Review: Lumo (PS4).
Games from the distant past, transferred to the modern ground, very often do not play as they did years ago. Does each such return have to kill our nostalgia? The Lumo (PS4) just released proves that it is not.
Lumo is a Finnish word meaning charm or magic art, but the production itself, somewhat perversely, is to be a tribute to British logic-arcade games from the 1980s. Older players will certainly associate such classics as Equinox, Knight Lore or Head Over Heels, to to name a few examples. It is also a kind of thank you to the creator of the last title, Jon Ritman.
Nevertheless, the title was chosen exceptionally well, because we play the role of a little wizard trying to get out of quite a lot of trouble. The game is devoid of even a rudimentary plot, but it does not bother you at all, since we refer to such distant times. We just get sucked into one of the games where we explore a giant dungeon looking for an exit. Along the way, the gameplay is made more enjoyable by numerous games to the titles from years ago, their creators and the equipment available then.
Gareth Noyce himself (Crackdown, Fable 2) together with the Triple Eh? Studio took up work on bringing the “old school” to the present day. The end product turned out to be quite successful – the recently fashionable retro was abandoned in favor of isometric 3D graphics, so the atmosphere was preserved, without tiring the eyes with pixels. Yes, the visual side is not top-flight, as it could use more details and different levels of the dungeon, but it still makes a nice impression. During the tour, we are accompanied by the same musical theme (apart from a few exceptions), fortunately, it does not get boring even during long sessions. There are also no dialogues.
Logic-arcade gameplay starts easily. We visit subsequent chambers, solve puzzles, avoid traps and combine with boxes and other elements of the environment to get further. However, the level of difficulty is slowly increasing, so the closer to the end of the game, the more often we grind our teeth after constant bathing in acid. Things are certainly not made easier by clunky controls that allow you to move only in four directions, and the lack of camera support.
However, annoyance quickly turns to satisfaction as soon as the next challenge is overcome. We diversify the gameplay by collecting cassettes, game carriers, coins or rubber ducks, but a horse with a row of those who know how to pull them out of acid without dying at the same time. If someone is still not challenged, he can always try to complete the second fun mode with limited lives and time.
Lumo (PS4) is admittedly a short, but full of honey entertainment. A nice return to the old school, but with a new twist. Despite the nostalgia, it’s hard to hide that some elements of the mechanics are very old and can be irritating, and the price does not encourage you to buy it. On the other hand, I recommend such a trip back in time to anyone, whenever the title slows down a bit.
