[list]
[*][b]Goofy[/b]
[*][b]Charming[/b]
[*][b]Quirky[/b]
[*][b]Rustic[/b]
[*][b]Old-school[/b]
[/list]
These are the few words that popped into my head when I think of Legend of Hand.
[h2]Inspiration?[/h2]
By far, this game is one of the best point-and-click adventure games I've finished recently and in general. Part of it was because of the nostalgic feeling I get, reminding me of some of the classical old martial arts movies I used to watch, like The Way of the Dragon and Bloodsport, even if I have terrible memories of them, I wasn't at the right age to watch those films if I told you. If you grew up watching any martial arts films, you may cherish this game if you give it a chance.
[h2]Combat:[/h2]
Legend of Hand feels like it has taken inspiration or some form of semblance from these films, but don't worry, this game story is completely original. First things first, you can actually fight in this game, just your standard turn-based fight system, nothing special, but it's still fun to do, adding a change in pace and another layer of challenge rather than just solving puzzles. You can earn new different sets of moves either by finding them or purchasing and completing different mini-games.
My one rule of recommendation is to grind as many coins as possible. An opportunity to do that is on the blue island by fishing and earning money from it. That's particularly what I did for an hour, and I'm glad I did because some fights get hard later in the game, so you might make your life easier by doing this and who doesn't like fishing?
[h2]There's more to this than meets the eye:[/h2]
Not only is fighting the major focus. It is also filled with many mythical things happening, like a talking red cat or reptilian people. All of this highlights the developer's creative liberty for showcasing many things out of the box that were unexpected, and keeping my adrenaline up for guessing what else could happen. And the great thing about this is that there is an in-lore explanation for all of this that is satisfying.
[h2]Levels + Puzzles:[/h2]
Within this game, there are 5 levels, with 4 of the first ones being on the island where you have to find and defeat the leader of the island in combat. Throughout the game, each level gets progressively more difficult and bigger in scale, starting with the first level (the green island), which acts as a tutorial.
I found the puzzles another positive to this game. They are easy and logistical, requiring minimal backtracking. At maximum, you may struggle with 5 of them, but I will say some mini-games are more difficult than the actual puzzles. I would argue this game is more focused on giving you a good story with some wacky moments in between. Something to have fun and to not to take seriously.
[h2]Artstyle and Characters:[/h2]
I know art is subjective, so if you're one of those people who find the art style off-putting at first glance, I advise you to try to stare at it for a few minutes, and maybe you'll get used to it. As for me, I had no problem with it from the start, appreciating it more every hour I played. Although the style is crooked, musty, and can be disjointed, the people within this world are still thriving and living their lives with smiles on their faces, really like real people. I dunno, I found that something special.
Many of the characters here are very likeable and become very supportive throughout the journey. Even some of the leaders of the island who ended up becoming an 'antagonist' have a change of heart, which doesn't feel like they have a coin flip feeling, a reasonable one.
[h2]Conclusion:[/h2]
If you're still here and you still haven't considered playing this game, just watch the video below to see how a proper voicework is done. If that doesn't convince you, then I don't know what else will.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D9rzQYG1tQ
