Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition

Genre: Arcade

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

Lichtspeer is an Arcade-style game originally released on PC and PlayStation 4 in 2016, ported to PlayStation Vita in 2017, and then to mobile devices in 2018. When the game came to Nintendo Switch in 2017, it was released with the new subtitle Double Speer Edition, alluding to this version’s new co-op play. This Double Speer Edition was then ported to Xbox One in 2018. This game puts players in the role of a Norse warrior gifted an arsenal of laser spears and tasked with taking out a horde of enemies for the amusement of a Norse space god… thing.

The presentation here is definitely one of the elements that sets this game apart, with the game playing up its odd Germanaic sensibilities with somewhat poorly-translated text and silly nonsensical imagery. You’ll be taking out viking penguins, hipster giants, zombies, flying dog things… it’s an odd assortment of enemies that continues to diversify as you proceed through the game’s levels.

Everything in the game is rendered in a stylized, angular style with bright neon colors, as if to resemble an 80s retro-futuristic metal album cover. These 2D visuals animated in paper doll style aren’t impressive, but their distinctive look at least makes them memorable. This is all backed by a heavily-synthesized soundtrack that fits the 80s theme the game is aiming for.

The gameplay in Lichtspeer keeps players positioned at one spot as the enemy horde rushes to try to reach them, and players must simply aim the trajectory of the spear (speer?) and let loose to try to take these enemies out before they reach you. As players progress, they will be able to use in-game currency to purchase and upgrade special moves like a multi-spear throw and a laser attack. This helps to ensure that even if players encounter a more challenging level, they still have the option of grinding to improve their arsenal so they can get past that challenge.

This is a fun but simple game, but I do have two complaints here. First, that simplicity can lead to the game being somewhat monotonous. Headshotting a zombie with your spear may be fun the first time, but by the fiftieth time it’s far less thrilling. And second, while you control the angle of your speer by holding up or down on the analog stick, it’s natural to want to hold left or right to aim closer or farther, and it’s frustrating that the game won’t allow you to do that, with this occasionally leading to brief moments of disorientation.

Despite its simple and repetitive nature and a few irritating control issues, Lichtspeer is a fun Arcade-style game with enough variety to keep players coming back, and with a fun and unique presentation that makes it a fairly memorable experience. If this game’s concept appeals to you, you’ll likely find it worth a look.

tl;dr – Lichtspeer is an Arcade-style game that has players throwing laser spears at an odd assortment of enemies in an 80s retro-futuristic Norse-themed setting. It’s a bit simple and repetitive, but the unique presentation and fun gameplay should make it a fun distraction at least.

Grade: B-

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