Developer:
Triple Eh? Ltd
Publisher:
Triple Eh? Ltd
Genre: Puzzle
Where to Buy:
Switch, Steam, PSN
Price:
$19.99
Lumo‘s gameplay is a blend of classic puzzle-platforming mechanics with a modern twist. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the key aspects:
Core Mechanics:
- Movement: You control the protagonist from an isometric perspective, navigating through a series of interconnected rooms. You can jump, run, and climb ladders to reach different areas.
- Interacting with objects: You can push blocks, pull levers, and activate switches to solve puzzles and progress through the game.
- Collecting items: You’ll need to collect keys to unlock doors and find various other items to complete objectives.
- Combat: While not the primary focus, there are some enemies you’ll encounter in the game. You can defeat them by jumping on their heads or using special items.
- Hidden secrets: The game is filled with hidden secrets, including bonus rooms, collectibles, and even mini-games. Finding these secrets adds to the replay value and rewards exploration.
Puzzle Design:
- Variety: The puzzles in Lumo are varied and require different types of thinking, from spatial reasoning and logic to timing and coordination.
- Challenge: The puzzles start off relatively easy but gradually increase in difficulty as you progress. Some puzzles are quite challenging and will require perseverance to solve.
- Hints: The game offers subtle hints in the environment to help you solve puzzles, but it’s mostly up to you to figure things out.
Level Design:
- Interconnected rooms: The game world is divided into a series of interconnected rooms, each with its own unique theme and challenges.
- Exploration: Encourages exploration with hidden secrets and multiple paths to reach different areas.
- Hidden collectibles: There are numerous collectibles scattered throughout the world, such as gems and coins, which can be used to unlock additional content.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of its strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths:
- Nostalgic appeal: Lumo captures the essence of early 3D games like Zelda and isometric classics like Manic Miner and Head Over Heels. The pixelated graphics, catchy chiptune soundtrack, and challenging gameplay will evoke fond memories for anyone who grew up in that era.
- Clever puzzles: The puzzles are generally well-designed and require thought and experimentation to solve. There’s a good variety of challenges, from pushing blocks and navigating mazes to collecting keys and activating switches.
- Achievements: The game offers a decent number of achievements to unlock, which adds replay value for completionists.
- Portable puzzle fun: The Switch’s portability makes Lumo perfect for quick bursts of gameplay on the go.
Weaknesses:
- Limited camera: The fixed isometric camera can be frustrating at times, especially in tight spaces or when trying to gauge depth.
- Uneven difficulty: The game starts off easy but quickly ramps up the difficulty, which may be off-putting for some players.
- Basic visuals: While the pixelated graphics are intentionally nostalgic, they may look dated for some players accustomed to modern visuals.
- Repetitive gameplay: The core gameplay loop of solving puzzles and collecting items can become repetitive over time.
- Technical issues: Some players have reported occasional glitches and bugs, which can be disruptive to the gameplay experience.
Overall:
Lumo is a fun and nostalgic puzzle-platformer that will appeal to fans of the genre and retro gaming enthusiasts. However, its limited camera, uneven difficulty, and repetitive gameplay may deter some players. If you’re looking for a challenging and old-school experience, Lumo is worth checking out. However, if you prefer modern visuals and more polished gameplay, you might want to look elsewhere.
