Lumo now or later, just make sure to Lumo.
There was a time and place many years ago where isometric adventure type games were abundant… ok maybe not exactly true, but they were more prevalent and experimental then we see today. Lumo aims to take that idea, recreate moments of yester years, and provide players with both a fun and classical take on a genre almost forgotten. Lumo knocks it out of the park in this regard, and provides and fresh and unique take on it that any gaming fan should take note of.
Hop, skip, and “oh crap”
Lumo is a game filled with charm. If it’s not apparent from the opening moments where players take control of a young child, going to his local arcade, only to get sucked up just like in that movie Tron, maybe the other handful of references strung throughout the game will tell you. Lumo is a puzzle platformer at heart. It really takes the core elements of platforming and slowing introduces those elements to the player bit by bit. The game doesn’t even start right away with a jump button, but soon enough, the ability is obtained and it only progresses in difficulty and ideas the further the adventure goes.
MSRP: $19.99
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
Multiplayer: N/A
How long to beat: Five hours
Rolling on top of a giant ball, avoiding acid baths, dodging steam and fire. These are a few of the perils that players will experience in their 5 to 6 hours adventure. It mostly consists of platforming, but elements of puzzles, puzzle platforming, switch hitting, and progression really come into play. It’s not that the game has any mind bending moments, but a few times I got stuck wondering what I had missed and usually that is the case, I simple missed a simple switch or valve and it was completely on me and the fact I wasn’t paying enough attention.
The platforming feels great, and that’s a good thing as it’s primarily what players will be doing. The game, even with its isometric view, offers three different control styles concerning the viewpoint, and that can help players adjust or find one suited more to their playstyle. Better because of it though because the biggest issue with the game is the camera and jumping to death. Many times I could have sworn I was right in line with the jump or jumped far enough, only to hear the high, shrill scream of death.
Lumo or bust
Lumo has a heart. It’s filled with a charming aesthetics, classis retro style gameplay, fun references to other franchises, and just offers a solid good time for platforming fans. It has a moody if somewhat chill soundtrack, a simple yet fairly pleasing visual design, and it just makes me smile every time I play it. Lumo doesn’t have a lot of people talking about it yet and that’s a shame. Admittedly, I had no idea what it was till it release either, so I can’t fault people for not knowing about it. Though if players are reading this and it sounds like something enjoyable, jump in knowing it’s going to be a solid game with some old school heart.
My favorite moment: Running from the boulder, dodging spikes and other traps, only to get to a closing door and a reference to Indiana Jones played out in front of me. Moments like this just shine throughout.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
