Loplight
- July 18, 2022
- scumhead
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Loplight" is a single-player shooter game with a good plot and phenomenal mechanics. As Edda, a young girl in a dying world, players must collect Quintessence pieces to ascend to divine power, defeat the elder god, and explore the morality behind ambition and loneliness. Combat is high intensity, with dodge, slash, and shoot mechanics, and the story is short but replayable, providing a rich, immersive experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The art style, character design, and monster design are incredibly beautiful and immersive, creating a unique atmosphere.
- The story is compelling and filled with surprising twists, making it an engaging experience despite its short length.
- The gameplay mechanics, while easy, are fun and allow for creative combat interactions, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including sprite layering problems and clunky controls that can detract from the experience.
- Combat feels unbalanced and lacks a sense of impact, making it easy to bypass most encounters without much challenge.
- The game is quite short, lasting only about an hour, which may leave some players wanting more content and depth.
- story62 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Loplight" is described as bizarre yet compelling, featuring a concise narrative that captivates players within its short runtime. While it includes intriguing themes, plot twists, and a unique setting, some players found parts of the story confusing or felt it fell apart towards the end. Overall, the game is praised for its rich lore, character development, and atmospheric storytelling, making it a standout indie experience despite some narrative inconsistencies.
“It lasts a little over an hour, but in that time it managed to make me care about the characters and story.”
“The story had twists, turns, and 'what the heck' moments that really surprised me.”
“The (mostly implied) story of the world is fascinating, and is uplifted by the excellent design work.”
“The story is kind of confusing to be honest.”
“The story sort of feels like a high schooler wrote it.”
“First of all, the gameplay is fine, the visuals are excellent if you're into surreal body horror, and the story is passable: except for the ending.”
- gameplay52 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Loplight has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its lack of polish and overall ease, making it feel less challenging. While the core mechanics, such as the "shoot/cut/heal" system, are interesting and fun once mastered, the generous healing and shield mechanics diminish the difficulty, leading to a more linear and less engaging experience. Despite these issues, the game's atmosphere, visuals, and narrative elements are praised, suggesting that it may still appeal to players looking for a casual experience rather than a challenging one.
“The gameplay is fun once you get used to it, and the music sets the mood in the areas and rooms.”
“The 'shoot/cut/heal' mechanic was really interesting and would be cool to see it further developed (or used in a more complex way).”
“While the main gameplay loop is not that challenging, it still manages to carry an uncompromising fast-paced combat mechanic and a dense introspective, albeit over-the-top metaphysical narrative.”
“However, Loplight is lacking a bit in technical and gameplay polish.”
“The healing and shield mechanics are way too generous, which removes almost all difficulty unless you limit your abilities on purpose.”
“Mechanically, the game is quite linear and mostly consists of brief conversations with NPCs and extended combat sequences during exploration.”
- music36 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its captivating 80s synth style, reminiscent of "Blade Runner," which significantly enhances the overall experience. Players report being so engrossed in the soundtrack that they often paused gameplay to enjoy it longer, leading to memorable moments that linger long after finishing the game. Overall, the music is described as not only great but also integral to the game's atmosphere and emotional impact, earning it a perfect score from many reviewers.
“I will also say this game was not just a game; for me, it was an experience, and the music is a big part of that.”
“I feel very deeply when I like a game's music, and when I heard 80s-like, 'Bladerunner'-ish synths in 'Loplight' (especially in the last third of it or so), it was a pleasant surprise.”
“I found myself delaying advancing the dialogue/scenes because I wanted to hear the music longer, which explains my long first playthrough of 'loplight'.”
“I died on the train because of the long blast, and the train music still stayed on when I was brought back to the save point.”
“The soundtrack is something I have listened to many times over compared to how long it took to go through the game itself.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style, character and monster designs, and atmospheric visuals, particularly appealing to fans of surreal body horror. Reviewers appreciate the pixelated grandeur reminiscent of classic Game Boy Color aesthetics, though some note that while the visuals are strong, the overall gameplay experience may require adjusted expectations. Overall, the game's artistic elements are a significant highlight, contributing to an engaging and immersive experience.
“Love the art style, character design, monster design, the story and world was interesting, all good stuff.”
“The signature scumhead style is here and the visuals are very nice.”
“"loplight" is a short grim-dark action-adventure by the ingenious developer "scumhead" which uses Giger-Beksiński-stylized visuals in a pixelized grandeur.”
“The visuals and atmosphere are there; the rest needs work.”
“Another reviewer likened the game to a mixture of Zelda, Dark Souls, and a bullet hell shmup with the graphics of a Game Boy Color game, and that it was simultaneously none of these things, and all of that is also true.”
“It's part Zelda, part Dark Souls, part bullet hell, all with the aesthetic of a Game Boy Color game.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its strong, moody vibes, impressive spritework, and engaging soundtrack, creating an emotionally resonant experience. While some reviewers note technical and mechanical flaws, the overall ambiance and unique design elements contribute significantly to its appeal. However, a few opinions suggest that the atmosphere could have been enhanced by a more minimalist approach.
“For me, a well-contained and concise story is absolutely a plus, especially when you consider how much atmosphere, personality, and rad tunes are jammed into that runtime.”
“The visuals and atmosphere are there; the rest needs work.”
“Strong, moody atmosphere.”
“While flawed on a technical and mechanical level, the atmosphere is immaculate and the writing packs an emotionally affecting punch that makes it hard to not recommend.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to be quite buggy at launch, with specific issues such as freezing when navigating the menu. Players are advised to consider waiting for a patch to address these stability problems.
“The game is also buggy.”
“Pressing continue on the menu screen before pressing new game freezes the game.”
“Somewhat buggy at launch, so maybe wait for the first patch if this bothers you.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character development, highlighting the engaging art style, character and monster design, and an intriguing story and world that enhance the overall experience.
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Despite some technical and mechanical flaws, the game excels in creating an immersive atmosphere and features writing that delivers a powerful emotional impact, making it highly recommendable.
“While flawed on a technical and mechanical level, the atmosphere is immaculate and the writing packs an emotionally affecting punch that makes it hard to not recommend.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the character Jacob, whose lines are consistently described as laugh-out-loud funny, contributing significantly to the overall comedic experience.
“I found some of Jacob's lines laugh-out-loud funny!”
