$3 on sale http://store.steampowered.com/app/230700/
So La-Mulana. I haven’t quite finished it yet, but I’m getting close enough that I thought I would drop a few thoughts for the sale period:
Pros
– It is really addictive and provides that “just one more room” feeling because you want to see what comes next.
– The boss fights are (relative to the rest of the game) often quite amazing. Whilst they are difficult, you will often win “on the last strike” as you are
about to die which suggests great balance.
– The game is certainly lengthy, with good variety in the environments and lots of hidden treasures to find.
– Extra systems like the software, fairies and numerous sub-weapons keeps things fresh.
Cons
– I don’t know how you are supposed to play it without the aid of a walkthrough. Seriously, it is nuts trying to work out where to go. You’ll often throw a switch in one room which will open up a gateway in another area just because “reasons”.
– To go with this, if you head out without the right items, or spend money on the wrong thing you can seriously screw yourself over…unless you get the help of a walkthrough.
– The combat is ok, but the platforming itself feels stiff and unresponsive especially compared to a more fluid game like Spelunky.
– Whilst the sub-weapons have variety, there doesn’t seem to be a great reason not to use the axe for most of the game.
This quote from the walkthrough (http://www.gamefaqs.com/wii/972053-la-mulana/faqs/65127) pretty well sums it all up:
DO NOT place a weight on the dais up top. If you do, the path to the Grail
Point will be permanently blocked off and you will be unable to complete the
game.
That is about halfway through. There are plenty more examples of things like that.
Overall? I think it is an amazing game because of the depth and the amount of ideas and content. However I don’t feel that it is necessarily a good game, if that makes sense. Since that probably wouldn’t, I’ll just
say that it is well worth a play, just be prepared to be reading along as you go and accept that even then it will not be understandable. Whilst the action is a mixture of good and bad points, there is still enough there to keep you engaged.
A buy at the price.
The Toddhunter Report 