Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth and the search for more action

[Fyonn]

The source material is pretty wide and varied. The most straight-forward way to consume the story of these characters is via the 1990 anime produced by Madhouse.

 

[Sarge]

I ordered the Blu-ray this year from Amazon.

Amazon.com: Record of Lodoss War: OVA & Chronicles of the Heroic Knight - The Complete Series [Blu-ray] : Various, Various: Movies & TV

Amazon.com: Record of Lodoss War: OVA & Chronicles of the Heroic Knight - The Complete Series [Blu-ray] : Various, Various: Movies & TV

www.amazon.com

 

[Alixsar]

The blu ray has the TV show too! That's good!

Unfortunately, it looks like complete ass and is really boring. That's bad!

But it has the OVA and it looks great! That's good!

 

[Sarge]

Yeah, the TV show is on DVD, and I haven't watched it yet. The OVA is Blu-Ray, and it looked like a quality transfer to me. I'd wanted to see the entire series for years, ever since our local Blockbuster had the initial episodes on VHS that we rented.

You can tell that the animation budget wasn't that great in the middle episodes, but I still think this artwork is some of the absolute coolest in still shots.

 

[Ludendorkk]

I played this game! It was very good, and I recommend it.

Now I'm vaguely interested in the source material, but I'm not sure where I'd find it. To those wondering if the game still works without knowing anything about it, though: yes. Not like the game really goes hard on the characterization anyway.

The entire series is streaming on Funimation service

 

[Peklo]

December 16th for Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth's console ports, for practically every platform. Physical release also forthcoming with language options, though may still need to import for it.

I'll gladly play the game again and throw it on my TV, gorgeous as it is.

 

[Gaer]

I hope the Switch port runs well.

 

[Peklo]

Luna Nights on Switch had no issues that I could detect and this shares Team Ladybug's custom game engine with it, so it'll probably be fine.

 

[Gaer]

Excellent. I love the animation that I’ve seen and I’d rather get it on Switch for convenient bedtime play.

 

[Bongo]

I forgot to post that I played this a few months back. It's fun! Much more action than search, and a very neat set of powers. Pleasantly short.

 

[Peklo]

December 16th approaches and in the interest of promoting Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth's console debut, Famitsu has published an interview with Team Ladybug, Daichi Saito of publisher Why so serious?, Koji Igarashi, and Shutaro Iida of ArtPlay for a proper Metroidvania roundtable discussion. Original article here, while I've taken the liberty of transcribing a machine translation below with all the foibles and missed context clues that come with the territory. It's only rarely unintelligible, though, and all I really did was restore the formatting cues from the source article for readability; the amazing and malleable interpretations of "Record of Lodoss War" are retained for their cultural value. Settle in for a tale of pixel art savants, scaffolds and fast game development.

[Metroidvania Roundtable] "Battle of Rhodes Island - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth" development staff, Koji Igarashi, and Shutaro Iida talk about the appeal of the game.

Rhodes Island Warfare - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, a 2D action version of the critically acclaimed Rhodes Island Warfare, will be released for home consoles in March 2021 with a full release on Steam. The game will be available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One, with a release date scheduled for December 16.

This article features a roundtable discussion between Team Ladybug, the team in charge of the game's development, the game's producer Daichi Saito, Koji Igarashi, who was a major influence on the rise of Metroidvania, and Shutaro Iida, who has worked with Igarashi on many of his games.

Team Ladybug (top left)

Indie game developer working on many 2D side-scrolling action games. Representative works include "Touhou Luna Nights", "Fate stay night RUN! RUN! Lancer", "Shin Megami Tensei: SYNCHRONICITY PROLOGUE", "Bless This Wonderful World! Resurrection of Verdia", etc.

Daichi Saito (top right)

Representative of Why so serious. In addition to this title, he has produced many of Team Ladybug's titles, including "Touhou Luna Nights".

Koji Igarashi (bottom left)

Representative director of ArtPlay. He is a game creator nicknamed "IGA" by game fans. He has worked on a number of popular titles. His most recent masterpiece is "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night".

Shutaro Iida (bottom right)

Director of ArtPlay. Together with Igarashi, he has been involved in the development of many famous titles, including "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night".

Developing actions that suit the characters to enhance the immersion of the work

--First of all, please tell us about the development process of "Lodoss Island War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth".

Saito: With the 30th anniversary of the original "Lordshima Senki" in 2018, and the publication of the first new series in 12 years, "Lordshima Senki: The Crown of Promise" (hereafter, "The Crown of Promise") in 2019, the editor in charge asked me if I had any interesting plans. He asked me if I had any interesting plans. I was told that there was a wonderful game developer, so I talked to him.

　After that, the original author, Ryo Mizuno, took a look at the prototype dots drawn by Ladybug, and he really liked them, so we decided to develop this game.

--Why did you decide to ask Ladybug to develop the game?

Saito: Ladybug's previous work, "Touhou Luna Nights", was a derivative game of "Touhou Project", and due to the size of their IP and the quality of their work, it was picked up by many users, especially the younger generation. I felt that Ladybug was attracting a lot of attention in the indie game industry, and when I heard about this project, I thought it was a great opportunity and decided to contact them.

　I thought that if Ladybug could work on "The Battle of Rhodes Island", a very large and popular IP among a wide range of generations, it would be a great opportunity to show the world the excellence of their works and their technical capabilities even more than before.

--I see. So, Mr. Saito had a high opinion of Team Ladybug's abilities. So, how did you go about developing this game?

Ladybug: When we decided to develop a game based on "The Battle of Rhodes," the first thing that came to mind was the RPG element of adventuring with a party.

　However, this game is designed to tell the story of the 100-year gap between the new "The Crown of Promise" series and the previous games, from Deedrit's perspective. What happened in that 100 years can only be depicted from Deedrit's point of view.

　That's why we naturally decided on the Metroidvania genre, where you can go on adventures by yourself, and that's how development progressed.

Saito: I think that wandering around a labyrinth by yourself and adventuring is a very lonely thing. I thought that one of the main themes of "The Battle of Rhodes" was the loneliness of Deedlit. Mr. Mizuno gave me his approval, saying, "That aspect of the game is very strong, and I think the game structure of exploring the labyrinth by yourself is right on target.

--Was there anything in particular that you focused on during development?

Ladybug: When I imagined an action game with Deedlit as the main character, I thought that the ability to fly would be a big attraction. When we were developing the game, we reviewed all the animations from "The Battle of Rhodes Island," and there are many scenes where Deedlit is drifting in the air. There are many scenes of Deedlit hovering in the air and moving freely......

　I wanted to incorporate her characteristics into an action game, so I decided to make a game that would allow her to fly freely in the air and still be enjoyable as an action game. As a result, I feel that the charm of this game is unique.

--So it's an action game that's perfect for Deedlit.

Ladybug: I also paid a lot of attention to movement to make the game more immersive. Deedlit's motion, for example. For example, at the beginning of the game, there's a scene where Deedlit wakes up in a certain place and gets up, and I was very conscious of the movement of every muscle in that scene.

　In addition, there is a scene in the main story where she enters a nightmare, and the sword that she was able to wield so easily suddenly becomes heavy and her movements slow down. The sword, which had been so easy to wield, suddenly becomes heavy and slows down, making it difficult to move as before. As you can see, we have made sure to create motions that match the situations in the main story so that you can immerse yourself in her adventures.

--What were some of the difficulties you faced in the development process?

Ladybug: In my own game development, I was conscious of designing the game to suit the characters, as well as having useful abilities from the beginning that other games have recently acquired at the end, so that the player can play with them.

　For example, in the previous game, Touhou Luna Nights, the player has the ability to stop time from the beginning, but we made various adjustments based on the premise that this ability would not make the player invincible, and we tried to create a game that was worth playing.

　In this game, Deedrit has the concept of attributes, and when it is the same genus as the enemy, it takes no damage at all. It's a very useful element, but given that these elements are there from the start, we put a lot of importance on how players can enjoy the game, and we took care in balancing them.

--Why do you give players useful abilities from the start?

Ladybug: I think it's absolutely necessary for any game to have a unique and distinctive game system. I think that every game needs to have its own unique game system, something that can't be imitated by others, something that shows the creator's attention to detail, and something that makes the game instantly recognizable at first glance.

　In this game, the attributes of the Deedrit and the ability to fly are two such things. These are useful abilities for players, but these two elements are essential for controlling Deedrit, so we incorporated them into the game. I think this is also reflected in the unique gameplay.

--How did you balance the two elements? How did you go about adjusting the balance?

Ladybug: When it comes to Deedlit's flight, in the early stages of the game, there are many situations where you can easily get through if you fly. However, as the game progresses, enemies will attack you while flying, and many of them will fire moves at you while flying. When you're flying, your movement is slow, so you might get hit by enemy attacks.

　On the other hand, when you're walking on the ground, your movement speed is faster than when you're flying in the air, so it's easier to avoid enemy attacks. By providing advantages and disadvantages for each of them, we were able to let the Deedrit fly without making the gameplay one-sided and breaking the game balance.

Team Ladybug's game creation has been greatly influenced by Koji Igarashi's work.

--Ladybug's previous game "Touhou Luna Nights" is also a Metroidvania game. Have Igarashi's works had a big influence on Ladybug's activities? Is Igarashi's work a big influence on Ladybug?

Ladybug: It's huge! I'm very honored to meet you again today. Castlevania X: "A nocturne under the moon" (hereafter referred to as "A nocturne under the moon") has had a huge influence on me. I was impressed by the overwhelming sense of immersion in "A nocturne under the moon". The movements and gestures of the characters in the game, and even the backgrounds, were very delicately and carefully depicted, with no corners cut. This made me feel that the main character, Alucard, was really alive on the other side of the screen. I loved "Nocturne Under the Moon" because it gave me a real sense of the world in the game.

　Another very minor detail is that when Alucard sits on a chair, he usually crosses his arms and legs and sits in a slightly pompous manner. In the chapel, however, he sits with his hands on his knees and is well-behaved. I was really impressed by that.

--In a chapel, their attitude changes (laughs).

Ladybug: I'm a creator myself, so I understand that drawing two motions can be tedious. However, I thought it was really wonderful that you were able to portray the characters so well without cutting corners.

Iida: The people who drew the motions were very tedious, weren't they? (laughs)

Igarashi: The motion was drawn by one of the most talented and genius creators among the developers at the time, but he was the type of person who would just go ahead with the work when he felt like it. He was a bit of a pain in the ass, but I remember that he was very excited to be working on it.

Ladybug: So that's what it was! I felt that each gesture of the characters drawn by the creators you mentioned breathed life into the characters. Alucard sits politely on a chair in the chapel, but normally he sits relaxed with his arms crossed. Just by using this one motion, you can get a sense of the character's personality from the other side of the screen. He's usually a grinch, but he's a man who respects formality.

　Also, in other games, you often see scaffolding floating in the air, but the scaffolding in "Nocturne Under the Moon" is linked to the background of the game and is set up without any sense of incongruity. I think it's unavoidable that the scaffolding in games is forcibly placed in the air because of the creator's convenience, but in "A nocturne under the moon", the scaffolding is created in accordance with the world of the game so that the player doesn't feel uncomfortable. I think that this kind of attention to detail makes the game more immersive.

Iida: We were very careful to match the scaffolding to the background so that it wouldn't float.

Igarashi: By the way, the person who was in charge of the background was also a genius.

Everyone: (laughs).

Igarashi: At the beginning of the development of "A nocturne under the moon", a genius for backgrounds and a genius for dot graphics joined the development team. I knew that they would be able to make a great game, so I asked them to do some pretty crazy things despite the various restrictions on development.

　It's hard to imagine now, but the resolution of the PlayStation was 360 dots, but we tried to increase the processing speed as much as possible by using 256 dots, and we asked them to draw in 16 colors. I asked for a lot of hard work, but they did a great job, and I was able to achieve what you just praised.

Ladybug: Sometimes there are scaffolds that are floating, but the graphics on those scaffolds look as if they have magic on them, as if they were meant to float.

Igarashi: I was very particular about that.

Iida: I didn't like the floating candlesticks. In terms of game play, there are times when floating candlesticks are utilized, but in "Nocturne Under the Moon," some of the candlesticks are floating. In subsequent games in the series, I've instructed them to properly set up the scaffolding and candlesticks to match the background.

Ladybug: In comparison to 3D games, which are photo-realistic and have realistic depth, 2D games are drawn with dot illustrations, so I think they have a kind of lie to them. However, in "A nocturne under the moon", the gestures and backgrounds are drawn in a way that makes the world seem real. I was really impressed by this sense of immersion when I was young.

　I had been making games on my own since I was young, but it was around this time that I began to think that I would one day like to create a work of the same dimension as "Nocturne Under the Moon". There are other points that impressed me, can I still talk about them?

--Please, please!

Ladybug: If you pursue realism in illustrations, you may lose the operability of the action due to processing speed, but in "A nocturne under the moon", realism is approached through gestures, etc., so operability is well secured.

　For example, in other titles, when a character jumps from one foothold to another, it is usually impossible to jump while falling, but in "A nocturne under the moon", it is possible to jump even while falling slightly.

Iida: That's right. It's possible to jump while falling. This was requested by Mr. Igarashi, but I'm sure this system has been introduced in the subsequent series as well.

Igarashi: That's partly because I'm not very good at it myself, but I included the system you just mentioned as a result of paying attention to operability and ease of play.

Ladybug: "A nocturne under the moon" has very realistic backgrounds and character motions, while still being easy to control. I thought this was a great balance. My own games don't have that level of realism and operability, but this game taught me that I have to take care of operability so that players can play easily.

--That's a very interesting story. So Ladybug, are you using Igarashi-san's games as a model for your work, and are you trying to get closer to them?

Ladybug: You're right. Highly acclaimed games have wonderful elements that make them worthy of recognition. There are many works that I refer to, and Igarashi-san's work is one of them. His work is one of them. He is a very important part of my work.

--From what you've said, I think Ladybug is like a spiritual disciple for you.

Igarashi: I'm very honored. I feel like I've made another person's life crazy (laughs). It was the same when I worked on "Tokimeki Memorial" before, and I heard many stories about people whose lives were changed by "Tokimeki Memorial". It's a great honor to be able to create something that leaves a lasting impression on someone's mind and changes their life.

--The home console version of this work, which was greatly influenced by Mr. Igarashi, is now being released, and I'd like to know how you feel about it.

Ladybug: I'm very happy. Our previous title Touhou Luna Nights was also released for home consoles, but this time we're very excited to hear that it will also be available in a packaged version.

--The Steam version of the game has been very well received, have you received any impressive feedback from users?

Ladybug: I occasionally see the game being played live, and I saw a core "Battle of Rhodes" fan playing it. I was really happy to see that he was so moved by the game. Also, I sometimes receive messages from fans, and recently I received a message saying, "I was moved to tears," which made me feel grateful that my work moved them so much.

What is it that makes Metroidvania unique?

--I'm glad to hear that. Mr. Igarashi and Mr. Iida, you've played this game, how was it?

Igarashi: It's a very high level of completion.

Iida: I was very impressed when I heard that such a large work was made by a small group of people. I'm a fan of "The Battle of Rhodes Island", especially the manga drawn by Akihiro Yamada, so I was excited to be able to fight against Flavus and Shooting Star! I was so excited. Also, I couldn't help but grin when I opened a hidden room and found the "Lump Crusher".

Igarashi: The playability was also very good. Also, I could see that you were very particular about the animation. I was very impressed by the high quality of the animation. I also appreciated the save points near the bosses. I was impressed by the fact that there were save points near the bosses, so even if you were defeated by a boss, you could immediately retry, making it easy for users to play.

Ladybug: Thank you! I'm very happy to hear that.

--In recent years, the Metroidvania genre, including this title, has been gaining a lot of momentum, especially in the indie game industry. What do you think about this situation?

Igarashi: I'm happy to see that the number of people who like the Metroidvania genre and who are creating games is increasing.

　I think the fact that it's gaining momentum means that there are a lot of games being released, and I used to love the situation where there were a lot of games being released. I used to love it when there were so many games out. "What game should I buy this week?" It was so much fun to choose from so many titles. I think Famitsu also made a list of games to be released, and I loved looking at it.

　I think it's great that so many games are being released in this way, and that the industry is becoming more vibrant and exciting.

--What do you think is the reason for the popularity of Metroidvania games?

Igarashi: I think it's because it's fun. I often talk about playing time and money in games, and in the past, most action games could be played in about one or two hours by a good player. In the past, most action games could be played in an hour or two if you were good at it. However, games cost money, so I thought it was important to make games that could be played for a long time and could be completed properly for the value of the money. Perhaps Metroidvania is a game that can easily embody the fun of such a game.

--Ladybug, are you attracted to Metroidvania for your work?

Ladybug: To tell you the truth, I'm rarely aware of the Metroidvania genre. I think of it as a 2D action game, or more specifically, a 2D open world. I think of it as a game where you can go anywhere.

　In fact, I think I'm the type of person who wants to try and put in whatever elements I think are interesting, regardless of genre, rather than thinking, "This genre should be like this."

--I see. By the way, how do you define the Metroidvania genre?

Ladybug: I think it's about being able to go anywhere. Most 2D games are basically one-way, and you can't go back. The fact that you can freely move back and forth between stages is the appeal of Metroidvania, isn't it?

Iida: I often talk with Mr. Igarashi about how Metroidvania is all about "exploring, discovering something, expanding, and growing. For me, I get a strong sense that I'm playing Metroidvania when the map fills up as I explore.

Igarashi: The term "Metroidvania" started in America, didn't it? I first learned about it during the Kickstarter campaign for "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night" in 2015. I was surprised to learn that there was such a thing as a name (laughs). When the staff asked me if I wanted to use the name "Metroidvania," I asked them if it wasn't a trademark of another company, so at first I restrained myself and called it "IGAvania."

--Indeed, at the time, you called it "IGAvania"!

Igarashi: Yes, that's right. After a while, the "Metroidvania" genre was completely established.

--What do you and Mr. Iida value in the development of Metroidvania games?

Igarashi: The most important thing is for users to play through to the end and complete the game.

Iida: I often talk about this with Mr. Igarashi, but we believe that no matter how good a game is, if you don't play it until the end, you probably won't be able to enjoy it.

　For this reason, we have made it easier to complete the game by adding growth elements like in RPGs. We also think it's important to keep the user motivated to play the game until the end, while we guide them to complete the game.

--How about you, Ladybug?

Ladybug: In my case, the most important thing in all game development is to make it fast.

--Fast?

Ladybug: Yes. I think it's very important to stay motivated when making games. If I can't maintain my motivation to make a game, the quality of my work will be affected.

　When I develop a game, I basically make it in the same order as from the start. I create stage 1, then stage 2, then stage 3......, and so on. At the beginning of the development process, you can create with a fresh mind, so you can work with high tension and produce high quality products. Then, I feel like I want to finish making the game as soon as possible.

　But I don't want to compromise in making a game. I also want the player to continue to experience the same feeling of fun that they had when they first started the game until they complete it.

　That's why I'm conscious of making the game as quickly as possible so that I can finish it while maintaining my motivation, before it feels like work.

--I see. Isn't there a contradiction between making something quickly and being particular about it?

Ladybug: That may be a contradiction. However, if I don't have a deadline, my personality will make me endlessly rework and I won't be able to move on to the next piece. Therefore, I try to set a production period that I can maintain my motivation and develop without compromising any work during this period. I think this has resulted in faster development.

Igarashi: I can really relate to the idea of making things quickly. We also don't want to make any compromises, so when we were working on "A nocturne under the moon", we made the parts we didn't want to compromise on ahead of time.

Ladybug: You're right! Especially for me, I don't like the idea of the different colored enemies that have appeared so far appearing towards the end of the game, so I made sure to work on them all the way through.

Igarashi: That's true, we've taken care of that in "Nocturne Under the Moon" as well, and there are almost no enemies that change colors.

Iida: The songs are all the same, though.

Igarashi: That's right (laughs). Compromises in some areas are unavoidable, but where compromises are unacceptable to the creator, we make them thoroughly.

Ladybug: I think that my ideal game should end with the player wanting to play a little more. I don't want the player to feel that the game is a repetition of the same story from beginning to end when they reach the final ending scene. To achieve this, I think it's important for me to maintain my motivation and persistence in development.

--By the way, are there any recent Metroidvania titles that have impressed you?

Ladybug: I spend a lot of time making games, so it's hard for me to play other people's games. Instead, I usually spend my time watching movies.

--Do you watch movies because you want to use them in your games? Or is it simply because you like them?

Ladybug: I watch them partly because I like them, and partly because I want to make use of them.

--Is there any film you've seen recently that has inspired you to make games?

Ladybug: I don't know if I can use it to make games, but I recently saw the movie "Promising Young Woman", which was very interesting. I don't know how I'm going to apply it to the game until I'm making it, but when I'm able to use a movie I've seen, it's like an idea comes out of the knowledge I've gained from watching the movie.

--Is there anything you've used from film that comes to mind?

Ladybug: There are many, but the most famous one is "The Matrix". I don't want to give away too many details here because that would spoil it, but I often refer to the movie, especially the way the backgrounds are created and the use of colors.

　I think it's best to absorb knowledge from games when you can play them, but time is limited, so I usually check out movies because I can watch them while I'm working.

--How about you, Igarashi-san and Iida-san?　

Iida: "Ori and the Will of the Wisps".

Igarashi: That was amazing.

Iida: In terms of growth elements, it may not have been much, but I think it was a very well done work.

Igarashi: The visuals were great, too.

--The visuals were particularly appealing to you.

Iida: It's the direction and visual expression. It was very difficult, but the game design was also wonderful, making you work hard until the end. I really liked the difficulty level that allowed me to keep trying without giving up.

--I understand. How do you think the Metroidvania series will develop in the future?

Ladybug: I think that we should be free to create whatever we think is interesting, without being bound by the Metroidvania genre, and by doing so, we can create even newer and more attractive works. In this game, you can gamble and play bowling mini-games, and I think it's fun to be able to play other games within the game.

Iida: I also think that there is still a lot more that can be done.

Igarashi: Technology is more advanced now than it was in the past, and we are able to do many more things, so I think there will be more things we can do. And as more and more games challenge new things, I think they will reach people who don't usually play Metroidvania.

--The Metroidvania games are now popular all over the world, but there is still a lot of room for growth, and there are things that can be done and should be done, isn't there?

Igarashi: There is still a lot that we can do.

Iida: It may not be recent, but it has given birth to a work called Roguevania.

Igarashi: The Metroidvania genre is quite vague, so I think it's possible for various elements from other genres to come into play. It seems like a lot of things could be done with it.

--Finally, do you have a message for our readers?

Saito: As a producer, I'm confident that this title will be a happy one for both fans of "The Battle of Rhodes Island" and Ladybug fans, so please look forward to future developments.

Ladybug: Please buy lots of copies! (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs).

Igarashi: I think that the characteristics of side-scrolling 2D search action games like this one are that they are easy to play and that they offer new discoveries and surprises.

　This game has inherited these characteristics and is very easy to play. I hope you will pick it up and play "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night" as well.

Iida: I believe that the core of the Metroidvania game genre is an old one. However, new elements have been introduced, and many titles in this genre are still popular today. I myself am very touched by the fact that games I played a couple of decades ago are still loved, and that I can still play them and continue to create them.

　As a developer of Metroidvania, I would be very happy if you could play this game, as it is a game that can be enjoyed by such avid Metroidvania fans.

 

[Becksworth]

Finally got around to playing through this, and was loving it right up until the boss rush near the end. Most of the bosses by this point are easy, but last 3 or 4 still provide a challenge, and given how little my health has increased over the course of the game, it's still easy to get killed by one of them and have to start all over. I ain't got time for this bullshit.

 

[4-So]

Just started playing this at lunch. The need to switch between spirits adds a layer of complexity I don't care for but everything else about the game has been aces; already enjoying it far more than Luna Nights.

 

[Becksworth]

Alright, got through the boss rush and beat the final boss. Overall a good game.

 

[Peklo]

Just as a heads-up, the delay of the Switch port now seems to have settled for a release on the 28th. Support your local ladybug.

Initially while following the game through its piecemeal early access schedule, I probably underestimated how good the soundtrack was, in retrospect. Listening to it again as a complete work, the initial worries over stock orchestral samples and stylings quickly fall off, with many of the compositions going in unexpected for the genre directions, constantly trying new things with wild time signatures, playful rhythmic distortion and novel, densely layered lines of percussion to drive the music. The tracks are also very long loops, possessing a great degree of progression to imbue a sense of chaotic development throughout. With Luna Nights they could lean on strong source material while serving up the (similarly excellent) arrangements, so this original body of work is perhaps even more impressive for how well it captures both this particular story's emotive needs and the atmosphere of the wider license it's attached to. It's why I think Ladybug do the best licensed work in the medium because they never miss with their treatments, and neither do they settle on imitation--their contributions always elevate the subject matter in its specific context.

 

[ArugulaZ]

When you first play this, you're thinking, "This is really biting off Symphony of the Night. Like, more so than Bloodstained, and that was actually made by IGA." But then you play a little more, and realize that it also takes a heaping helping of inspiration from Silhouette Mirage, which is a game I've played on two different formats and whose single enjoyable moment was when a villain lamented, "I guess I underestimated the power of soup." This is not a combination I would ever have considered, but strangely, it kind of works? It helps that you can change polarities and directions without getting punished for it, and that enemies aren't stupidly resistant to attacks if you've chosen the wrong color. Also, wind and fire have handy passive abilities, with the former granting you the ability to float and the latter breaking otherwise impassible wooden containers. On top of that, the game does a pretty good job of making the most of the lead character's abilities, particularly her arrows.

So yeah, I'm happy with what I've seen so far. It would be easy to dismiss this as just another Metrovania, as it looks and plays just like one, but the color swapping does make a big difference.

 

[Peklo]

I played through the Switch release. Pains me to say but I don't think I can recommend it in its present state: there's slowdown of both minor and extreme variety throughout the entire game. It's never a mystery as to why it triggers, but the causes are diverse enough that you can never go for long without coming across it for whatever reason; practically any visually intensive effect from tutorial screen overlays to water to arrows to spells to too many enemies to too large enemies (such as many bosses) is enough to slow the game down to a crawl. It's still "playable", and if I really strained to rationalize you could even call it another mark of Symphony-adjacent authenticity in fidelity, but nah. I hope it'll get patched to bring it up to parity with the PC release (and likely the other console ports), but I could just as well see it being left as is. It's especially frustrating as Luna Nights on the same engine didn't suffer from technical issues like this when ported.

 

[gogglebob]

I did not enjoy Luna Nights as much as I might have because I felt the bosses required some legit practice to defeat, and I felt that interrupted the flow of the explore 'em up gameplay that I otherwise enjoyed (and was generally "here for"). Now that Deedlit is on Switch, would I enjoy it?

(This is regardless of slow down. I was raised on slow down. I enjoyed Bloodstained on Switch at launch. I may have brain problems.)

 

[Mogri]

I found Deedlit's bosses to be on the easier side. But in the interest of full disclosure, I also 100%'d Luna Nights and didn't think it was too bad as long as you actively took advantage of your time manipulation abilities.

Deedlit doesn't have damage-sponge bosses. Everything dies fairly quickly, and that includes you, too, I suppose, but you also have the power to become immune to many enemy attacks, Ikaruga-style.

 

[Becksworth]

I don't recall seeing anything in the game that made me think it would run poorly on the Switch, so hopefully it's just optimization. I doubt their in-house engine is as robust as Unity/Unreal are in terms of scalability, so porting still probably takes some effort to get right, even if they've done it with a previous game.

If I was waiting for a physical version though this would be irritating because even best case scenario a patch will be needed, undermining the reason I'd want the physical cart of it to begin with.

 

[Peklo]

Ladybug's general design principles are to make their protagonists frailer than convention for the genre, but also arm them with health/meter-restoring subsystems that facilitate thrilling comebacks from the brink of disaster in the thick of it. It generally makes it so every challenging enemy, like bosses, have to be learned to a certain degree, but you're never required to completely master their quirks as attentive use of resource regeneration is what will avail you in most situations. Comparatively, Wonder Labyrinth is an easier and simpler game in its patterns than Luna Nights is, and not as demanding to reach that level of minimum insight on Deedlit's adversaries, so it'll be more comfortable to become accustomed to on an average, I think. I don't play these games for difficulty but a little time spent on understanding their respective systems and how they interact is usually enough to completely defang them, which is its own joy when you stop taking any hits at all despite the bosses doing their utmost. The patterns in this game for that purpose are a little more chaotic and sudden to react to than what Luna Nights does, so taking the odd hit or two is also a more common occurrence and something I think they purposely shifted the balance toward for the sake of the relative increase of RPG stylings in what Lodoss is and represents, in contrast with the perfect play aspirations of the shmup-derived school of design.

 

[Regulus]

I think my only contention with the bosses is that there are occasionally too many effects on the screen and it can be hard to see the things that can actually harm you.

 

[Gaer]

I played through the Switch release. Pains me to say but I don't think I can recommend it in its present state: there's slowdown of both minor and extreme variety throughout the entire game. It's never a mystery as to why it triggers, but the causes are diverse enough that you can never go for long without coming across it for whatever reason; practically any visually intensive effect from tutorial screen overlays to water to arrows to spells to too many enemies to too large enemies (such as many bosses) is enough to slow the game down to a crawl. It's still "playable", and if I really strained to rationalize you could even call it another mark of Symphony-adjacent authenticity in fidelity, but nah. I hope it'll get patched to bring it up to parity with the PC release (and likely the other console ports), but I could just as well see it being left as is. It's especially frustrating as Luna Nights on the same engine didn't suffer from technical issues like this when ported.

Thanks for the warning! I was going to get this on Switch so I could easily play in bed, but I suppose I will wait and see if there are any patches that improve performance coming.

 

[Positronic Brain]

I'm playing this on Switch so far with a software update and haven't notice any issues. Then again I'm only under one hour in and haven't met any bosses yet.

My impressions - feels more SotN than Bloodstained ever did (the 2D helps) which is good but the tiny Switch screen makes hard to see some enemies sometimes which is bad.

Oh, and the lack of introduction of the Lodoss characters makes me wonder how somebody who has never watched the anime is supposed to make sense of who these characters are. Also not thrilled how Deedlit is introduced as "the only female member" of the party and her great contribution to it distilled to "fell in love with the hero".

 

[Octopus Prime]

Oh, and the lack of introduction of the Lodoss characters makes me wonder how somebody who has never watched the anime is supposed to make sense of who these characters are. Also not thrilled how Deedlit is introduced as "the only female member" of the party and her great contribution to it distilled to "feel in love with the hero".

It’s amazingly true to the series!

 

[Positronic Brain]

It’s amazingly true to the series!

That's the most annoying part.

 

[chud_666]

I don't find it very SOTN, aside from being 2d. Doesn't have the extraness of items, equipment, abilities etc that SOTN has and Bloodstained builds on.

Not a criticism, just an observation. Still great though.

 

[Positronic Brain]

I'm sure it'll diverge later, but the overall feel (character weight, inertia, agility) is very SotNy right now, which is great because it puts me in a familiar place to start out. But I'm already Ikaguring my way out of enemy attacks and I can see how it will end up in a different place from SotN's endgame.

 

[gogglebob]

Finally got around to playing/buying this on account of the sale. I'll inevitably talk about it more on my site, but the long short of it is...
1. I really enjoyed it.
2. It is maybe my favorite Metroidvania of the last... whatever... six months? Year? I can't remember the last Metroidvania I enjoyed this much.
3. The ending made me sad. I'm gonna go lie down before I slay anymore dragons.

 

[Ludendorkk]

Making an executive decision and declaring this the General Lodoss Gaming Thread:

Record of Lodoss War Chronicle launches August 31, 2022

I have no idea if any of these are supposed to be actually worthwhile as games, but I am digging that classic Japanese computer game presentation here