LucasArts’ puzzle platformer Lucidity is a game that makes us want to nod off – in a good way, mostly. But does it play like a dream, too?
Last week, we took a first look at Lucidity, the soporific and dreamlike on-rails puzzle platformer from the LucasArts team that worked on the remake of The Secret of Monkey Island. The game stars Sofi, a little girl who falls asleep after reading one too many bedtime stories, and who must be guided by the player safely through her dreamscapes via altering the level by placing platforms and springs and the like. Think of it kind of like Little Nemo meets Lemmings and then given a good healthy dose of Valium.
While the game has a beautiful, dreamlike aesthetic with placid graphics that look like they come straight out of a hand-painted work of art accompanied by gentle, soothing music, the concern seems to be that the game will be just as sleepy to play as it is to watch. After all, Sofi is in no hurry, and the little bit of the game we’ve seen thus far makes it look… well, pretty easy. It might be good for a sleep aid in lieu of a glass of warm milk, but can you really play a game if you can’t keep your eyes open?
According to IGN, what looks easy at first quickly gets harder, especially for collection enthusiasts who want to snag all the fireflies in the individual stages:
The mechanics are very simple, but since it’s on-rails you don’t have all the time in the world to explore and make decisions. Sofi’s early adventures are a breeze but keeping her out of harm’s way quickly becomes challenging. She can fall from any height without taking damage, so that’s one less thing for you to worry about. Merely crossing the finish line in a level is much easier than locating all the fireflies.
So there you have it, folks. It does get harder. Then again, I suppose it’d be harder to play a game where you could barely see the screen due to yawning so much, too.
The sleepy-and-beautiful Lucidity will be hitting XBLA and PC October 7th.
Published: Sep 15, 2009 04:25 pm