I performed 40 video games throughout my time at PAX East and GDC, and none of them had been even near rivaling Lucid. I walked into my demo feeling haggard and road-weary; late nights and over every week on the street working videogame conventions is enjoyable, nevertheless it additionally takes a toll – and this was my final demo of the journey. However talking with Eric Manahan, the founding father of Matte Black Studio and solo developer behind Lucid, was restorative. His pleasure to indicate off his first sport was infectious, and Lucid simply lived as much as the excessive expectations he set for me.
Drawing inspiration from Celeste, Mega Man, Tremendous Metroid, Darkish Souls, DOOM 2016, and traditional Zelda titles, Lucid simply sounds too good to be true. But when my demo is any indication of the ultimate product, Matte Black Studio goes to have a critical hit on its fingers when the platform sport ultimately lands.
Now, I do know I simply listed plenty of diversified influences, however you’ll be able to see flashes of Mega Man and Tremendous Metroid – even Ninja Gaiden – in Lucid’s intricate stage design. That’s to not say it’s only a collage or homage, although; every level the place a kind of inspirations shines by way of is exclusive, moderately than one thing that’s been lifted from elsewhere and plopped in haphazardly.
Lucid presents you with intelligent, difficult stage design whereas balancing out the issue with versatile and forgiving motion methods. One thing I appreciated concerning the part I performed was that, if you wish to, you don’t even want to the touch the bottom as you blaze by way of ranges – it’s all a matter of chaining collectively aerial dashes and regaining your double leap with every slash out of your sword. However, in the event you’re nonetheless discovering your sea legs with its admittedly complicated controls, you’ll be able to go sluggish and tackle every part one after the other. Nailing this type of versatile stage design is crucial to constructing a sport that each champions traversal and encourages you to do fancy platforming.
When you get the grasp of your sprint, double leap, and some environmental instruments (patches of vivid blue crystals prolong your sprint, for example), you’re let unfastened in a platforming playground. There are vines to slash by way of to regain your aerial sprint and enemies to blast along with your Mega Man-like gun.
I didn’t get far sufficient into the demo to see every thing Lucid gives, however Manahan advised me about his strategy to designing style staples, like quick journey and save factors. The latter, for instance, perform extra like a Darkish Souls bonfire than a Metroid save room. Along with saving your sport, save factors allow you to modify and energy up your character’s talents by equipping talismans that unlock new talents.
Manahan additionally talked about that he was taking a novel strategy to quick journey, one which acts as a double-edged sword. Whereas he didn’t go too in-depth about it, it appears you’ll want to choose and select your required journey factors, making backtracking a extra delicate dance that capitalizes on savvy useful resource administration. His stance on quick journey is laser-focused on making the traversal itself enjoyable, proscribing quick journey to moments the place it’s completely crucial. “If traversal is 50% of the sport and your traversal isn’t enjoyable, you’re leaving cash on the desk,” he tells me. This no-holds-barred strategy to traversal factors to an unabashed confidence and perception in his imaginative and prescient that has me excited.
However past the pure pleasure of Lucid’s motion, practically each supplemental side of the sport added the icing on prime of an already scrumptious cake. Excessive-fidelity, flashy pixel graphics make each slash, sprint, and leap really feel responsive and weighty. In addition they enable every surroundings to pop with attractive artwork and small, bespoke animations, making the world of Lucid really feel alive and vibrant.
Ever since I put it down, I haven’t been in a position to cease serious about Lucid. If my hands-on time with the primary half hour or so is any indication, this might be a must-play platformer that may stand alongside the very best Metroidvania video games in defining what the style can and needs to be.
