La-Mulana (Remake)

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 75
  3. Negative: 16 out of 75

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Envirobear2000
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    An amazing game. People who think this has bad controls are crazy. It just has a characteristic jump, is all. The unique jump is used for puzzles and is very easy once you get used to it. Just like Castlevania's and Super Metroid's (and Ghosts 'n' Goblins') slightly awkward jump, it really does not diminish from gameplay - it just makes it different.

    Everything about this game is    An amazing game. People who think this has bad controls are crazy. It just has a characteristic jump, is all. The unique jump is used for puzzles and is very easy once you get used to it. Just like Castlevania's and Super Metroid's (and Ghosts 'n' Goblins') slightly awkward jump, it really does not diminish from gameplay - it just makes it different.

    Everything about this game is amazingly designed. Great controls, great music, great graphics, and most of all, the puzzles. This game has an amazing sense of explorations, paralleled by none (except maybe Super Metroid) and it has a very unique style of environmental puzzle solving.

    I really don't want to waffle on too much at the moment, but suffice to say I think this is probably one of the pinnacles of game design as it currently exists. Must play. Requires a bit of patience, sure, but truly a must play.    … Expand
  2. UsuallyDead
    Aug 19, 2012
    10
    The game is hard, obtuse, yet immensely satisfying when you finally beat it. Absolutely not for everyone, but it is exactly what it was designed to be.
  3. violentine
    Apr 19, 2013
    8
    La-Mulana is indeed a very hardcore platformer. Puzzles are hard and some of them might never open up for you without the help of walkthroughs and youtube videos. But that's ok, because La-Mulana wants to be cruel. The game begins in a village where you get a laptop to receive tips from an old man. That's where the "handholding" ends. You may go towards which ever direction you desire andLa-Mulana is indeed a very hardcore platformer. Puzzles are hard and some of them might never open up for you without the help of walkthroughs and youtube videos. But that's ok, because La-Mulana wants to be cruel. The game begins in a village where you get a laptop to receive tips from an old man. That's where the "handholding" ends. You may go towards which ever direction you desire and die there. Because you will die like in roguelike games again and again. There are traps, different enemies, poisonous water, certain room conditions that refrain you from using your whip for example. These add to the old Megaman factor that if you take a hit you will be sent flying backwards and may fall off a cliff getting yourself into even more trouble. The controls feel a bit stiff in the beginning but you will get used to them pretty quickly and understand it when the level layout presents you why jumping works as it does. If you enjoy platformer games like Mario and other easy going and simple games you should avoid this. La-Mulana is more like a Super Meatboy with bosses, equipment, very hard puzzles and riddles, and you have to save often to avoid losing all your progress in case of dying. It's also worth to note that I think it could be completely ok for not-so-hc players to enjoy this masochistic adventure by using the fore-mentioned walkthroughs and play it just for the brilliant sights, music and story. I give this game an 8 because it's probably just too much for the faint-of-heart. You're warned.… Expand
  4. Omega_
    Apr 22, 2015
    8
    La-Mulana is an excellent throwback to the MSX games from the mid 1980's. Though the controls may get hard to get used too, the game has a learning curve and physics from the first three Castlevania games made by Konami. The La-Mulana's puzzles are not for the casual-type of gamers and many of those who play the game for the first time may want to save screenshots of rooms and tabletsLa-Mulana is an excellent throwback to the MSX games from the mid 1980's. Though the controls may get hard to get used too, the game has a learning curve and physics from the first three Castlevania games made by Konami. The La-Mulana's puzzles are not for the casual-type of gamers and many of those who play the game for the first time may want to save screenshots of rooms and tablets found in the ruins to help you get clues for some of the more obscure puzzles. But, other than that the game is extremely difficult for those not with a mindset of a 'metroidvania' dungeon crawler with physics from the 8-bit era of games. La-Mulana is recommended for those who like a good challenge that pays off in the end… Expand
  5. Danaroth
    Oct 4, 2012
    9
    This game doesn't care at all about the player feelings, it's harsh, punishing and unwelcoming. I won't lie to you, the beginning is the real obstacle; you'll probably need to remap keys to your liking, you have to be extremely attentive not to miss vital items, Windows 7 user will need to run this game as admin. Once you get into it though, it's a complete masterpiece; the world isThis game doesn't care at all about the player feelings, it's harsh, punishing and unwelcoming. I won't lie to you, the beginning is the real obstacle; you'll probably need to remap keys to your liking, you have to be extremely attentive not to miss vital items, Windows 7 user will need to run this game as admin. Once you get into it though, it's a complete masterpiece; the world is various and gorgeous, filled of tons of secret passages, enemies, traps, bosses, equipments, scenarios and, most importantly, puzzles. A ton of backtracking will be required, your mind will be clouded with a ton of hints to uncover misteries. This is exactly everything I look for in a game, to feel like a small entity and to challenge an huge world ready to jump on you at every minimum mistake. Just don't make the mistake to skip it because you may think this is the n-th retro platformer you have grown bored of, because I'll assure you that if you found the trailer appealing, you'll be satisfied by it. It may not be perfect in how it handles every single event (though the great majority of them are extremely fair), but I'm just happy to see that, for once, a game is proud to mishandle the player.… Expand
  6. Melopahn
    Nov 5, 2012
    10
    As others have said this game is Hard. Any person who is used to the typical hand holding game of today's age will be unable to handle this game. The puzzle clues are cryptic and the user will have to learn a new culture and language very slowly as they divulge deeper into the depths of the ancient ruins. The difficulty is capable of being made even more brutal through an optional hardAs others have said this game is Hard. Any person who is used to the typical hand holding game of today's age will be unable to handle this game. The puzzle clues are cryptic and the user will have to learn a new culture and language very slowly as they divulge deeper into the depths of the ancient ruins. The difficulty is capable of being made even more brutal through an optional hard mode for the truly masochistic. It has been many years since I played a game as challenging, engaging, and rewarding as this game. Easily my favorite game of this decade.… Expand
  7. DopamineCowboy
    Sep 14, 2013
    9
    I knew this game was big going in, but the depth is astounding. What really blew me away was the scope and complexity, which is not immediately obvious.

    On the surface it plays a bit like Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night, but it quickly starts to feel more like Dark Souls. It is difficult, but like most hardcore platformers the difficulty can be overcome by sheer persistence.    I knew this game was big going in, but the depth is astounding. What really blew me away was the scope and complexity, which is not immediately obvious.

    On the surface it plays a bit like Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night, but it quickly starts to feel more like Dark Souls. It is difficult, but like most hardcore platformers the difficulty can be overcome by sheer persistence. That's almost a moot point.

    Where it really shines is structure. La-Mulana is deceptively complex, and it's a constant joy discovering how much of the game there actually is. You'll get your money's worth before you're 25% done with the game.    … Expand
  8. lotsati
    Jul 1, 2013
    9
    One of the best games I've ever played. Despite it being on of my now favorite games of all time list, it isn't perfect. It's also definitely not for everyone. The Good: Amazing music, great art-style, unique puzzles, awesome boss fights. The Bad: weird hit-boxes on enemies/bosses, jumping mechanics feel terrible, getting knocked off of platforms by bats millions of times, and a few obtuseOne of the best games I've ever played. Despite it being on of my now favorite games of all time list, it isn't perfect. It's also definitely not for everyone. The Good: Amazing music, great art-style, unique puzzles, awesome boss fights. The Bad: weird hit-boxes on enemies/bosses, jumping mechanics feel terrible, getting knocked off of platforms by bats millions of times, and a few obtuse puzzles. To play this game you will either need to take notes (in real life!), take screenshots, or have an amazing memory. In my playthrough, I had 15 pages of notes. After finishing the game and deleting notes I didn't need anymore, I still had 4 pages left of notes where I didn't know what hint was for what puzzle. Bad translation or wording maybe? I even checked a walkthrough after and couldn't make sense of it. Despite being stuck, resist all temptation to use a walkthrough. The game will take you 20-30 hours with guide assistance, and anywhere between 50-100 hours blind. The satisfaction of beating it blind is incredible. There aren't any other games like this, so I highly recommend playing it blind. There is no repeat value to puzzle games so this is your one chance to cherish it. When I looked up the solution to some puzzles, I regretted it instantly. Still... I will admit some puzzles are complete BS and just require you to walk around for hours. My advice: enter this game knowing you will not beat is over the weekend. Be an archaeologist. Be methodical, be patient, take notes on everything, and keep an open mind.… Expand
  9. Dentorhedge
    Jun 30, 2013
    10
    When you start your game, there is text that says "I finally made it to LA-MULANA, the adventure starts here!", which is incredibly accurate. This game will engross you and send you on one of the biggest (and hardest) metroidvania adventures available. You will die, get stuck on a puzzle, and become annoyed many times, but you will be motivated to figure it out and when you do you willWhen you start your game, there is text that says "I finally made it to LA-MULANA, the adventure starts here!", which is incredibly accurate. This game will engross you and send you on one of the biggest (and hardest) metroidvania adventures available. You will die, get stuck on a puzzle, and become annoyed many times, but you will be motivated to figure it out and when you do you will be proud and happy. The art is amazing, with set pieces that are only used once at every turn, tons of characters, a moving story (if you pay attention), a unique buff system, usable items, main weapons, sub-weapons, and items, and a three album long soundtrack of great tunes. Nine giant main bosses and around forty mini-bosses (not counting those in the super-challenging bonus dungeon!) will kill you hourly in this forty hour long experience. Even when you have beaten the main game once there are still the challenges of a Hardmode game, getting all the characters in the ending sequence, speedrunning (some people have trimmed this game down to an hour and a half!), the bonus dungeon, and getting good times in Time Attack mode (a boss rush sort of thing). Even then there are the extra challenging steam achievements!
    More of a stress to the challenge- You will have to take detailed notes of what the NPC's and hint tablets say (probably in a notebook so that you do not cover your house with sticky notes). You should both read the manual (available on the website) and watch the introductory video before playing. You will be confused as to where to go a good portion of the game. If you decide to fight a boss without being prepared it could take forty tries. There are a multitude of instant death traps and some bosses with instant death attacks, There are many minor annoyances (dropping through the trap door onto the spikes for the fifth time in a row) that will make you put your hand on your face, but it is still absolutely worth it to hear the puzzle solved chime or see the main character do his victory dance.    … Expand
  10. Ghett0
    Nov 29, 2013
    10
    A quality game all around. Epic 16 bit music that will make nostalgia Nintendo Generation people rock out to the midi-esque goodness. Easy enough to allow you to learn from your mistakes but hard enough to provide some head-scratching entertainment as you attempt to solve it's many puzzles. Not a game that is hard enough to throw your controller against a wall, but not so easy as to boreA quality game all around. Epic 16 bit music that will make nostalgia Nintendo Generation people rock out to the midi-esque goodness. Easy enough to allow you to learn from your mistakes but hard enough to provide some head-scratching entertainment as you attempt to solve it's many puzzles. Not a game that is hard enough to throw your controller against a wall, but not so easy as to bore you to tears.

    It's a great little title with an excellent feel, some historical & educational content, and a great concept. It is best summed up as the type of challenging game that makes you want to look up a walkthrough or a FAQ for help, but your inner gamer niggles at you saying "Na, dude. You don't need to do that. Figure it out on your own! You know you can do it."

    Indiana Jones meets Mega Man with a puzzle-ridden twist. Shades of CastleVania as well. A great buy on a steam sale near you. $3 very well spent.    … Expand
  11. Jeshua
    Aug 7, 2013
    10
    This game is hard.

    This game is very, very hard and this aspect makes for the foundation of La-Mulana. In an era flooded with 'quest arrows' and 'quick time events' this little gem of a platformer manages to defy the trends and pay homage to games long gone, where the player was supposed to plan ahead and explore with his biggest assets: his own memory, intellect and reflexes. If    This game is hard.

    This game is very, very hard and this aspect makes for the foundation of La-Mulana. In an era flooded with 'quest arrows' and 'quick time events' this little gem of a platformer manages to defy the trends and pay homage to games long gone, where the player was supposed to plan ahead and explore with his biggest assets: his own memory, intellect and reflexes.

    If you play (and) rate La-Mulana for what it is, then it's impossible to not give it a perfect score.    … Expand
  12. rhysdog
    Nov 8, 2018
    10
    its really good, but the puzzles can be fairly obtuse, and it is EXTREMELY big and open ended, so you can very easily get lost. while i absolutely love it, many people may not. combat can be pretty hard at times, but is fairly hard
  13. seferpd
    Mar 29, 2016
    10
    Es interesante cómo las personas se quejan de las mecánicas del salto. Argumentan que es algo anticuado, pero eso es absolutamente irrelevante. Para evaluar un juego hay que observar lo que ofrece, no las modas que hay en el medio. La forma de saltar funciona en este juego simplemente porque los desarrolladores saben aprovechara. El salto permite un combate más complejo e interesante, asíEs interesante cómo las personas se quejan de las mecánicas del salto. Argumentan que es algo anticuado, pero eso es absolutamente irrelevante. Para evaluar un juego hay que observar lo que ofrece, no las modas que hay en el medio. La forma de saltar funciona en este juego simplemente porque los desarrolladores saben aprovechara. El salto permite un combate más complejo e interesante, así como añade dificultad a la exploración. Se supone que en La mulana eres un explorador en unas ruinas hostiles... Desde luego debes tener cuidado hacia donde te vas a dirigir y hacia dónde vas a saltar de modo que la inercia del salto cumple su cometido: te obliga a pensar dos veces antes de realizar una acción porque no es posible cambiar la dirección en medio del salto (como en la vida real). No todo tiene que ser igual a Mario Bros, gente.
    Por otro lado los puzzles son muy difíciles, claro. Quizás demasiado. Pero es esa la virtud del juego. Si quieres un reto (uno de verdad, uno donde literalmente no cualquiera pueda triunfar), pocos juegos conozco en el ámbito de puzzles como La Mulana. Así que si quieres un juego de pseudo-exploración donde en realidad no hay nada qué explorar pues todo está servido en bandeja de plata esperando a que alguien resuelva acertijos sencillos (como The Witcher 3), La Mulana no es para ti. Además, existen guías por doquier, yo aconsejo seguir una guía de vez en cuando antes de abandonar al juego definitivamente. Pues incluso es fascinante leer cómo se resolvía tal puzzle luego de haberlo pensado tú.
    El resto del juego, la música, la historia, los gráficos, etc, cumplen sobradamente bien (la música es increíble). Es una pena que lo que es para mí uno de los mejores juegos que he jugado tenga un score tan pobre por personas que al parecer no saben ni siquiera de qué va el juego.    … Expand
  14. Lemezakosugi
    Mar 3, 2022
    10
    Play la-mulana now! Now!! NOW!!! MOTHER NEEDS YOUR HELP TO UNSOLVE THE STRANGE MYSTERIES OF THE RUINS AND SER HER BACK TO THE SKIES also.... Mulberuk IS the BEST npc in any videogame

Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Best PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Digital Spy
    Apr 29, 2013
    60
    La-Mulana won't appeal to the more casual players. Instead, it's for those who are masochistic with a fondness for 'Metroidvania' games - but even then, a high level of patience is required to get the most enjoyment out of this indie title.
    Read full review
  2. 3DJuegos
    Apr 18, 2013
    82
    La-Mulana is a brilliant title. Pure gameplay based on exploration and old-school action.
    Read full review
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Nov 15, 2012
    84
    An extremely well thought-out metroidvania. While its fiendishly obscure puzzles are a source of endless frustration, hardcore fans of the genre are in for a treat. For others it may border on the unbeatable, so best prepare well! [Nov 2012]
See all critic reviews »