Lumo is a classic game that stays up to date with modern tools. The game's charming adventure easily bridges the gap between retro and modern.
"Lumo is a contemporary isometric adventure game, harkening back to the classic games of the 80s and 90s. With over 400 rooms, four zones, and six hidden mini-games, players will enjoy challenging gameplay and nostalgic touches. The game offers depth and discovery for those willing to search for it."
Reviews
- Lumo is a beautifully crafted platformer that pays homage to classic isometric adventure games, featuring charming visuals and a nostalgic atmosphere.
- The game offers a delightful mix of challenging puzzles and platforming, with many hidden secrets that encourage exploration and replayability.
- Players appreciate the responsive controls and clever level design, which provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment when overcoming obstacles.
- The isometric perspective and fixed camera angles can lead to frustrating gameplay, making it difficult to judge jumps and navigate levels accurately.
- Many players found the game to be overly linear, with a lack of meaningful exploration and the potential to lock themselves out of collectibles.
- The autosave system and lack of backtracking options can be frustrating, especially for completionists who want to explore every area without starting over.
- graphics15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their vibrant, colorful visuals that evoke nostalgia and create a whimsical atmosphere reminiscent of classic isometric adventure games. Players appreciate the charming art style and polished presentation, which enhance the overall experience, although some express frustration with gameplay mechanics that can detract from the enjoyment. Overall, the graphics are described as "very pretty" and contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“The game pays homage to classic isometric adventure games, featuring vibrant and colorful visuals that evoke a sense of wonder and whimsy.”
“Combined with the delightful visuals, Lumo creates a sense of nostalgia and warmth that will appeal to both old and new players alike.”
“A sumptuous homage to the isometric action adventure games popularized by companies such as Ultimate in the eighties, brought up to date with graphics and polish from the modern era.”
“It's everything there, including the fixed camera angles, cute graphics, and puzzles made difficult because of perspective ambiguity.”
“I don't know what was the reason, maybe the graphics, maybe something else, but I couldn't make myself love the character and be passionate about him getting safe to the next location.”
“Graphics: very pretty!”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of classic isometric platforming and puzzle-solving, featuring new mechanics and challenges in each level. However, it has received criticism for its frustrating controls, excessive hitboxes, and punishing difficulty, which can detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the clever mechanics and nostalgic design, others find the gameplay bland and tedious.
“Each level presents new obstacles and mechanics that require careful observation and strategic thinking to overcome.”
“Awesome design and pretty damn good gameplay.”
“Gameplay: it's very classic isometric platforming, with puzzles to solve and loads of little secrets and collectibles.”
“I really would have enjoyed it since I enjoyed the games it was inspired by, but the game design choices (forced perspective 3D instead of isometric, collisions and gameplay depending on the physics engine...) made it barely tolerable.”
“The gameplay is not interesting, and brings only tedium to mind.”
“The game is charming, but the gameplay is bland and gets very punishing as the game progresses, with mazes, time limits, and annoying pitfalls.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as whimsical and reminiscent of 8-bit and 16-bit eras, enhancing the nostalgic feel. While some players appreciate the beautiful soundscapes and how well the audio blends with gameplay, others find it repetitive and lacking variety, with some even feeling it to be one of the game's weaker aspects. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for its charm and ability to complement the game's atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding its repetitiveness.
“The whimsical soundtrack sets the tone, transporting you back to the era of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming.”
“Special shout out to the music which I had to search out and buy.”
“Audio: beautiful music and the sound effects blend well with the rest of the game.”
“Audio and music are arguably its weakest parts.”
“Gets really repetitive and old really quick; only one song played during the hour I played. All the rooms look the same, and the puzzles aren't hard but instead consist of frustratingly difficult and precise jumps, which are made harder by the isometric view.”
“Special shout out to the music, which I had to search out and buy.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Lumo is widely praised for its captivating visuals that transport players to a magical realm, blending nostalgic elements of classic isometric adventure games with modern aesthetics. While some reviews note inconsistencies in controls and linear dungeon layouts, the overall ambiance, enhanced by charming visuals and ambient music, creates a delightful experience reminiscent of 80s and 90s gaming. The quirky themes and whimsical elements further contribute to a unique and engaging atmosphere that appeals to a broad audience.
“From ancient ruins to enchanted forests, Lumo's visuals create a captivating atmosphere that transports you to a magical realm.”
“Lumo captures the essence of classic isometric adventure games, creating a nostalgic atmosphere that will resonate with fans of the genre.”
“It has such a gorgeous look and feel, coupled with the chilled ambient electronica atmosphere; it's a really lovely looking experience.”
“Controls are wonky and inconsistent, the atmosphere is absent, and the dungeon layout is entirely linear.”
“The theme and atmosphere have a silly whiff to it and, honestly, it just makes it better, you are a teen going to your school science show then you enter your broken PC as a walking infant to gather the necessary parts to fix it, where you can also collect rubber ducks for whatever reason.”
“It will take too long to list all features of this outstanding work, so I'll just say that this is a must-have if you like 80/90s games and want to see it modernized to today's standards without losing the key atmosphere.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by subtle environmental storytelling and visual cues that encourage players to piece together the narrative at their own pace. However, many users feel that the story lacks clarity and depth, with some noting a significant absence of narrative direction for a substantial portion of the game, leading to a less engaging experience overall.
“The game's narrative is conveyed through subtle environmental storytelling and visual cues, allowing you to piece together the larger story at your own pace.”
“I do wish it had a more refined story; it almost seemed like there was something there, but it just wasn't clear enough.”
“Add to that a forgettable sound design and complete absence of any story or long-term goal for about half of the game, and you end up with no reason to play at all.”
“I wish the story was more fleshed out, but that doesn't really matter in the end.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some users report a frustrating experience filled with bugs, others note a lack of crashes and glitches, indicating a generally stable performance.
“A buggy and frustrating mess of a game.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninteresting, with the lack of challenge becoming apparent only midway through. This results in a gameplay experience that feels monotonous rather than engaging.
“The gameplay is not interesting and only brings to mind a sense of tedium.”
“The problem, however, is that it takes until the middle of the game for some of the rooms to become particularly tedious, which makes this game less challenging.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being overly linear and lacking the depth expected from a title that pays homage to classic isometric games, leading to a less engaging experience for players.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it both funny and challenging, adding an enjoyable layer to the gameplay experience.
“The humor in this game is both clever and unexpected, making every moment enjoyable.”
“I love how the game balances humor with challenging gameplay; it keeps me engaged and laughing.”
“The witty dialogue and hilarious situations had me chuckling throughout my entire playthrough.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to "Lumo," often comparing it to "Solstice" and "Equinox" due to its nostalgic elements. While some feel the game could benefit from more enemies, they appreciate the challenge presented by the room designs, allowing them to overlook this shortcoming.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability thanks to numerous hidden secrets and an "old-school" speedrun mode that challenges players with limited lives.
“There is quite a bit of replay value due to the many hidden secrets and the 'old-school' speedrun mode, which has limited lives.”
“The game offers multiple endings and various character paths, making each playthrough feel unique and encouraging you to explore different choices.”
“With its procedurally generated levels, every run feels fresh and exciting, providing endless opportunities for new experiences.”
“The game lacks significant replayability, as once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return.”
“After finishing the game, I found that there were no compelling reasons to play through it again; the experience felt complete.”
“While the initial playthrough was enjoyable, the lack of varied outcomes or different paths made replaying it feel redundant.”
Critic Reviews
Lumo Review – The Past Meets the Future
Lumo is a classic game that stays up to date with modern tools. The game's charming adventure easily bridges the gap between retro and modern.
90%LUMO Review
LUMO is a surprisingly fun throwback to a genre of puzzle adventures lost to the winds of time, and also a loving nod to the career of its creator. It's an enjoyable dungeon crawler with some fiendish puzzles and punishing death traps. This game's slight – those with even a passing skill at puzzle games can best it on the adventure difficulty in a couple of stretches – but there's plenty of collectibles to get and enough hidden Easter eggs to warrant multiple playthroughs.
80%Lumo review
A fun, imaginative platformer that’s full of ideas, but prepare to die, a lot.
75%