In 2019, I played hell are other demons, an astonishingly unique bullet hell platformer with stunning visual style and fresh gameplay. Perhaps it was too unique, as it didn’t captivate the world in the way it probably deserved. Either way, I knew I was in for whatever one-man development team Cuddle Monsters Games would release next. That game, lonely ruin, keeps the amazing visuals and creative combat, but puts it in the much more familiar trappings of a twin-suited roguelike. In that new form, the same tricks don’t work as strongly, even if the creativity is as on point as ever.
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Like so many of his ilk, lonely ruin casts players as an unsung hero who gains a wide variety of abilities over the course of a single run through the dungeon. The story of a broken city taken over by dark magic is only really shown in marketing materials outside of a single scene, and that’s okay. What lonely ruin lacking in narrative, it more than makes up for it in neon aesthetics.
if you know about lonely ruin Yeah, it’s probably because you saw a screenshot on social media. Intense blacks, deep blues, and rich purples combine to create a striking look that drives the rest of the game. Particle effects from magical lasers and spinning orbs fill the screen every time you lonely ruin he’s at his best, but never so much that he’s distracted from the task at hand. It’s an exceptional balance between a chaotic feast for the senses and game cues that keep you alive longer and longer as the hours tick by.
Another factor that keeps lonely ruinThe boost is the starting weapon selection of each run. Although the game pushes you towards some of the various starting abilities, you are free to choose between shooting chain lightning, unleashing an energy scythe, and filling the screen with damaging spheres. Each weapon is a significant game changer, especially when combined with the various upgrades you get along the way. This setup is an improvement over just rolling the dice and hoping for a good result, and I wish lonely ruin he brought that wit to the rest of his gameplay cycle.
Indeed, lonely ruin it feels like a winner across the board on paper. But, with all that polish coming from a single developer, something has to give. The other shoe falls when you come to terms with lonely ruinthe scope of Although similar in size to hell are other demons, lonely ruin it feels hopelessly small compared to its contemporaries simply because of genre conventions. Progression in platformers comes from completing stages, which meant that the developer’s first game felt more sprawling than it actually was. Rather, progression in this genre comes from discovery, and that’s not the game’s strong point.
Even the most modest roguelike has more weapon options and interesting perk combinations than what is available here. I had a great time going through the campaign in a dozen hours, but I don’t feel like I missed anything after I hit the end credits. That might be a blessing for some, but I prefer these types of games to replay after just one try and provide multiple paths to victory. Once you find your preferred weapon loadout and figure out which power-ups are the most beneficial, it’s simply a matter of performance to get to the end.
This changes up a bit with the secondary survival mode, which mixes things up just enough to provide a repeatable challenge that rises above the main roguelike action. You and a weapon of your choice must take on ever-growing hordes in ten-minute chunks. As your killing spree spreads further and further, you gain more power-ups for your weapons and perks to increase your stopping power. It reminds me of crimson land in the best way, even if the scope issue prevents you from going much beyond expectations.
lonely ruin It has a lot going for it if you’re looking for a new obsession that lasts a weekend instead of an entire summer. The visual style is extremely appealing whether you’re on Switch and loading up the game on the biggest screen in the house. The gameplay is fast and tight, and the weapons are fun to master. I’d rather load this developer’s earlier effort, but lonely ruin it’s a solid follow up that makes me eager to see what’s next.
Tech Raptor revised lonely ruin on Nintendo Switch using a copy provided by the publisher. It is also available for PC.