Lunark demonstrates a cinematic platform at its finest. This sci-fi adventure is not to be missed. Just make sure you are ready for the challenge.
Protagonist Leo’s driving force is an atmospheric phenomenon caused by the titular moon, but it takes a while before he can understand exactly what’s going on. The plot is a highlight, full of steady surprises, and it doesn’t take long to start giving the twists you want. I don’t have the courage to spoil even the early ones. The immersive cutscenes always sparked my excitement as to what would happen next. The story deftly avoids many clichés while remaining pleasantly familiar. Its page-turning quality keeps players hooked from the opening to the end credits.
Players unfamiliar with this subgenre may find the controls a bit strange at first, but once you understand the intricacies you’ll quickly get the hang of it. As a big flashback fan (which is the inspiration for Lunark), it was fun to watch Leo pull off different long jumps and the associated climbs and hangs after getting the hang of the setup. The occasional frustrating moments are offset by the excitement and satisfaction that comes with successful navigation, both horizontally and vertically.
In addition to the expected movements, Leo will be engaged in battle with various threats to his survival. Weapon upgrades are available if you can find and reach them, but speed can also be a valuable asset in certain situations. The combat system is surprisingly deep and feels like a puzzle element at times. Learning who to engage and quickly discovering tricks to eliminate your enemies makes combat less of a waste of time and more rewarding. In addition to combat, the game includes traditional puzzles that provide a welcome break from the more intense sections and add an extra layer of challenge. Impatient players beware, as stealth will be essential as you progress. Various gameplay elements are engaging.
Interact with different characters when Leo is not busy with different actions. Some of these NPCs are kick starter The game sprinkles its name around in ways that make sense in the world and recognizes its supporters in clever ways. These characters enhance the engaging storytelling and ensure that Leo’s story is more than just his own survival story. Long live the revolution!
Lunark offers several memorable sci-fi locales inhabited by these characters. The aforementioned cutscenes are fantastic, as is the animation as a whole. The latter means that some instances will appear slow, but that’s “natural” for this type of game. The pixel art is a little thicker in docked mode, but it can convey an attractive and attractive look with lots of details. Bright colors are also used in the dark areas. All of this combined makes for a fun area to traverse, even if you’re going backwards.
And you will have to go backwards. The checkpoint system seems a bit chaotic with inconsistent intervals. The frustration when replaying long segments (if all hearts are lost) is lessened as it is discovered (through practice) that once-difficult areas can now be crossed relatively easily. increase. There are also some nifty tweaks, such as enemies not respawning. Be patient and you’ll face an epic boss battle!
And the music is great too. The soundtrack could even be described as excellent. It surprised me in the best possible way. The songs are great and have many variations. What matters is that they fit the locale and complement what’s happening on the screen at a given moment. It evokes every appropriate emotion. My knowledge of music theory is lacking and I don’t have time to delve deeper into it, but I highly recommend getting it. listen. Once you’re hooked, try it out in-game.
Lunark is patched with tweaks to reduce potential frustration (great for beginners) and other neat quality of life improvements, but my only gripe still exists. It only saves your progress at the start of the level. Forget about playing this stage in handheld mode for a few minutes here and there, as later stages take over an hour. You better have a clear schedule like you did when you were a kid and make sure no one in your house wants the switch. If the game gave the player the choice to start at the beginning of the level or at the last checkpoint, this game would easily score a 10.
Despite its inconveniently designed save system, Lunark is a game that brings back fond memories of reaching its peak. This is definitely one of my favorite titles in recent years and I will definitely revisit. A must-play for fans of cinematic platformers, his Lunark is full of surprises and is sure to leave a lasting positive impression on players. If this is the first release from indie studio Canari Games, I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
