Lunistice

Genre: 3D Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Lunistice is a family-friendly 3D Platformer released in 2022 on PC and Nintendo Switch. And… honestly, I can’t help but feel like this game dropped out of an alternate reality version of 1998, where developers from Sega’s Sonic Team, fed up with Sega’s internal struggles and the poor design and decisions that led to the Sega Saturn’s demise, jumped ship to develop a game for the original Sony PlayStation. The result is something that feels very much like a proto-Sonic Adventure with less of a focus on speed and more of a focus on obstacle course-style Platforming.

Visually, this game bears many of the hallmarks of a classic PlayStation game. There’s the low-resolution pixelated 3D characters and environments with lots of bright colors. In fact, the only concession here to the modern era that wouldn’t quite work on the original PlayStation is that the view distance is much farther out, without any pop-in that I noticed. As far as I’m concerned, that’s one relic of the past that can stay in the past.

However, while the graphics may evoke the PlayStation, the sound and music definitely feels like something you would have expected to hear from a first-party Sega game on one of their home consoles. For some examples, check out synthesized songs like Shrine (Home), Beach (Summer), and Amusement Park (Family). If someone told me that one of these songs was a missing track originally meant for the Sonic Adventure soundtrack, I would not doubt it for a second.

The design sensibilities here are all classic Sega as well. The levels constructed from various bits and pieces seemingly teleported out of a world and suspended in the air, with sections of the levels designed like lanes to channel you into the next area. The levels themselves being called Acts. There are plenty of little things that add up to an experience that seems absolutely inspired by Sega and specifically the original Sonic Adventure. There’s even a waterpark where sections have you blasting ahead at a faster speed, with a few loop-de-loops tossed in just to make it clear this homage is very intentional.

Here’s the thing, though – because Hana, your tanuki girl protagonist, is all about jumping and platforming rather than speed, I feel like the result is an overall better game than most 3D Sonic titles. However, that’s not to say the gameplay here feels closer to something like Mario – the level design is good here, but this is all about skillfully and efficiently making it through the levels, ideally finding all of the secrets on the way, complete with a rating at the end based on how fast you were, how many collectibles you grabbed, and how much you died.

There are a few downsides here – sometimes it’s not clear which is the main path and which is a side-path to explore for collectables. The camera needs babysitting, a common issue in games of the era this game is evoking. And probably the one biggest negative I can point to here is game length – this is a game that can be completed within 2-3 hours or so. However, with this game selling at only $5, and with plenty of replay value to be found in perfecting your run through each stage, I think that’s a steal for what is ultimately a pretty excellent Platformer.

You know, I kinda’ wonder, if Lunistice warped back through time and released at the Sega Saturn’s launch, would it have saved the Saturn? Perhaps not, but playing this game now feels like taking a trip back through time to a great game from that era we all inexplicably missed back in the day. It’s a short game and it has its rough edges here and there, but for only $5, this is an absolute steal that should be considered a must-buy for any fan of 3D Platformers and especially for those with a fondness for the early days of the genre.

tl;dr – Lunistice is a family-friendly 3D Platformer with visuals that evoke the classic PlayStation, and game design that’s a lot like Sonic Adventure with less of a focus on speed and more of a focus on platforming. The result is a brilliant love letter to the era that’s delightful to play, and while it’s a bit short and has a few minor issues here and there, for only $5 this is an absolute no-brainer for anyone who loves the Platforming genre, especially those who pine for the golden age of the genre. Do not miss this one!

Grade: B+

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