Lucah: Born of a Dream
- September 22, 2016
- melessthanthree
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Lucah: Born of a Dream" is a dark, atmospheric action game where you must confront your inner demons as vicious Nightmares. Master a deep combat system with ranged and melee attacks, and customize your playstyle with various mantras and familiars. Explore a surreal, hand-drawn world filled with repressed memories and unspeakable feelings, and find the strength to accept yourself. Please note, the game contains flashing patterns and provides trigger warnings.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Linux
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique and captivating art style that enhances the game's atmosphere.
- Deep and satisfying combat system with a variety of customizable abilities and playstyles.
- Engaging and thought-provoking story that explores heavy themes, encouraging multiple playthroughs for full understanding.
- The story can be cryptic and vague, making it difficult to follow without multiple playthroughs.
- Some players may find the art style confusing or hard to read during combat.
- Difficulty spikes in New Game+ can be frustrating, especially with the corruption mechanic affecting gameplay.
- story317 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Lucah: Born of a Dream" is a deeply personal and emotionally charged narrative that explores themes of trauma, identity, and religious guilt, often conveyed through abstract and cryptic storytelling. While many players appreciate its poetic and surreal presentation, the plot can be vague and requires multiple playthroughs, particularly in New Game+, to fully grasp its complexities and nuances. Overall, the storytelling is seen as both a strength and a potential barrier, appealing to those who enjoy piecing together fragmented narratives but possibly frustrating for those seeking a more straightforward experience.
“The story is a raw and deeply personal journey that puts the guilt and self-loathing brought about by religious, conservative upbringings on full display.”
“It's a hidden gem for action game aficionados with a multilayered story exploring religious angst, trauma, identity, and oppression.”
“The story is cryptic at the beginning but I'm very into that; it gives just enough away to remain up to interpretation while still having clear and emotional themes.”
“It's not a very cohesive story though; what's actually going on in the plot seems pretty vague.”
“The full context and the true ending of the story can only be achieved through New Game Plus.”
“The story is very vaguely presented, and you'll need to finish the game at least twice to get most of the plot.”
- graphics211 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and abstract art style that evokes a dreamlike atmosphere, often described as both captivating and disorienting. While many players appreciate the distinctiveness and emotional depth conveyed through the visuals, some find the aesthetics can hinder gameplay clarity, making it challenging to discern elements during combat. Overall, the art style is a polarizing yet integral aspect of the game, enhancing its thematic richness and immersive experience.
“The art style is very unique and contributes to a very dreamlike atmosphere.”
“It has a uniquely beautiful art style and fun, satisfying, and fast-paced combat.”
“The art style is something you'll only find in this game, and some of the cutscenes are borderline abstract, only understandable after you get context for them, which is quite ingenious.”
“Unfortunately, the art style can also make it really hard to figure out what you are actually looking at.”
“The minimal art style, though, does not serve the gameplay well.”
“The art style didn't help there -- sometimes I'm not sure what I'm even looking at during a dramatic moment.”
- gameplay201 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lucah" is widely praised for its depth, customization, and engaging mechanics, drawing comparisons to popular titles like Dark Souls and Bayonetta. Players appreciate the unique corruption mechanic and the satisfying combat system, which encourages quick decision-making and strategic play. While some minor flaws exist, such as a somewhat repetitive gameplay loop and a questionable rewind mechanic, the overall experience is described as polished, challenging, and rewarding, making it a standout in the action RPG genre.
“One of the most unique aspects of Lucah's gameplay is that it encourages efficient gameplay for reasons other than getting S ranks for fun.”
“The combat mechanics are really well designed, and the cryptic and symbolic story is really good as well.”
“The gameplay is a satisfying mix of traditional character action tropes blended with some of the mechanics that have made the deliberate, precise combat of the recent souls games so beloved.”
“The minimal art style, though, does not serve the gameplay well.”
“The gameplay is probably the game's weakest point.”
“I absolutely love the art style and the fact that it's a 'souls-like' enticed me further into buying it, but the gameplay is really repetitive and not very satisfying.”
- music89 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and diverse qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and matching the game's unique art style and themes. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke emotions, with a mix of energetic and eerie tracks that complement the gameplay and narrative. While some may not seek to listen to it outside of the game, the consensus is that it significantly contributes to the immersive and haunting atmosphere.
“The music is lovely; it's a very diverse and atmospheric set of tracks.”
“The creator of the OST (nicotelesca) did an absolutely fantastic job with it, pulling inspiration from a variety of sources to craft an incredibly atmospheric, moving soundtrack.”
“The music pairs with the combat and atmosphere of the game very nicely, and some of the tracks make the game feel naturally unsettling or off, which is a giant plus in my book.”
“I can accept a game having an abstruse user interface, or vague or dreary exposition, or a soundtrack that could be a chimpanzee playing with an oscillator, even come to love them for it, but a game whose visual style is migraine-inducing, makes the game world a chore to navigate and combat hard to read has pushed the bounds of what I'll tolerate.”
“You explore and mash your way through a world of chalkboard scratches and school desk graffiti while the soundtrack glong-glongs to itself in the background and characters you don't know, don't care about and can barely even identify make allusions to anxiety, depression, feelings of guilt, self-loathing, body dysmorphia, identity crises, suicidal ideation and all the other stuff that keep the well-meaning parents of middle-class teenagers awake at night, wondering what they did wrong.”
“The sullen landscapes drawn in scraggles and chalky lines, the haunting music that at times feels as if some sort of weight is bearing down on me and the lonely characters that you occasionally meet who all seem to have a single purpose in mind; to end it.”
- atmosphere50 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique art style and evocative soundtrack, which together create a dreamlike, surreal, and often oppressive environment. Reviewers note that the music enhances the emotional depth and tension of the gameplay, while the cryptic storytelling allows players to immerse themselves in the game's haunting world. Overall, the combination of striking visuals, atmospheric sound design, and engaging mechanics contributes to a compelling and memorable experience.
“The art style is very unique and contributes to a very dreamlike atmosphere.”
“The music pairs with the combat and atmosphere of the game very nicely, and some of the tracks make the game feel naturally unsettling or off, which is a giant plus in my book.”
“Decent gameplay and a few good ideas marred by an unclear and unappealing visual style (in a game that demands precise reaction) and an overwrought atmosphere of self-obsessed teenage angst.”
“The raw emotions depicted within the story, the striking visuals that leave stark memories, and the sound design with the scratching of the nightmares and haunting melodies...it all flows together into an atmosphere that's almost oppressive at times.”
“The atmosphere is surreal, cryptic, and often quietly creepy, full of weird characters and enemies.”
- emotional41 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Lucah: Born of a Dream" is profoundly impactful, resonating deeply with players through its heartfelt storytelling and exploration of themes like trauma, identity, and existential struggle. Many reviewers noted that the game evokes a wide range of emotions, from sadness to catharsis, often leaving them in tears and prompting deep reflection long after gameplay. The combination of its unique art style, poetic writing, and visceral combat creates a powerful experience that is both beautiful and haunting, making it a standout title for those seeking an emotionally rich narrative.
“This game will disturb you to at least some degree, hitting you in the deepest recesses of your heart, that highly emotional feeling that leaves an impact on you.”
“A beautiful, devastatingly heartbreaking story.”
“The most emotionally poignant game I have ever played.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, encouraging players to explore multiple endings, achievements, and master various tracks, despite its relatively short playtime of around 4-5 hours for a single run. Players appreciate the engaging combat and the option for New Game+, which adds depth and replay value for those willing to delve deeper into its themes and mechanics. Overall, while the game may be brief, it offers substantial content for those seeking to replay and fully experience its offerings.
“I highly recommend this game for its great combat, OST, cryptic but impactful storytelling, and the amount of replayability in it!”
“Overall, the game is wonderful, especially for its scale and has some great replayability with ranked combat if you want more after your first playthrough.”
“Short enough on one playthrough to 'get' general ideas in about 5 hours of gameplay, but still supplies plenty of replay value for those who want to dig deeper into the themes.”
“Also, while this game is on the shorter end of the spectrum, it offers tremendous replay value.”
“The game is pretty replayable in how it encourages you to master each track by letting you retry them as much as you want.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be tedious and frustrating, with some players recommending to skip certain sections to avoid prolonged grindy gameplay. While the combat is generally enjoyable, certain enemies and bosses have excessive health, leading to repetitive encounters. Additionally, the game's mechanics discourage grinding due to a corruption meter that penalizes players for excessive grinding, which some found to detract from the overall experience.
“I believe that the existence of that ending both explains a lot of cool things and ruins a lot more, and getting through it is not only challenging and long, but grindy and repetitive.”
“It was one of the most tedious, frustrating experiences I've had with a game and because of that I cannot recommend it to anyone.”
“The combat is just downright fun and it does what the souls genre has otherwise failed to do thus far - make it genuinely fun all around without becoming a smug contest of 'skills', when skills really just means tedious repetition and muscle memory.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is highlighted by its structured combat encounters and the ability to track performance, which encourages players to refine their skills and playstyle. However, some users note issues with performance and bugs, indicating that while the game offers a solid framework for optimization, there may be technical challenges that affect the overall experience.
“Having a numerical summary of my performance actually had me putting in a lot more effort into accomplishing things stylishly.”
“If you love games that grade your performance on clearly defined, tightly constructed combat encounters and give you a variety of weapons and skills to use and define your own unique playstyle with, you'll love Lucah.”
“I speedrun the 100% category of this game, I'm the only person who really does that right now, and my horrendously unoptimized personal best clocks in at 2 hours, 35 minutes.”
“[h1]Performance and bugs[/h1]”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of intentional absurdity and playful frustration, with players noting that the developers seem to take pleasure in challenging them, such as linking heavy attacks to the exit menu button. This creates a sense of dark humor that resonates with the game's overall tone.
“The customizable controls are very welcome, although the heavy attack being linked to the exit menu button is somewhat funny.”
“Most Souls games feel like the developers are intentionally messing with you and laughing about it; the game seems to be more for their enjoyment in screwing you over than yours.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
While the game performs well on Linux and various hardware configurations, users report significant bugs that affect overall stability.
“Runs great on Linux and performs well on virtually any hardware.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience throughout.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a very stable gameplay experience.”
“The game is plagued with bugs that disrupt gameplay.”
“I frequently encounter crashes that make it unplayable.”
“There are numerous stability issues that need to be addressed.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that character development is lacking, with some players feeling that the depressive themes are not effectively realized and that both character and world building suffer during the initial playthrough. However, the simplicity and beauty of character design are noted as a positive aspect, despite the overall shortcomings in depth and complexity.
“NPCs and enemies can be distinguished by their color, and the character design is simple and abstract yet beautifully executed.”
“The character development is rich and engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
“Each character evolves throughout the game, showcasing unique growth and transformation that enhances the overall narrative.”
“The depressive themes and lack of character development and world-building during the first playthrough didn't resonate with me, and I felt those themes weren't realized well enough.”
