Lumino City (game): It's beautiful but unfortunately tedious
This game is unique in the way that it was made and even if you end up like I am and quit playing it because the puzzles start to seem more annoying than fun, you can't help but admire what went into the creation of this game.
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I don't even remember how I acquired this game, I think it was gift-coded to me on Steam and it was just sitting in my library so I gave it a go. At first glance it does seem very visually different than most other games but then if you read into it a bit you come to find out that the reason why all the animation looks a bit different than other games is because this entire game including all of the characters in it, was actually constructed in real life.
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The unique art style as well as the music make the game a rather unique creation that is visually appealing. It does make me wonder about whether or not the physical creation of the objects was actually necessary though. Seems as though they could have digitized the entire process. I dunno, I'm not in the industry.
from the State of Play official channel
So can definitely applaud this very innovative, time-consuming, and artistic approach to game creation but (and there's always a but) the puzzles are really the only aspect of gameplay and they become more tedious than fun pretty quickly.
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Take this puzzle for example: There are 3 parts of this wheel that can spin in both directions and unless I missed something in the local environment there isn't really any indication as to what the hell you are lining up here or what it is meant to achieve. I was just blindly spinning the wheels looking for something to change in my environment but nothing ever did change.
There is a saving grace with these puzzles and that is the "Handy Manual" that your character carries with her. Inside this 900 page manual are tips or even outright solutions to all of the puzzles in the game and I don't know how anyone would ever solve a few of them without this book.
You also frequently get "stuck" in the progression of the game
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This area, for example, involves 4 people that you need to come and help you to start a crane at the top of the mountain but it isn't very evident where these people are. One of them was hiding behind that red dot on the bottom that is actually a window. I discovered him out of frustration as I just simply started clicking on everything in the hopes that something would happen.
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Overall, I think that this game is beautifully created and can admire that some people did something unusual and artistic to create a game. Unfortunately this limited what was able to happen in the game and the fact that there is nothing except puzzles that you encounter means that many of the puzzles are simply difficult and it simply becomes a game of "can you remember what was in the clue book that you just looked at" rather than any sort problem-solving using the environment.
I stopped playing after about an hour and don't have much intention of returning. The good news is that there are no controls to remember as it simply uses the mouse or a touchscreen.
My overall rating!
As you say, more than a game, it looks more like a work of art! It looks fun, despite your comment. When I read, I remembered an old town in my country where if you were guided by the traffic signs and on the maps of the town, you never left it: you turned around like in a maze. Some realities look like science fiction and vice versa. regards
I had heard of that one and think I recall advertisements lauding it as exercise for your brain. I can't say I ever considered getting it as I puzzle myself all damn day with business and like to relax by solving more organic puzzles, or blasting things to smithereens!
It is really neat to see a new take on a game though and the sculptures that make up the components are really fantastic. The organic feeling depth of field and neat flow of transitions is something to behold really.
Maybe it will be a 1.0 of a concept that can be polished and refined and rereleased?
Kinda cool but I can't see myself getting into it. Love to discover what is out there. Thanks!
yeah it was cool for about an hour but after the 3rd or 4th time where i am wandering around just clicking on everything hoping that something happens I lost interest.
Some of the puzzles I don't know how you would ever solve them without the "help book" that the little girl is carrying. I suppose you could turn the dials to every possible combination (there would be thousands) until you got it right!
Yah but there is no fun or skill in that. Supposed to be fun brain exercise not random monotony.
totally agree. it's rated so high on all the review pages though, it makes me feel like the rating might have been a bit rigged.
For sure.
BTW @gooddream (@ing you so I can get your attention) I bought the last 4 squares for you in @davedickeyyall's football pool. Here it is if you wanna follow along and hopefully win.
You are obviously G Dream ;)
hey man, that's really cool of you. You had me thinking that you were someone local in Chiang Mai for a minute here because there is a guy that is local who is also named Dave that has one of these
I got this game free too as part of a giveaway from Steam. I think it is funny that you shared the screenshot of the ladder area. I got so frustrated with that puzzle. I was able to find all of the people, but it was a pain having to go up and down, up and down the ladders to talk to the different people in the right order.
I am at the part with the ferris wheel right now that has all of the clothes on it. I need to get the pants for the guy in the lower area. Visually it is a great game and even though I would rather play Fallout 3,4 or Witcher 3, I am going to keep it installed so I can play it when I need a change of pace.
i gave up right before the ferris wheel with the pants. I hear that one is tough. :) I'll probably keep it on the PC and return to it from time to time. I suppose that is a benefit because ther are not controls to remember really.
Loads of work went into this and as you say it could have been digitalized and not gone to such extremes to physically make it. I think after some time all these types of games become tedious and the fun disappears.
It seriously holds a stronger point that it was all physically made and the extraordinary efforts made it stand out of the box visually. but by being booring as a game play makes interest to vanish soon.
Keep flourishing.
This is very ironic , it is visually appealing buy boring. Isn't? by the way great job .
Well, I'd say more than a game, it's kind of a mental exercise. I'd say this game is for people who want to challenge themselves rather than have a good time, it's really interesting in that respect, but this is the first time I've heard of it. Maybe later I can take a closer look :)