- Developer: Monolith of Minds
- Publisher: Graffiti Games
- Release Date: 10/2/2022
- Price: £13.50 / $14.99
- Review code provided by Graffiti Games
Introducing: Lila’s Sky Ark Review
Game Publisher Graffiti Games has had a few great titles release recently. Two such titles would include Blue Fire and Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. It’s latest offering is from developer Monolith of Minds. Billed as a prequel to their previous title Resolution, is Lila’s Sky Arc. Early on this gives off vibes of an Alice in Wonderland style adventure. So, shall we climb aboard the Rainbow Ark?
Background
There is little in the way of an Introduction to Lila’s Sky Arc, and there’s a risk of giving away details by going into too much depth. But suffice to say Lila is tasked with defending her world from invading meanies! Setting the scene for a gorgeous top down Action Adventure game with strong Legend of Zelda Vibes.
To echo that final thought, the introduction feels a lot like the beginning of The Legend of Zelda, with Lila wandering the landscape until she uncovers the Rainbow Ark. There, the story begins to unfold as you complete objectives and traverse a wide range of biomes.
Each area has it’s own combination of regular and unique enemies that provide a barrier to Lila’s endeavors, but these are nothing compared to the boss fights throughout the game. Eventually, Lila’s adventure unfolds into a deeper story that deals with some strong existential themes, but it’s not without it’s flaws.
Gameplay
The main mechanic of Lila’s Sky Ark is a top down adventure title. There is a heavy emphasis on exploration and this is tied in with elements of puzzle solving and combat. Each world offers up a map of the area and there are fast travel points in the form of mailboxes. Because of this, there is (here it comes) an element of…. Metroidvania! (There it is).
Yes, unfortunately this is another indie title that combines a certain aesthetic with a heavily popular and some might say currently overused mechanic. This brings in one of my first real issues with the gameplay. While there is the ability to fast travel between areas, the main idea behind metroidvania titles is the sense of accomplishment when you uncover the next maguffin/ability. This isn’t really the case here, where usually I felt a profound feeling of justice at finally uncovering a new area.
A lot of the previous complaint is compounded by the fact that there is little advice or hint as to how to complete a puzzle or advance to the next part of the story at times. At times, I wasn’t even sure I was in the right area to progress in the first place. The lack of reassurance meant I spent a lot of time travelling the same areas fruitlessly, questioning if I had missed something. It was certainly enough to make me feel less inclined toward a second play through.
But it’s not all “Metroidvania Madness”
Combat in game is fairly weak. Lila doesn’t poses a weapon per se, but she does have the ability to throw stuff. At first, this is quite fun. Akin to smashing pots in Zelda games! But, quickly, the novelty wears off as mis-throw after mis-throw you realise that its a lot harder to hit your target than it should be. Joy-Con drift is not your friend in this particular instance, that’s for sure.
The game contains a crafting system also, whereby items Lila collects can be upgraded at a cost. This adds an extra layer of depth to the game, but again, because I was never sure if I needed something for an upcoming puzzle, I was reluctant to use the feature at times. This meant my un-expandable backpack quickly filled up and made me worry I was throwing away a valuable item.
Is this an Ark? Or a rabbit hole im falling down?
Where the game shows it’s strengths is in it’s aesthetics, particularly in the designing of the bosses. Each has it’s own unique design and flavour that creates an enjoyable but challenging experience. The character design as a whole is a serious strength as the mixture or quirk and humour combine well to give an overall enjoyable experience. The music is in a similar vein. It works really well with the art style and provides a more immersive experience than most indie titles. Clearly some thought has gone into matching music to the gameplay experience and it shows.
I mentioned earlier the overused elements of metroidvania gameplay and this fits with the art style also. Don’t get me wrong, the art assets and colour palettes are beautiful and create a atmosphere all its own, each area having subtle differences that make them both unique and distinct. But, this particular use of pixel based art with contrasting colour pallets is something we’ve seen a lot now, and with titles such as Celeste and Dead Cells offering similar styles, this quickly pushes Lila into a title for fans of the genre rather than new players.
I came across a few issues while playing unfortunately which made the experience a little less enjoyable. At one point I was stuck in an area of the map and unable to escape from it. Thinking I would have to start again and beginning to panic, going in and out of sleep mode, eventually Lila decided to do as she was told and get back out. I wasn’t able to recreate the bug and it’s unlikely that most people would encounter it in their play through, but it’s definitely something to be made aware of.
Final Thoughts
Lila’s Sky Ark is, on the whole, an OK gaming experience. The unique bosses and the variety of characters make this an experience that most fans of action adventure titles would at least enjoy in part. The art style and music complement the game well and will give fans a similar experience to ones they have seen before. Sometimes that is what we all need, familiarity!
The problems stem from the issues surrounding the gameplay. With a combination of bugs and tiresome mechanics that don’t always hit home, the rare occasion that a puzzle does feel rewarding is muted by the frustration of earlier endeavors.
Pros
- Gorgeous environments with well matched soundtracks
- Well planned out boss battles that are challenging, not rage-inducing
- Some well thought out puzzles
Cons
- Combat is sluggish and frustrating at times
- Gameplay is frustrating at times
- Risk of bugs that may not have been noticed / fixed
Verdict
Lila’s Sky Ark is a beautiful adventure that fans of Metroidvanias will want to embark on.
