Puzzle components are simple, but Lumo puts them to good use. It isn’t just pushing crates and pulling levers with Lumo. Despite this, it manages to put its own unique spin on it, including some puzzle mechanics which I have never encountered before. Imitation is truly the sincerest form of the flattery, and Lumo does this in spades. The game has obviously taken inspiration from the golden age of gaming in more than just a few winks and nods – there were more than a few puzzles that reminded me heavily of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, for example. These Easter eggs range from mini-games to complete level designs. Though there isn’t a story as such, there are certainly plenty of references to the games of the 80’s and 90’s. Lumo’s objective boils down to one thing: to have an adventure and explore this as-yet-unknown pixelated world. Not every game needs an intricate plot to be engaging, and Lumo does just fine without one. They don’t always have to make some grand political point or have a blockbuster narrative. Too often we forget that games are primarily a form of entertainment. What is the point of the game? To adventure! To explore! To enjoy yourself. Are there objectives? Not really, apart from constant progression. Is there a plot? A vague one, certainly, involving a young kid being transported to a gaming world through an arcade machine (yes, a Tron reference in the first 30 seconds of gameplay). “Being lost isn’t scary… it’s an adventure!” are the words that splash across the screen in Lumo‘s launch trailer, and also best summarise the title as a whole. Whether you want a trip down memory lane or don’t care one jot about retro and fancy a quality puzzle platformer, Lumo offers a light-hearted jaunt for anyone who could use a little less stress and a little more adventure in their lives. With modern graphics and mechanics, Lumo combines all the best things of retro and contemporary gaming. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a game that is stuck in the past: quite the opposite.
The Easter eggs, the gameplay, the camera perspective itself: it’s all a return to the substance and style of the 80’s. Lumo is, at its heart, a love letter to days gone by.
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