[Review] Lunistice – Nintendo Switch

Developed By: A Grumpy Fox
Published By: Deck 13
Categories: 3D Platformer
Release Date: 11.11.22

When I was doing my playthrough of Lunistice, I was having the most fun that I’ve had with a 3D platformer in a long time. Every aspect of the game works flawlessly with one another to give the player an amazing experience for an amazing cost. Yes, if you’re someone who doesn’t like platformers to begin with, then maybe Lunistice won’t be for you. But if this genre is your jam, then this is a game that has to be on your Wishlist.

For starters, the gameplay is fantastic. I did have a few issues with controls here and there though. Sometimes I would overshoot a platform without meaning to, or even knowing, and I wasn’t able to correct myself mid jump. Other times I was going to fast for a movement input to really do much. This led to a lot of resets, but I didn’t care because I was having way too much fun.

The gameplay itself is lots of fun and you basically have full control over how fast it is. You can run straight through the course as fast as you can or you can take your time with the collectibles and enemies at your own pace. This is one aspect that I really liked when compared to other platformers because many of the ones that I played required you to be fast with lightning-fast reflexes or play at the games pre-determined pace. With Lunistice, you’re free to speed run a course or take your time to admire its beauty.

That’s right, beauty. The game doesn’t have amazing visuals but each course is crafted with a plethora of really good platforms and objects, making each area vibrant and full of life. As you progress through each levels, more types of tracks are added that make the course more chaotic but also more fun to look at.

There’s always so much going on in a level and there’s never one way to beat a level either. You can follow a linear path straight to the finish but if you want to collect all the cranes, you’re going to have to break away and follow countless branching paths and hidden areas. The gameplay is also full of a ton of great gimmicks that make each course feel fresh and more fun such as fast water slides where you need to control your turns. There’s no shortage of fun or creativity when it comes to the gameplay.

But gameplay isn’t everything that the game has to offer, there’s some amazing sound design throughout the game as well. There’s some quality voice acting and an amazing soundtrack. Overall, it’s a very good soundtrack for such a small independent game. Each course has a track, and each one flows nicely with the theme of the track and helps keep the gameplay energetic and upbeat. Not only that, but the soundtrack itself can also be purchases separately, which I thought was a nice touch.

Lunistice is a very fun game with brilliant mechanics and a great soundtrack, what more could you want? The game only costs $5 and by the time I was done playing it, I was surprised by the cost, even though it was a pretty short game. But I must admit, I did take my time with the game. I did each level a few times to see if I could collect all the cranes or if I could beat a level as fast as possible. I’m sure I could have beat the game in under two hours if I just focused on beating each level as fast as possible, but the completionist in me took around six hours and I didn’t even get all the cranes.

But it was a very good six hours, and definitely worth the price. If you’re a fan of 3D Platformers, then Lunistice is a game that you need to check out.