Lunacid

Developer : KIRA LLC

Publisher : KIRA LLC, CRITICAL REFLEX

Platform : Steam

I am about to gush and sing the praises of Lunacid, because I enjoyed my time with this PS1 inspired dark fantasy game a hell of a lot. Everything from the graphics and art style, to the slow-paced exploration and combat, to the fractured storytelling, the open world, and the atmospheric music resonated with me; the whole package is just oozing with style, and a confidence it what it is trying to do. The game is an unabashed love letter to FromSoftware, and I for one, am all for it. So come and take a journey with me into the Great Well, on a quest to awaken the Great One and escape our fate.

One thing I want to get out of the way is that I am not going to go too in-depth when it comes to the characters and the story of the Lunacid. I feel like the less you know going into the game, the better. The fractured nature of the narrative, much like a Souls game, is something that must be uncovered on your own for it to be effective. I would be doing the game a disservice going into too much detail about the characters and lore of this world, and if these ramblings intrigue you, then I encourage you to pick up a copy and start our own journey through the Great Well.

Gameplay

Lunacid is a first-person adventure role-playing game in which you take on the role of a poor soul who was tossed into a pit known as the Great Well. Your goal is to escape this pit and awaken the Great One (the beast who caused our world to become this dark place of fog) and end this nightmare for the world. Armed with a variety of weapons and spells you explore a sprawling and interconnected world, battling nightmarish monsters, collecting treasures, and slowly piecing together the lore and stories of this place.

Combat in Lunacid is a slow paced and methodical affair. For melee combat, each weapon has their own swing speed and power up time for a powerful attack: light weapons (such as daggers and rapiers) attack fast, and charge quick, but sacrifice damage: heavy weapons (such as broadswords, great swords, lances, and axes) attack slow, and charge equally slow, but inflict deep wounds and dole out substantial damage. Your range options include bows, crossbows, and magic staves which all act pretty much the same; they let you stay at range and pepper your foes with attacks while keeping away from the enemy’s melee abilities, and it’s as cheesy as it sounds. Magic is a mixed bag, with some spells letting you keep your distance, while others force you to go toe to toe with the game’s many nightmarish foes. Some of the weapons also gain experience as you use them, being able to level up and evolve into new and better weapons.

The game’s weapon variety lets you approach the enemies how you choose, up to a point. Ranged weapons and spells are the clear winner in Lunacid, letting you avoid most of the enemies since they are almost all melee combatants. Also, since bows and crossbows, as well as the magic staves and other range weapons, don’t require any ammunition, it seems foolish at times to not be using them; why go toe to toe with a beast that can bash half of your health away when you can stand back, and slowly whittle it down with arrows, bolts, or magic? I found it was not until I got enchanted melee weapons that I changed up my playstyle, going head-to-head with the beasts who call the Great Well home.

I can’t talk much about the magic in the game, since I found myself favouring weapons. Some of the spells use your mana, while others use your health as their catalyst. Some of the magic is also used to navigate the world by summoning stone bridges or empty coffins to reach new areas and new challenges. From what I have read, using magic can make Lunacid very easy, so for my next playthrough I’ll be a mage, so I see how much true the rumours are.

Alchemy also plays an important roll in your quest. Being able to craft more healing items was a boon for me, and there were more than a few times that I would grind out reagents to craft potions before venturing deeper into the abyss. By the time I finished the game, there was still quite a few alchemy recipes I had not discovered, and I wonder what other surprises are still there hidden away?

Presentation

The first thing about Lunacid that caught my attention was the game’s aesthetic. I am a huge fan of the retro PS1 inspired graphics in all its chunky and blocky glory, because it reminds me of my childhood; the blocky, lo-fi look is something I hold near and dear to my heart. But it’s not just the retro look that makes the game look amazing, the art direction is on point. Each of the game’s areas look unique but still adhering to a cohesive look, and it is easy for me to believe that they all exist in the same world. This is how I remember old games looking, even though in reality the PS1 and N64 would not be able to run these new ‘retro’ games; the particle effects, lighting, and the magic effects are great and help to breathe life to this drab (not in a bad way) and haunted world.

The cast of characters you meet throughout your adventure are a unique and interesting group of individuals. They help to give the world even more character, and make this dying world feel just a little bit more alive. They have personality, and it is a treat when you stumble across someone during your adventure through the depths. It is very much like a Souls game as you don’t know if the people you meet are good or bad, or somewhere in the middle. Returning to the ‘town’ and interacting with its citizens is a great way to catch your breath in between explorations out into the depths.

The music direction is solid as well. Most of the tracks are haunting and help to convey the dark and otherworldly tone of the setting. The sound effects are effective, with swings of your weapons sounding weighty and your lone footsteps guiding you through the interconnected maze of the Great Well. All in all, I am a big fan of the sound design. It’s also a nice touch that when a new track starts up, the game will tell you the title of the song as well as who composed it; I think it’s a great way to give credit to the artists for their work, especially when sound design is so important to maintaining a solid and cohesive theme and style.

Without giving anything too much away, I enjoyed the disjointed nature of the narrative and how it is delivered to you as you journey through the Great Well. The Souls storytelling influence is evident, and if you’re not a fan of that style of storytelling there, then I doubt you’ll be a fan of it here. Bits and pieces of lore are in the descriptions of items and will be revealed in passing by the characters you meet and on the odd tablet or ruin. Exploring the levels not only rewards you with loot, but also with lore thanks to the game’s amazing environmental storytelling.

Conclusion

Needless to say, I love this game. Everything from the gameplay to the aesthetic just clicked with me, and I could not put the controller down. Even now, a few weeks out from finishing it (and by that, I mean getting a single ending, of which there are multiple) I am still thinking about it, and about how much fun I had exploring the world of Lunacid. There are also quite a few secrets still left for me to find, and loading up my finished save throws you right back into the game to continue looking for the secrets the Great Well is still hiding. If you’re a fan of FromSoftware, dark fantasy, and PS1 era graphics, this is 100% a game you need to play.