Review for Super Lucky's Tale. Game for PC and Xbox One, the video game was released on 07/11/2017
Reviewing a platformer after playing Super Mario Odyssey is not easy, especially since standards are set inside your head so high that any other production is insufficient. If you exclude Nintendo, however, the landscape is quite bleak enough to raise the doubt that the 3D platforming genre is not actually dead.
But from time to time the market reserves some surprises fortunately and the last in chronological order responds to the name of Super Lucky's Tale, a title developed by Playful Corp. and published by Microsoft Studios.
As in any self-respecting platformer, also in Super Lucky's Tale the narration plays a completely marginal role and, honestly, better this way: the team wanted to concentrate on what makes the genre interesting: level design and platforming mechanics. The opening scene will then last a few minutes and sees the little protagonist Lucky trapped in a magical book on which the fate of the world depends. Here he will make the acquaintance of strange beings including small golems, talking caterpillars and fierce felines that will help him forge, for better or for worse, character and physical temper. In short, what emerges is a small universe well made and consistent with the various parts of which it is made up, which is endowed with a strong personality typical of the most noble productions.
What is amazing about Super Lucky's Tale though is the variety it offers the player. In fact, we find various types of levels, from the most open ones and with the possibility of 360-degree movement to those that stage 2D side scroller sections. The former are made up of small or medium-sized 3D areas, which often also develop vertically and which within them contain multiple objectives to be completed. Completing an objective will give the player a four-leaf clover which will be essential to access the next levels, a bit like it happened with the famous stars of Super Mario 64.
In these cases the level design is well done even if a little more articulated and complex levels would have added extra spice to the game formula which is often too forgiving towards the user. Different speech instead for the side scrolling portions: also in this case we will have to complete more objectives during a single level, but the platforming phases are much more challenging and fun. In fact, there will be small puzzles, secrets and traps which will therefore require a slightly more reasoned approach to the scheme that is being faced. Icing on the cake: the internship bonuses! These are in fact hit and run levels, extremely fast to complete and in which the objectives vary from time to time. A nice addition to the game formula that allows you to break the rhythm between one jump and another.
The technical sector, although not astonishing for its complexity and effects, is particularly pleasant thanks to a very successful design. The game world is represented in a really good cartoon style, made up of cuddly characters, bright colors and well-made animations. In short, everything brings to mind the glorious 3D platformers of the 90s that now seem to relive thanks to modern graphics technologies. The soundtrack is also pleasant, made up of carefree tunes and always suitable for various situations. I'm a bit sorry for some avoidable defects, such as faded textures or the poorly maintained lighting system, but overall the result is appreciable and the graphics engine is well optimized even on less powerful machines.
Super Lucky's Tale is a cute and cuddly platformer, all in all simple and not too long-lived. The reduced price and the excellent artistic direction, however, definitely raise its value so as to make it a good buy for all lovers of the genre. Super Mario Odyssey doesn't even get close, honestly, however, a comparison would be somewhat unfair since the production values are totally different. Well done Playful Corp. and so well Microsoft! The US giant wanted to support and promote a genre that too many companies seem to have abandoned by now.
► Super Lucky's Tale is a platform-type game developed by Playful Corp. and published by Microsoft for PC and Xbox One, the video game was released on 07/11/2017
