Light&Dark
- July 14, 2022
- Kontrast
Get on Steam"Light & Dark" is a single-player "roguelight" platformer game with great graphics and music. As Victoria Bloom, fight the darkness overrunning Bloom Manor using a flashlight and slingshot, and save your Grandad. The manor's layout changes with each run, and unlocking new items and perks requires choosing corresponding weaknesses. Combine item effects through tinkering to discover synergies.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and engaging concept where the flashlight serves as both a weapon and a means to navigate through darkness, creating a fresh gameplay experience.
- The art style and sound design are praised for their charm and effectiveness in creating an atmospheric environment, reminiscent of old silent films.
- The controls are responsive and the gameplay is fun, with a variety of weapon upgrades and mechanics that allow for different playstyles and strategies.
- The game suffers from a lack of variety in enemy design and boss encounters, leading to repetitive gameplay after a few runs.
- There are technical issues, including bugs that can cause crashes and softlocks, which can be frustrating and lead to lost progress.
- The black-and-white visual style, while unique, can make it difficult to distinguish between projectiles and the environment, potentially leading to unfair damage.
- graphics29 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique black-and-white art style that some players find charming and visually captivating, while others feel it can be tiring and difficult to navigate due to its simplistic 2D design. Although the visuals enhance the eerie ambiance and complement the gameplay, many reviewers note that the graphics lack depth and variety, with limited options for improvement. Overall, the art style is a polarizing aspect, appealing to some for its creativity while leaving others wanting more in terms of visual quality.
“The art style and sound design enhance the eerie ambiance, making it a standout choice for fans of suspenseful, skill-based games.”
“I love the art style, the graphics are gorgeous and the gameplay is so well handled that even as someone who isn't hugely into roguelikes, I am drawn into the game again and again.”
“Great rougelite game with some fresh ideas and fun combat + loving the black and white styling with light being a mechanic, makes for some really cool visuals!”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
“Without any other substantial graphics tweaks, it's not possible for gamers to improve the lackluster 2D visuals.”
“While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunkier than needed control scheme to the less than cutting edge graphics.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is characterized by its unique flashlight mechanic and strategic use of light and darkness, which adds depth to the platforming challenges. While many players appreciate the polished controls and addictive nature of the game, some express concerns about technical issues and a lack of item synergies that can lead to repetitive experiences. Overall, the game combines engaging combat with a charming art style, making it appealing to both roguelike enthusiasts and casual players.
“The mechanics of using light and darkness add a strategic layer to the platforming challenges, making each level a fresh puzzle to solve.”
“Gameplay is smooth, combat is satisfying, and the meta-progression is fair.”
“I love the art style, the graphics are gorgeous and the gameplay is so well handled that even as someone who isn't hugely into roguelikes, I am drawn into the game again and again, curious what all the upgrades will do, how the story continues, and what other types of nasty monsters lurk in Bloom Manor.”
“While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunky control scheme to the less than cutting-edge graphics. Some effort was made to ensure the twin-stick mechanic works with keyboard and mouse, but we must ask why the developers thought PC gamers don't play with keyboard and mouse and instead use console controllers.”
“The gameplay becomes boring after a while, as item synergies don't exist, and the different pickups aren't really interesting for the most part.”
“Controls are nice, but I shouldn't have to restart a roguelike because I accidentally glitched the boss through the floor by shooting it, or because I entered the boss arena and both of us were frozen, both of which happened with the same boss within 30 minutes of gameplay.”
- music21 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its creativity and ability to fit the game's various areas, particularly highlighting standout tracks like the crow's croaks. While some players find the chiptune style enjoyable and fitting, others feel it doesn't always match the game's aesthetic or becomes irritating over time. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered solid, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere, though it may not be universally memorable.
“The music is also top tier and I wasn't expecting there to be so many bops.”
“The music was great and sets a solid tone and feeling for each new area the player discovers.”
“Very unique style, addictive gameplay, pretty hard (if you don't play this genre that often), awesome music... great package overall.”
“The music is irritating; I had to mute it after 1 hour.”
“The dialogue is distinctly translated, the story is awkwardly paced and shallow, the music doesn't really fit the setting very well.”
“The music sort of fits each area, if it wasn't all chiptune.”
- story16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as interesting but poorly executed, with awkward pacing and shallow character development. While some players appreciate the engaging narrative and art style, others find the plot forgettable and the gameplay repetitive, leading to a lack of memorable experiences. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling driving force.
“Great game with an interesting story surrounding it.”
“The story is engaging and it pushes you to discover all the secrets of the bloom manor.”
“An interesting combination of roguelike and platformer with some unique mechanics and a cute storyline.”
“The game features no proper level design or game/story flow/plot, as they opted to try to use samey repetitive procedural generation algorithms as a substitute for adding such content to the game, to avoid doing the important job of level/map design.”
“The dialogue is distinctly translated, the story is awkwardly paced and shallow, the music doesn't really fit the setting very well, the combat can be engaging but doesn't have much nuance to it at all.”
“The main character isn't really a character so much as a mouthpiece for game concepts and exposition, and the story that the game tries to tell, while interesting, isn't very well capitalized on.”
- stability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players report it as functional with minimal glitches, others describe it as significantly buggy, suggesting a range of experiences from minor issues to more pervasive problems.
“The game runs smoothly with very few bugs or glitches, making for a stable experience.”
“I appreciate the overall stability of the game; it rarely crashes and performs well.”
“There are only minor bugs, but they don't detract from the overall stability of the gameplay.”
“Pretty...buggy.”
“The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs/glitches.”
“It's an interesting concept and the game is functional - I didn't experience any glitches.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively creates a tense and immersive atmosphere through its shadowy environments and strategic use of lighting, particularly with a flashlight. The fresh design further enhances the overall ambiance, contributing to a captivating experience.
“As you navigate through shadowy environments using only a flashlight, the game excels in creating a tense and atmospheric experience.”
“The design is fresh and sets a nice atmosphere.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the emotional aspect of the game can be perceived as overly sentimental and simplistic, with some players finding the narrative to devolve into childish and excessive melodrama.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the game's replayability is limited, as completing it 100% requires facing the same nine bosses multiple times with minimal variation, leading to a repetitive experience.
“The game offers a variety of choices that significantly impact the storyline, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
“With multiple endings and diverse character builds, I find myself coming back to explore different strategies and outcomes.”
“The random events and procedural generation keep the gameplay experience unique every time I start a new session.”
“From a replayability standpoint, the game doesn't change much. If you try to 100% it, you'll have to fight the 9 bosses around 9 more times without any significant differences.”
“The lack of variety in gameplay means that once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play through it again.”
“After finishing the game, I found that there was no real motivation to replay it, as the experience felt repetitive and predictable.”
