Lucidity Review (XBLA)

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a game company, spun off from a movie studio, which was a think tank for a new generation of video games. It was a golden age of gaming when free thinkers churned out great games for an adoring loyal fan base. The golden age allowed this studio to make games based off imaginative ideas. They weren’t constrained to existing intellectual property for fear of failure.

Alas, the age ended. The studio didn’t die, but it became yet another franchise-replicating studio “clone” that assaulted loyal gamers with uninspired, regurgitated trash. This story doesn’t have an ending, and its latest chapter may give us hope. We should call this chapter “Lucidity.”

Lucidity is an XBLA title that looks and feels like a storybook adventure. A little girl with a red cap, named Sofi, is protected by the player from various hazards as she embarks on a quest to find her grandmother. The bright graphics, fluid animation, and overall vibe of the game exude a quality not unlike what might be found in a children’s book. In a post-Braid world the comparisons of this latest Lucasarts title to Jonathan Blow’s masterpiece are unavoidable. So, let me get this out of the way by saying that both are similar, yet different fantastic experiences. If you enjoyed Braid’s mind-wrenching puzzles, you’ll probably dig the puzzle/platforming gameplay of Lucidity.

Lucidity is played by placing markers in front of Sofi to help her avoid hazards and enemies, clearing her path through each level to a mailbox where a letter from her grandmother is waiting for her. This plays like a cross between Tetris and Lemmings. As in Lemmings, you’ll need to place objects such as springs and fans to propel Sofi over hazards, staircases and planks to give Sofi a new path, and bombs to blow up enemies and forge new openings.

The Tetris elements come into play in that you don’t know what object you’ll get to modify Sofi’s path; it’s random. To counter-act the randomness, you’re allowed to keep one item in your “hold” queue—just like in the most recent Tetris games. While this provides the game with a welcome challenge, it can also be frustrating when you can’t seem to get the power-up you want to move Sofi the way you need to. Often, you’ll be forced to improvise.

Lucidity is a short game, but it’s full of potential replayability. My playthrough only took about 2 and a half to 3 hours with my primary goal being to simply make it to the end; however, once you do that, there’s incentive to replay the various levels to collect all the fireflies. Doing this unlocks extra bonus levels not connected to the main story. Keep in mind though that Lucidity is not an easy game. Sofi is allowed to take two hits from an enemy before she dies (this counter is reset if she gets a firefly after the first hit). If she touches certain hazards or falls off the level,  she dies instantly and the level starts over from the beginning. Also, despite appearances, this isn’t a game I’d classify as being for kids; it definitely has a dark tone that pervades throughout the latter two thirds of the game.

I found Lucidity’s story heart-wrenching and thoughtfully-expressed. It felt as if it were being told not just through the letters at the end of levels and the cutscenes at the end of each act, but rather by the design and ambiance of each level.

In the same way that Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition rekindled the spirit of the original, Lucidity seems to call upon the spirit of Loom in trying to experiment with something new that nevertheless captures the feel of a children’s fairytale.

The Good

Once Upon A Time: Lucidity’s story is one of its high points. It’s well told and the gradual shift of tone in many of the levels makes it interesting to look at with so many vivid details.

The Thinking Man’s Platformer: The gameplay here isn’t so much ‘new’ as it is just done well. The combination of gameplay makes you plan a few moves ahead and a sort of time limit placed on you in later levels forces you to think quickly and improvise based on what you’re given. Braid is probably the best game to compare Lucidity to in that they are both somewhat difficult puzzle platformers – but even that comparison is somewhat weak as their puzzle elements are so different from one another.

Sights & Sounds: The storybook art style, mellow music, and wide color pallet give Lucidity a dreamlike quality.Lucidity really is an experience where all the pieces of the package fit together nicely.

The Bad

It’s a hard knock life: If there is a complaint to be made about Lucidity, it’s that its difficulty may prohibit it from achieving mass appeal. Lucidity is easy enough to pick up and play that you could give it to non-gamers and they would grok it; however, the game is hard enough that many will probably be turned off from an experience that really should be appreciated and played from beginning to end.

The Ugly

Who will never finish the journey?: Not to be too redundant, but in a world where Rock Band has a “no-fail” option for kids and the those learning the game, it’s somewhat baffling that Lucidity doesn’t offer a “no-die” option where you can at least continue from where you die—maybe at the expense of your collected fireflies. Did no one at Lucasarts have a non-gamer play Lucidity before release? It seems like a missed opportunity that mars an otherwise immensely enjoyable experience.

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Recommendation: If you enjoyed Braid, Lucidity is an instant must-buy. If you like puzzle games or platformers, give the demo a run—it’ll probably be your speed. Everyone else, download it for a refreshing pallet cleansing experience before jumping into your next holiday released sequel driven franchise adventure. At $10 (800 MS points) there are few XBLA games I’d give a higher recommendation to.

Playthrough details: Played for around 4 or 5 hours with still a lot of fireflies to collect. Waved goodbye to the train. Our copy was graciously provided by Lucasarts.