I first purchased and played Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth shortly after its initial release onto Early Access. Based on what little I played back then (a single chapter), I already knew this game was something special. Having just finished it with 100% map completion for the first time, I wanted to share my updated thoughts.

At a glance, you'd think this was a rip-off of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but RoLW:DiWL does enough to stand out that I'd argue that a lot of other games could stand to borrow some elements from it. In fact, I could say that it plays a bit like Ikaruga, though that'd also be selling the game short. This game doesn't mess around in handing out new abilities right from the start, as you'll receive a limited but versatile hover ability, a bow for firing arrows, and wind and fire elements to toggle between within the first ten minutes. What the game does with the abilities you receive is what makes it feel so unique.

There's a lot going on, and you'll need to mix things up a lot, especially during your first attempt at playing through the game. Don't cheat yourself by grinding for money and stocking up on healing items. Instead, gain an understanding of the wind and fire elements, using them to skillfully absorb various attacks while replenishing your health and magic gauges, turning the tables during a battle that you maybe didn't start quite so strongly.

Combat feels incredible in this game, especially during boss battles, and I have to attribute that to Deedlit's varied movement options and the fact that - unlike nearly every other player character I can think of in a game of this style - Deedlit doesn't stop in her tracks when you attack without jumping. She instead trudges forward at a reduced speed, and her attack animation changes to exhibit the strain and weight of her attacks.

You might think it best to avoid this movement penalty by jumping around like an idiot as you might in other games of this style, but no, you really don't have much incentive to. It's actually really refreshing, as I found myself playing so much more smoothly and not having to fight against the game mechanics as I would in some of my favorite games within the genre. You feel like a force to be reckoned with when controlling Deedlit, as her abilities are generally a simple button press (or hold) away, and there's little need to even dig around in menus.

Sure, it'll seem overwhelming at first, but you'll eventually find yourself switching between elements to raise each element's level or to restore health based on the situation, all while steadily walking forward and poking holes in whatever's in your path. Maybe you need the increased air control that wind provides you with during jumps. Maybe you need the invincibility frames of the slide provided by fire.

Either way, you'll eventually find yourself switching back and forth to exploit enemies' weaknesses with ease, thanks to plenty of surface-level HUD information and well-designed controls. Again, no need to dig through menus. No managing equipment load-outs in menus. No wasting time collecting items that make the game less of a chore to play. Heck, there's even a mini-map that'll help to reduce how often you need to view the full map.

The soundtrack warrants some mention, as well. The music really drives you forward, and I love the fact that it manages to be really intense while also sounding really elegant at times. It's an interesting mix, to say the least.

Is RoLW:DiWL perfect? Certainly not. There's definitely some great level design in spots, but the game does suffer in plenty of other areas in this regard. It'd probably make more sense to allow for right-stick aiming with the bow. The story isn't particularly interesting. The game relies a bit too much on locked doors (though the game at least doesn't insist on stuffing keys into your inventory at every turn). Still, this game does so much right that it's hard not to want to sing its praises. I may not play through this game 100+ times like I did with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but I hope it manages to influence future games in the genre.