Lacuna: Prologue

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 53 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Lacuna: Prologue Game Cover
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Lacuna: Prologue tasks you – CDI agent Neil Conrad – with investigating the murder of a high-profile victim whose death could plunge the solar system into war. Solve the first in a series of connected cases that lead you deeper and deeper into the conspiracy at the core of this captivating 2D sci-fi noir adventure. Another cigarette tumbles into the abyss. The sun is slowly coming up, glisteni…

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews
story10 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with interesting characters and a compelling atmosphere.
  • Great pixel art and sound design that enhance the noir and sci-fi elements.
  • The demo effectively showcases the game's mechanics and offers a fresh approach to investigation gameplay.
  • The demo is quite short, leaving players wanting more.
  • Graphics may not appeal to everyone, as some find them underwhelming for a pixel art game.
  • Lack of a manual save option and unskippable cutscenes can be inconvenient for players.
  • story21 mentions

    The story is described as engaging and well-crafted, with a rich depth of characters and lore that immerses players in a compelling narrative. Players appreciate the integration of investigation mechanics that influence the story's progression, creating a sense of weight to their choices. The atmosphere, enhanced by beautiful visuals and audio, contributes to a captivating noir/cyberpunk experience that leaves players eager to explore further.

    • “The story, characters, and lore all have great depth to them, and you can tell there is a lot of effort put into the backstory.”
    • “The story kicks off very strong; the world feels alive, and the atmosphere just sucks you in.”
    • “Well, not just a setting that is quite alive, but also well-written characters and dialogues that really shine, with protagonists and antagonists I can identify with, and a story that keeps me wondering what is really going on.”
    • “The investigation and the story easily created high expectations; I am really excited about the full game.”
    • “It feels like you are experiencing a story, and based on the previews of the full game, the choices you make have an impact!”
    • “The story kicks off very strong; the world feels alive and the atmosphere just sucks you in.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its fitting jazzy and mysterious noir cyberpunk vibe. While the soundtrack and sound effects are generally well-executed and complement the pixel art visuals, some players found the absence of music in certain areas to be a missed opportunity to further enrich the experience. Overall, the combination of music and art creates a captivating ambiance that resonates with players.

    • “I like the music and the pixel art ambiance.”
    • “Special recognition to the music, which adds so much to the general atmosphere.”
    • “Throughout this beautifully crafted prologue, the music fits superbly to the dark-ish sci-fi setting, giving it a jazzy yet spicy mysterious 'noir' cyberpunk-ish feeling.”
    • “Speaking of atmosphere, a thing I found weird is that many parts of the game strangely have no music, which is a lost chance at bringing more life to the project.”
    • “Some places are completely silent - no music or environmental sounds whatsoever.”
    • “The visual style goes together with the music like bread and butter.”
  • graphics12 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the pixel art style as outdated and lacking detail, while others appreciate its charm and the atmospheric mood it creates. Fans of pixel art find the visuals appealing, particularly in the context of the game's cyberpunk noir theme, highlighting the beautiful artwork and effective use of lighting. Overall, the graphics may not appeal to everyone, but they contribute positively to the game's immersive experience for those who enjoy this art style.

    • “Great mood in the visuals, interesting start to the detective story, and nice cyberpunk noir vibes.”
    • “Love the art style and the atmosphere!”
    • “The futuristic noir setting is a great idea, the soundtrack is great, and the visuals are very beautiful.”
    • “Worst graphics I've seen in a long time, even for a 2D pixel world, but still seems interesting.”
    • “The graphics I won’t delve into much; if you don’t mind pixel art games, you will find them fine, but if you don’t, you will hate them.”
    • “Lacuna doesn’t really seem all that different looking from other pixel art games, but at the same time, it’s difficult to put a lot of detail into this art style.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its beautiful pixel art and engaging sound design, which effectively immerses players in its compelling story and unique style. However, some reviewers noted a lack of music in certain areas, which detracted from the overall ambiance, while others found the futuristic setting to be somewhat underwhelming. Overall, the game's atmosphere is a significant highlight, drawing players into its crime/sci-fi world.

    • “As a credit to the full lacuna game, this helps build the atmosphere and showcase the gorgeous pixel art that's a signature of the product.”
    • “The story's instantly compelling and the beautifully created atmosphere sucks you right in.”
    • “Great sound design and atmosphere, good writing and interesting sci-fi setting.”
    • “I believe something resembling the synth blues in Blade Runner would breathe even more ambience and atmosphere into the game.”
    • “Speaking of atmosphere, I found it strange that many parts of the game have no music, which is a missed opportunity to bring more life to the project.”
    • “- Meh atmosphere - the 'futuristic' city feels a bit underwhelming for some off-world colony.”
  • gameplay11 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by engaging detective mechanics set in a beautifully crafted pixel art universe, complemented by an intriguing story and atmospheric music. Players appreciate the immersive investigation process that ties into multiple endings, providing a genuine sense of choice and consequence. While the prologue serves as a tutorial, it seamlessly integrates gameplay elements, making it feel natural and promising for future exploration.

    • “Beautiful pixel art, cool background music, and very enjoyable detective gameplay!”
    • “Only the beginning of the game, but I'm hooked! Interesting universe and gameplay.”
    • “When it comes to the context of the gameplay, most of it revolves around the investigation process since, in classic noir fashion, you play as a detective.”
    • “A little too little gameplay showcase and the UI looks kind of heavy (though this kind of UI may be best for this kind of game).”
    • “The prologue mainly is a tutorial of the game mechanics, but it doesn't feel like one at all.”
    • “Now, on detail regarding the gameplay itself.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, the game's performance is praised, but some users noted unexpected resource usage as a concern. Despite this issue, it did not significantly detract from the overall experience.

    • “The performance was great, but I was surprised at the resource usage.”
    • “That's the only problem with performance I had throughout the whole experience, though.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
    • “Despite its potential, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users report a high level of stability, with no crashes or noticeable bugs and glitches during gameplay.

  • emotional1 mentions

    Reviews highlight a lack of emotional depth, with characters described as stereotypical and emotionally detached, particularly the deadbeat husband and father figure. The detective protagonist fails to evoke strong feelings, contributing to an overall emotionally dry experience.

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