After [b]Touhou Luna Nights[/b], I couldn't resist and decided to dive immediately into its spiritual successor, which is also an unexpected license to see, based on a series that, while it basically codified the Japanese variation of D&D-inspired high fantasy, has been out of the spotlight for many years. The game was developed as a companion piece to a novel that launched a new saga in the [b]Lodoss War[/b] setting (the original creator is credited as having given input to the game), although the plot is quite confusing even for people in the know, and is intended to be so until the end. For the same reason, however, you can still appreciate [b]Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth[/b] even if you are completely new to Lodoss, controlling the High Elf who is basically the face of the franchise.
The UI is almost identical to [b]Luna Nights[/b] and allowed me to familiarize myself with it immediately. Once into the game proper, however, I could see that it veers closer to the model of [b]Castlevania: Symphony of the Night[/b], with Deedlit's walking cycle looking outright plagiarized from Alucard's. Consumable items are still selectable along with spells, but pausing allows you to swap weapons and bows. The former come in a large variety, ranging from quick and short-range, to powerful weapons striking in slow and ample arcs, to even a few throwables; the latter are of course less varied, but notable are a few that throw multiple arrows, or even homing arrows. Joke weapons abound, like bows described as made of Carbon Fiber or Composite, or a rubber mallet that sells for little but is somehow more powerful than a lot of regular weapons. As only a few weapons can be considered really slow, ultimately for many it will likely come to simply using the newest strongest weapon — and selling the older ones to buy the next stronger weapon — but there's enough to fit any play style.
A very small yet greatly appreciated innovation is that a minimap is always visible in a corner of the screen.
Central to the game is what its store page calls the "Elemental Spirit" system, although I like to call it "Magic Polarity". Bringing [b]Ikaruga[/b] to mind and already used by Team Ladybug in their [b]Shin Megami Tensei[/b] mini-game, it consists of swapping between Sylph (Air) and Salamander (Fire), each giving a few perks, while also resisting enemy attacks and hazards of the same type and even recharging MP if hit by them; also, enemies killed with one Spirit release items that raise the level of the other. Having even just one of the Spirits at Level 3 causes it to recharge Deedlit's HP fairly quickly. There are some situations where a quick swap of Spirits is necessary to cross obstacles, but never so many that the mechanic would become obnoxious.
The puzzle aspect is much simpler here, just some ropes and mechanisms to hit with arrows, often ricocheting them off metal plates. More trial-and-error than strategy, and annoying when involving gears that have to be constantly hit on the same side to spin. Once again, and thankfully, there aren't too many of those.
The pixel art is a further step forward from Team Ladybug's previous games. The spritework is amazing not only for its quality, but also in the variety of monsters encountered. The huge dragon bosses stand out the most, but even some large regular enemies encountered in the dungeons are quite impressive, like the Basilisk you can see a few seconds into the trailer.
Music is more of a mixed bag, not for any lack of quality, but simply because I didn't find it terribly fitting.
Just like their previous title, the developers chose to go with a "compact" adventure and a dense map; the game lasted around 6 hours for me, and not a single minute felt boring or wasted. I could have lived without the boss rush - not the mode unlocked after completion, I'm talking about a string of several earlier bosses recycled - before the final section, though. There are lots of little details to find and love, like the Shades causing darkness until you destroy them. Did you also know that some QR codes are hidden here and there, and scanning them leads to hints?
If you even mildly like the genre, this is another must-play from Team Ladybug.
