Lunistice

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,314 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Lunistice Game Cover
Lunistice is a 3D platformer giving us the best elements of 3D Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot. Short enough that it won’t take up your week but addictive enough that you may want it to.
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"Lunistice" is a single-player, 3D platformer game with a science fiction setting and an intriguing story. With wonderful graphics and fabulous music, players follow Hana the Tanuki through different dreamscapes, from old shrines to food-themed worlds, in a short, simple, and affordable experience. The game boasts high replayability with S-rank challenges, time trials, and additional characters available via free patches.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,314 reviews
music463 positive mentions
grinding24 negative mentions
  • Charming retro graphics and a catchy soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
  • Tight controls and fluid movement make platforming enjoyable and satisfying.
  • Varied level design with unique mechanics keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • music743 mentions

    The music in this game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy, upbeat nature and how well it complements the vibrant visuals and gameplay. The soundtrack is described as a standout feature, featuring a variety of themes that enhance the atmosphere of each level, often evoking nostalgia for classic platformers. Overall, the music is considered a major highlight, contributing significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.

    • “The music is fantastic and helps make replaying every level a treat.”
    • “The entire world is bursting with color, the gameplay is smooth and fast, and the soundtrack has some fantastic vibes.”
    • “Each and every song in the soundtrack is a pleasure to listen to, and I have to give a special shoutout to the music gimmick present in melancholy 5-2, although each world's BGM captures the theme and emotion each world is centered around lore-wise beautifully.”
    • “I hated the music sections because I'm bad at music.”
    • “The music is pretty generic too.”
    • “Platforming, enemies and even the stage music is near identical in each world.”
  • graphics600 mentions

    The graphics of "Lunistice" are widely praised for their charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of the PS1 and Sega Saturn eras, featuring low-poly models and vibrant colors that evoke nostalgia. Reviewers highlight the game's beautiful art style, smooth animations, and engaging level designs, which are complemented by a catchy soundtrack. Overall, the visuals are described as delightful and well-executed, enhancing the overall gameplay experience while appealing to fans of classic platformers.

    • “Lunistice is an incredibly fluid to control, fun and satisfying 3D platformer with gorgeous graphics, great level design and a smoothly rising difficulty that makes each level a blast to complete!”
    • “The art style perfectly captures the feeling of PS1 games while improving on how games actually looked like on the original PlayStation.”
    • “The visuals are gorgeous, with or without the filters.”
    • “Short and enjoyable platformer; the only downside is the tree stage; the graphics were a bit rough for me and I found it irritating to look at.”
    • “Visuals and music are interesting in theory, but in the actual game they come off as very forgettable.”
    • “It's too repetitious as well, which isn't inherently bad, but the level aesthetics rely too much on 'floating platform in the void' so the levels kinda blend together, with only a few standout examples.”
  • gameplay466 mentions

    The gameplay of "Lunistice" is characterized by its smooth controls, engaging platforming mechanics, and a nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of classic 3D platformers. While the game introduces new mechanics and challenges in each level, some players find the overall experience to be repetitive and lacking in depth, with a few frustrating sections. However, the combination of tight controls, varied level design, and a charming soundtrack creates an enjoyable and addictive gameplay loop that appeals to fans of the genre.

    • “The gameplay is fun and fast, the graphics are gorgeous, the vibes are immaculate, the price is right, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.”
    • “The gameplay loop is extremely satisfying.”
    • “The controls elegantly ride the fine line between precision and speed, the game mechanics build throughout the whole game and none of them feel redundant or under-utilized.”
    • “The game is also very short, but the repetitive sound and gameplay design of collecting hundreds of cranes per level is just tiring and annoying after the 3rd time around.”
    • “Pretty dull and disappointing. I actually bought it with high hopes, but it was a real slog to get through and I wasn't a fan of its limited mechanics and ideas.”
    • “The gameplay is simple with lots of platforming, but it never really does anything meaningful beyond going from A to B.”
  • story227 mentions

    The game's story is generally perceived as minimal and often obscured, with many players finding it lacking in depth and clarity. While some appreciate the intriguing lore presented through collectibles, others feel that the narrative is too vague or disconnected from the gameplay, leaving them wanting more substantial storytelling. Overall, the story serves as a light backdrop to the engaging platforming experience, but it may not satisfy those seeking a rich narrative.

    • “Lunistice has a fairly simple but good story, mostly obtained through collecting the letters throughout each level.”
    • “The vibes are immaculate and the story was nicely understated but evocative, and leaves me interested in learning more.”
    • “Amazing game and storyline, we get to follow this well-built story while playing a character we slowly learn about as you progress farther in the game.”
    • “The game obscures the story and ending behind collectibles that are also obscured.”
    • “Story is there and even after getting the true ending I didn't really feel much of anything, considering a lot of the story is told through a total of 3 cutscenes and a letter from each level.”
    • “If story is your thing, however, this game doesn't have much of it in its current state.”
  • replayability146 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability despite its short playtime of around 3-4 hours, thanks to varied level designs, multiple unlockable characters with unique abilities, and challenges like collectibles and speedrunning. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics that encourage repeated playthroughs, making it a worthwhile experience for both casual gamers and completionists. Overall, the combination of fun gameplay and replayable elements makes it a highly recommended title for fans of platformers.

    • “The only downside is that it's kind of short, with you probably being able to beat it in 3 or 4 hours, but there's lots of replayability.”
    • “When the game is beaten for the first time, 2 more characters with unique abilities will be unlocked to offer huge replay value.”
    • “With an average length of about 3-4 hours for the 100% ending it might not seem like a lot, but the game offers tons of replayability in the form of achieving S ranks, additional characters, and speedrunning.”
    • “Understand the collectibles encourage replayability, but they are dotted around awkwardly and you would have likely gotten most of them already.”
    • “It has a lot of replayability, though at almost 20 hours in the game I find myself very ready to take a break, at least until there is new content - which I guess is on the way!”
    • “While it can be completed in 4-5 hours, there’s a lot of replay value here for completionists and speedrunners.”
  • grinding24 mentions

    The grinding mechanics in the game receive mixed feedback; while many players find the rail grinding and speed platforming enjoyable and engaging, others feel that the requirement to 100% the game multiple times can be tedious. Some players appreciate the fun of rail grinding and the challenge it presents, but criticize the controls and repetitive nature of certain levels during repeat playthroughs. Overall, the experience can be rewarding for those who enjoy fast-paced gameplay, but may feel overwhelming for players seeking a more casual experience.

    • “It's alright, but I think having to 100% the game 3 times is very tedious.”
    • “If I had to give criticism, during repeat playthroughs on other characters, the bonus levels can feel tedious to reach as you're just replaying the original levels with a slightly different moveset.”
    • “The next to last world, which I won't spoil anything about, except that some of the grinding segments can be a bit persnickety about when you need to jump, leading to some deaths that will set you back a ways, as the last checkpoint was quite some time ago.”
  • atmosphere20 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Lunistice" is widely praised for its charming visuals, cozy gameplay, and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the game's effective use of retro graphics and superb level design, creating a captivating and immersive environment. However, some players noted a bug that disrupts the music in certain segments, detracting from the otherwise enchanting atmosphere.

    • “Adorable main character, excellent leveraging of crunchy PS1-ish graphics, superb level design, atmosphere, soundtrack... everything about Lunistice just oozes charm and personality and is executed with mastery and grace.”
    • “Extremely charming visuals with a relaxing atmosphere and gameplay.”
    • “One of the most atmospheric platformers I have ever played.”
    • “Only complaint is this weird bug I've been getting in the forest segment with the mushroom switches that activate vine rails; the music just randomly cuts off and completely kills the sense of wonder and atmosphere the dev worked so hard to capture.”
  • optimization18 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally praised, with smooth performance in windowed mode and on the Steam Deck, quick loading times, and a large draw distance for effective gameplay planning. However, some users noted issues with fullscreen mode and the lack of a comprehensive tracking system for overall performance. The game is also well-suited for speedrunning, enhancing its replayability and enjoyment.

    • “In terms of performance, it's buttery smooth at all times, loading times are quick, and the draw distance is large enough to see most collectibles from far away and plan your route.”
    • “Perfectly optimized and runs smooth, cool nostalgia options, and the gameplay itself knows exactly what it wants to be and what it's doing with itself.”
    • “While you're ranked for overall performance at the end of each level, this doesn't seem to be tracked anywhere, while your best-of for collectibles and deaths are tracked, but separately.”
    • “And these levels are all incredibly fun to play through thanks to their design, while most are linear, there is little optimization you can do all over the place to really get a satisfying flow going.”
    • “Also, this game is optimized with respect to speedrunning and I really want to try that one out too!”
  • stability18 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with tight controls and a bug-free experience, running smoothly on various platforms, including the Steam Deck. While most players report no glitches, one user noted a potential issue with a rail grind object in later stages that could disrupt gameplay. Despite this minor concern, the game is generally praised for its enjoyable performance and reliability.

    • “No glitches, tight controls, all-in-all nice, and you can get the true ending in a single sitting if you're skilled enough.”
    • “It runs great, the platforming and movement handle really well, the music is good, the characters are cute, overall just a very enjoyable little game!”
    • “Bug free as far as I can tell.”
    • “I don't know if it's buggy or I just didn't notice it properly in the first stages, but in the later stages, the rail grind object changes to something different and shortens the track. Once you reach the end of it, you just fall down and waste a jump.”
  • character development12 mentions

    The character development in the game is highlighted by its cute and visually appealing designs, particularly for enemies, which contribute to the overall gorgeous presentation. Reviewers appreciate the excellent character design alongside a compelling story and engaging gameplay, enhancing the game's charm and aesthetic appeal.

    • “This game is incredible, with a great story, soundtrack, character design, and level design.”
    • “What I got was a really good platformer game that doesn't outstay its welcome. The controls feel good, and I really like the design of the game; the character design is excellent.”
    • “+ Gorgeous presentation, including art style, color palette, character design, and UI.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    Players highlight the strong emotional connection fostered by the game's soundtrack, with many praising its ability to evoke positive feelings and nostalgia, particularly in relation to classic titles like Sonic. Despite some mixed feelings about specific tracks, the overall sentiment is that the game delivers a wholesome and heartfelt experience, making it a worthwhile play for its emotional resonance.

    • “10/10 wholesome little masterpiece.”
    • “Lunistice is a really great game that just made me feel good to play.”
    • “All the same, this is a loving and heartfelt tribute to some great games - and it's easily worth checking out for $5.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is initially charming and amusing, particularly with the unexpected sonic elements that were absent in the demo. However, this lightheartedness can quickly turn into frustration as the gameplay progresses.

    • “It is funny to see the sonic elements as they were not present in the demo at all.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

81% average critic score

Buy Lunistice

Play time

17hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
5-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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