Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a atrocious name for an alright game. This is a 2D metroidvania that I have heard folks recommend as being similar to Symphony of the Night. I firmly disagree with that assessment but do think this game has some things going for it.

This game is based off the Record of Lodoss War franchise that I did not know anything of prior to playing this game. After the 6 hours of gameplay it took me to beat the final boss, I feel like I have no more firm a grasp as to the story or characters as when I began. Fans of the series probably will get a lot more out of this but I was completely lost. You control an elf named Deedlit who winds up in a castle populated by acquaintances both dead and alive. That's it- that's all I understood of the story and world.

The best part of this game by a wide margin is the combat. Deedlit can swap between using a wind or fire spirit as her familiar on the fly. The wind spirit gives Deedlit better traversal while the fire boosts her attack. As you attack an enemy with a given spirit attached, it builds up a meter for the opposite element. Once that meter is maximized, you can switch to and slowly regain health in the process. While you lose meter each time you are hit, you can alternate elements to beat down an enemy, switch to heal and repeat. It forms a lovely cadence, especially during boss battles.

While this is a metroidvania which typically means that area of the map are gated off until you pick up a new traversal ability. This usually takes the form of a double jump, air dash or something of that ilk. In this game there is a bit of that, but mostly areas are literally gated off until you find the right color key. This isn't bad- just left me feeling disappointed at the lost potential. The one unique ability that this game has are shooting puzzles. Deedlit draws her bow and fires arrows into gear of sorts to unlock doors, move fan blades and reposition platforms. Unfortunately, I found the bow controls to be awkward and off-putting.

"Lost potential" does seem to be a recurring phrase in my head when thinking about this game. The sprite art is gorgeous but the backgrounds and music are so forgettable. The magic system is fun but the traversal is boring. The bow puzzles are unique but control poorly. This isn't a bad game- just a frustratingly uneven one. The one incredible part of this game is the combat system and I truly hope the devs use it in a less uneven game.

If there was an option to shrug instead of give a thumbs up or down, I'd give this game a shrug. I would recommend this game to folks who are familiar with the Record of Lodoss War series and/or prefer shorter games. At the price point of $20, there are so many better metroidvanias to play for that price or less, but I cannot deny that I had an enjoyable time with the game. It's that enjoyment of the combat system that gives it the slightest edge to recommend it, even with all the caveats.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a atrocious name for an alright game. This is a 2D metroidvania that I have heard folks recommend as being similar to Symphony of the Night. I firmly disagree with that assessment but do think this game has some things going for it. This game is based off the Record of Lodoss War franchise that I did not know anything of prior to playing this game. After the 6 hours of gameplay it took me to beat the final boss, I feel like I have no more firm a grasp as to the story or characters as when I began. Fans of the series probably will get a lot more out of this but I was completely lost. You control an elf named Deedlit who winds up in a castle populated by acquaintances both dead and alive. That's it- that's all I understood of the story and world. The best part of this game by a wide margin is the combat. Deedlit can swap between using a wind or fire spirit as her familiar on the fly. The wind spirit gives Deedlit better traversal while the fire boosts her attack. As you attack an enemy with a given spirit attached, it builds up a meter for the opposite element. Once that meter is maximized, you can switch to and slowly regain health in the process. While you lose meter each time you are hit, you can alternate elements to beat down an enemy, switch to heal and repeat. It forms a lovely cadence, especially during boss battles. While this is a metroidvania which typically means that area of the map are gated off until you pick up a new traversal ability. This usually takes the form of a double jump, air dash or something of that ilk. In this game there is a bit of that, but mostly areas are literally gated off until you find the right color key. This isn't bad- just left me feeling disappointed at the lost potential. The one unique ability that this game has are shooting puzzles. Deedlit draws her bow and fires arrows into gear of sorts to unlock doors, move fan blades and reposition platforms. Unfortunately, I found the bow controls to be awkward and off-putting. "Lost potential" does seem to be a recurring phrase in my head when thinking about this game. The sprite art is gorgeous but the backgrounds and music are so forgettable. The magic system is fun but the traversal is boring. The bow puzzles are unique but control poorly. This isn't a bad game- just a frustratingly uneven one. The one incredible part of this game is the combat system and I truly hope the devs use it in a less uneven game. If there was an option to shrug instead of give a thumbs up or down, I'd give this game a shrug. I would recommend this game to folks who are familiar with the Record of Lodoss War series and/or prefer shorter games. At the price point of $20, there are so many better metroidvanias to play for that price or less, but I cannot deny that I had an enjoyable time with the game. It's that enjoyment of the combat system that gives it the slightest edge to recommend it, even with all the caveats.