As indie game development has massively ramped up over the past decade or so, there’s also been an equivalent rise in the popularity of the Metroidvania genre. We’ve seen countless fascinating examples of how elements of the genre can be bent or expanded upon to create amazing new experiences, but one of the finest examples of a Metroidvania came with the launch of La-Mulana as a freeware game in 2005. The unique focus on uncompromising puzzle design and high difficulty made the sidescroller a cult hit, and its status was only furthered with the remake that came a few years later. Still, developer Nigoro evidently had more that it wanted to explore with the concept of La-Mulana, which led to the creation of a Kickstarter in January 2014 for La-Mulana 2.
The crowdfunding effort was a resounding success, with the campaign raising over a quarter of a million dollars, and La-Mulana 2 then saw its initial debut relatively recently in July of 2018. Now, the title has finally made its way to the Switch, and we’re happy to report that Nigoro lost none of the magic that made the original such a unique and captivating experience. If anything, the studio outdid itself with this sophomore effort, crafting an adventure that feels better paced and more cohesive than its predecessor, while also being more fun to play overall.
The story picks up not long after the ending of La-Mulana, though this time former protagonist Lemeza is nowhere to be found. You play instead as his daughter Lumisa, who has followed in her father’s footsteps in archaeology and now finds herself back at the ruins that Lemeza once explored himself. Since the events of that game, the ruins of La-Mulana have been turned into a tourist attraction and a small community has sprung up around it, but there’s trouble in the air as monsters have begun appearing and attacking the locals. Lumisa steps in, then, both to get to the bottom of why matters are seeming to get out of hand and to discover where her missing father has gone. It doesn’t take long for her to discover the entrance to a new set of ruins, however, called “Eg-Lana” which seem to hold the answers she’s seeking.
The original La-Mulana had a delightful way of weaving in a fascinating mythos throughout its cryptic puzzles and gameplay, but La-Mulana 2 takes the storytelling a step further. There are more NPCs to interact with than before, and though many of them don’t have a whole lot to add individually, it’s the cumulative effect of having more characters in play that adds more stakes to the story. That’s not to say that you’re bludgeoned with conversations and interactions at every turn – this is very much still an isolated and lonely journey – but we rather enjoyed the extra flavour that these characters bring to the experience. And though the story certainly isn’t the focus of this adventure, it’s satisfying how it builds upon the events and mythos of the previous game in logical and sometimes surprising ways.
Gameplay has remained largely unchanged from the original, which is to say that it is infuriatingly uncompromising in the best of ways. The moment-to-moment action takes the shape of a typical Metroidvania, with you exploring a sprawling 2D map comprised of several interconnected areas, each of which are packed with secrets, monsters, traps, and boss fights. The key thing here, however, is that poor Lumisa – much like her father – has all the resiliency of a leaf blowing through the wind. One step on a well-concealed pressure plate, and the ceiling caves in, killing her instantly. One accidental whip-crack on a seemingly innocuous wall can cause an all-seeing eye to atomize her with a blue bolt of lightning.
Everything in this accursed Eg-Lana is out to kill you and is adept at doing so, and matters are not helped by the fact that checkpoints are scarce. Sure, you can almost always just warp back to the surface to heal Lumisa up, but that could mean having to spend another twenty minutes retracing your steps. The alternative, of course, is pushing onward and hoping you don’t make one of the countless easy mistakes a blind player can make, resulting in Lumisa’s death and a subsequent trip to the last place you saved at. Thirty minutes of gameplay can go up in smoke just like that, leading to a deliciously tense experience all around as you constantly have to weigh your confidence against the risks at hand.
As if that isn’t enough, La-Mulana 2 carries on the tradition of almost hilariously obtuse and intricate puzzle design. Your whole experience is ultimately in service of this, as you traipse all over heaven and earth in search of obscure clues and trying to make some goddamned sense of the rat’s nest of clues you already have. Given the relatively non-linear setup of La-Mulana 2, this can lead to some truly maddening moments. Is that cryptic message relevant, or will you not be needing that for several more hours? How did you get to the room you’re in? Are you even supposed to be at this point?
The answers are always there, but La-Mulana 2 sure isn’t going to just give them to you, and it’s all too easy to overlook things and not recognize their importance until you’ve spent hours running in circles. It’s a real testament to La-Mulana 2’s design, then, that it doesn’t completely fall apart. A lesser experience would drive players away with this level of difficulty, yet somehow La-Mulana 2 knows how to give you just enough of a sense of forward progress that you can’t bring yourself to quit outright. There are few games that can offer such a sense of satisfaction when you finally figure out a secret, and though you’ll struggle to do so in La-Mulana 2, it is doable.
We feel special attention must be paid to the better controls this time around, too. Unlike her father, Lumisa has discovered the secret of mid-air momentum change, giving her much more control in the many precarious platforming portions she’ll endure. Though you still sink like a stone if you happen to have Lumisa walk off a ledge rather than leaping off of it, this relatively minor change to the control scheme goes a long way in making La-Mulana 2 the superior experience in terms of moment-to-moment gameplay. A similar thing could be said for the overall sense of progression, too. It feels like you obtain upgrades and secrets just a little more often than you did in the original La-Mulana, making for a better paced or more rewarding experience that continually baits you with the promise of more challenge.
Presentation remains largely unchanged from the original, going for a 16-bit aesthetic that itself is based on old MSX software. The key thing here, however, is that a little more attention has been paid to imbuing greater detail in some areas. Most encounters with NPCs will lead to a cutaway to a screen where you view detailed art of that character as they speak to you, sometimes with surprising effects thrown in. And as Lumisa works her way through the ruins, little things like the way that her hair flips after a jump or how her arms flail when she falls down a slope indicate a higher quality of animation. Bosses are another highlight here, with the massive, detailed sprites of the monsters proving to be a visual spectacle and a sight to behold. Generally speaking, not much is changed, then, from the original La Mulana, but the key areas where improvements have been made stand out in the best way.
Conclusion
The original La-Mulana was a masterpiece in its own right, but we’d contend that it’s been edged out by the sequel. What we have here is an expertly-paced, crushingly difficult, and utterly mystifying adventure that constantly beckons you to explore deeper and acquaint yourself with its unique charms. La-Mulana 2 definitely isn’t for everybody – if you consider yourself an impatient or clumsy player, steer clear – but those who put in the time and effort to crack this nut will be deeply satisfied that they did so. We’d give La-Mulana 2 a high recommendation for anybody looking for a deep and challenging new Metroidvania for their Switch; it’s an acquired taste, but one you will come to savour.
Comments 26
This could well be my favorite game ever made, what more can I say.
Love that “crushing difficulty” is listed as a pro!
I love everything about this (except the character sprites, but I can get over that) so it is a definite pick up for me.
NEED!
[Yes, that is all I have to say, NL]
Loved the first, eager to try the second.
This shall be my reward once I finally actually finish La-Mulana 1, I absolutely adore that game so obviously I'd love to try the sequel. I really hope the soundtrack in this is as awesome as the original.
@Krull Says a lot about the reviewer's taste which is why I was kind of dismissive of this review. To each their own.
@JayJ Agreed. Personally, I feel that a lot of games today are catered to the lowest common denominator to increase accessibility. Not to say that's wrong, but I find it refreshing to play a game that's well-designed around it's difficulty and isn't afraid to make you work hard to get the most enjoyment out of it. Luckily, there are plenty of games to cater to both camps these days.
@SwitchVogel Oh for sure, and I know a lot of gamers can relate to that.
Definitely on my wishlist! Still can’t get enough metroidvanias😊
@SwitchVogel exactly, I think the difficulty aspect in reviews is often mishandled, but not in this case.
It's important to weigh it against the intent of the game: in a game like this or Dark Souls it is a pro, because it's the point of the whole experience. In other games that want to be more accessible, an uneven difficulty spike is undoubtedly a con.
That's why it didn't make sense to have difficulty as a con in the DOOM 64 review, DOOM games were always meant to be challenging.
But alas, these days it's very rare to find reviews that actually understand the point of what the game wants to do and why, and that's the reason why I mostly follow a handful of proven content creator such as Adam Millard.
Ranting aside, this was a very good review that captured the spirit of the game, good job Mitch 😄
@SwitchVogel Just out of curiosity: how are these graphics/aesthetics even remotely MSX-based? I've owned MSX computers and they definitely weren't capable of these kinds of graphics.
Now, if you would have said Amiga-based, which actually WAS more akin to 16 bit graphics, then I would have been able to agree...
@ThanosReXXX I should've made that a bit clearer. The original La Mulana was built as a direct reference to MSX games, and if you go look up screens of the original freeware version you'll see what I mean. The game later received a 'remake' that redid it in 16-bit, and this game continued that style.
@SwitchVogel Ah, okay. Fair enough. Mystery solved. I can now stop staring intensely at these screenshots, trying to figure out what exactly is so MSX-like about the game...
Me and my girlfriend have been reviewers for a site for a while now, and we got a La-Mulana each to review. I gave the first one an eight out of ten, she gave the sequel an eight point five.
Thing is, though, the reviews got published when the embargo was lifted - May 10. What took these two extra weeks, @SwitchVogel? Not a jab, mind you. Just honest curiosity. Was it about the games' release date?
@ThanosReXXX
@AlexSora89 I didn't get my codes until the 13th, and I was alternating between the two games for a bit. Between that and the slight delay of the proofing process for the reviews, it ended up that they both came out today.
@kickerofelves I’m curious about the puzzles in this game. How do they compare with other games in this style? Usually it’s just a matter of getting a certain item to proceed, but here it sounds more point and click style adventure game. Not sure what to expect.
Btw, is that a gbv reference in your screen name?
@AlexSora89 Thanks for the vids, but as my comment explained, I had already looked it up. Neither of the current iterations hark back to the MSX, but the original freeware one did, and it had plenty of references which are now all removed, because of obvious reasons, but still nice to know.
I'm not much of a super tough platformer fan, though. It looks interesting, but at their current price points and considering me not really being a fan, I'll just put them on the "maybe someday" list.
On a side note: how are you doing? I've seen so many dreadful things from Italy on the news, so I can imagine at least some of it must affect your daily life as well. We've got measures here as well, but the situation isn't nearly as severe as in your country.
Maybe I should give this a spin before I go back and re-initiate my unfulfilled love-hate relationship with the first game. ^^
@NotTelevision it is a gbv reference! I am a musician by trade.
The puzzles in La Mulana are mostly about observation. You need to pay careful attention to the environment and decode information written on the hint tablets. Any little detail can end up being important, the name of a room, an image on the wall in the background, or some lore building flavor text. Sometimes it's about using a certain item in a specific area, sometimes it's doing a sequence of actions in the right order, there are also quite a few more standard logic puzzles thrown in as well (block pushing etc).
The tricky part is figuring out what the tablets actually mean, and keeping track of all the hints. Often a piece of information provided to you in zone 10 is referring to a puzzle in zone 2 or visa versa. I had to take a screenshot of literally every tablet in the game, and refer to them constantly to figure out what I was doing. The cool thing about this is it encourages you to pay really close attention to the lore of the game as there's no way to progress without doing so. The story and the world are deeply intertwined with the game-play. That's the magic of La-Mulana.
@kickerofelves That sounds really great actually. I’m definitely going to pick this one up.
Not many require you to get invested in the story and pick up on context clues to proceed. The last one I can remember was Obra Dinn, which was fantastic.
@NotTelevision Obra Dinn is incredible! I would recommend starting with La Mulana 1 even though it's a bit jankyer and more punishing than the sequel. The main difference is the platforming physics but I never had too much trouble with them in the first game. If you liked Rain World you'll have no trouble with this (that's slugcat in your picture right?)
@kickerofelves Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll start with the first one then.
Yeah, it’s a slugcat. Really liked the controls in Rainworld, so some jank is fine by me.
This is a game to pick up on sale. The $14.99 for a 15 year old game and the $24.99 price tag on the second one is too high in my opinion let alone $59.99 for the physical of both.
Yea I'll wait for a sale. I can see $9.99 maybe and 14.99 for the second one.
I recently started playing La-Mulana 2, and one thing I learned from the first part is that you should write down text information and pay close attention to it. Thankfully, Nintendo Switch allows you to take and open screenshots easily (you don't even need to buy the in-game text saving software). It was not possible on Nintendo Wii with La-Mulana 1, which sucked.
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