cannot change the direction in midair. Also the attacks with the main weapons all require some time to execute (the whip moves behind the head first before lashing forward, etc.). This makes a few portions of the game very hard and the bosses even harder, it's not really a problem though as it is usually your own fault for getting hit. Running around, exploring the map and killing enemies is fun.
The reason for this low rating is the rest. The game is littered with bad design decisions. They were all done this way on purpose (as the game is a remake of a game that was created to be as close to a classic MSX game as possible), but that doesn't mean that they aren't bad. There are a lot of tablets all around the ruins that can (and HAVE TO) be read to figure out the huge amount of puzzles in this game. The problem is that they are just a bit too cryptic at times or the tablet with the required hint is on the exact opposite part of the ruins, requiring you to waste countless hours running randomly through the ruins in search for clues (if they're not too cryptic). Then there are random walls that are destructible but without any indication.
To give a few examples: One key item requires you to destroy such a wall. Nothing (not even a single tablet or any dialogue) hints you where it is - you just have to try to hit all walls and hope that there's an effect. Another path is blocked off with a destructible wall, but you don't know it from the way the room is designed. Also there is an "eye of divine retribution" in the room, an object that will zap you if you hit certain things in the room (except for that breakable wall) - nobody in their right mind would think about randomly hitting things in this room.
There is a LOT of **** like this in the game. The only way to not be completely lost is to follow the advice given in the tutorial video (which is inside the installed game's directory): Write down EVERYTHING! Every single tablet inscription, every single thing that you couldn't figure out at the moment, the symbols for the areas, symbols that appear somewhere else - the list goes on and on.
Or just watch a Longplay of it.
I bought it for 10 bucks, but unless you're really masochistic and ready for unfair puzzles you shouldn't pay that much. Wait until it gets cheaper or don't buy it at all.… Expand
La-Mulana (Remake)Your Score0 out of 10User Score
