As the development of indie game has become more prevalent in the last decade, there has also been a corresponding rise in popularity of the genre of Metroidylvania. We've seen countless examples of how elements of this genre can be translated or expanded to create an amazing new experience, but it's one of the best examples of Metroidylvania that comes with Mulana as a freeware game in 2005. An unparalleled focus on consistent puzzle design and immense complexity made the sidecroller a cult, and its status was only exacerbated by the erasure that comes again a few years later. Also, developer Negoro apparently had a lot to learn about La-Mulana's concept, which led to the launch of Kickstarter in January 2014 La-Mulana 2.
The crowdfunding effort has been a resounding success, with the campaign raising more than half a million dollars, and La-Mulana 2 saw its launch as early as July 2018. Now, the topic has finally come to the Switch, and we are happy to report that Negoro never lost the magic that made the experience a truly rewarding and exciting experience. If anything, the studio comes out with this sophomore effort, making an adventure that feels more paced and more cohesive than its predecessor, while also more fun to play overall.
The story takes place shortly after the end of La-Mulana, though this time his former agent L shout is nowhere to be found. She plays her role as her daughter Lumisa, who followed in her father's footsteps in archeology and now finds herself back in the ruins that Lema explored. Since the events of the game, the ruins of La-Mulana have been transformed into a tourist attraction and a small community has sprung up around it, but there is a problem in the air as the angels have begun to appear and attack the locals. So, Lumisa enters, both of them to get to the bottom of why things don't seem to unite and find out where his lost father has gone. It does not take him long to find the presence of a new the set of ruins, however, is called "Eg-Lana" which seems to have the answers he is seeking.
The original La-Mulana had a lovely way of weaving the delightful mythos in all its fantasy and playful scenes, but La-Mulana 2 takes the story back. There are more NPCs to interact with than ever, and although most of them do not have all the limits to add individually, it is the result of finding more characters in play that adds more stats to the story. That doesn't mean you're always included in conversations and interactions – this is still a very long and lonely journey – but we enjoyed the extra flavor brought by these characters. And while the story is actually not the focus of the story, it satisfies how it builds on the events and myths of the past game in meaningful and sometimes surprising ways.
Gameplay has remained largely unchanged from the original, which means it is in anger do not turn in the best of ways. The moment-to-moment action takes the form of a typical Metroidanian, where you find a magnificent 2D map with several interconnected locations, each of which is full of secrets, monsters, traps, and boss battles. The bottom line here, however, is that poor Lumisa – like his father – has all the stamina of a wind blowing leaf. One step on a well-hidden pressure plate, with the roof coming in, killing it instantly. One accidental blast on the wall that seems innocent, can cause an all-seeing eye to hit him with a lightning bolt.
Everything in this cursed Eg-Lana wants to kill you and is able to do so, and the news is not helped by the fact that the checkpoints are scarce. Of course, you can always look back to treat Lumisa up, but that may mean you should spend another 20 minutes retracing your steps. The opposite, of course, is progress and you hope you won't make one of the simple mistakes that a blind player can make, leading to Lumisa's death and the next journey to the final destination. Thirty minutes of gameplay can go up in smoke like that, leading to a pleasant experience all around as you always measure your self-esteem in the face of potential danger.
As if that isn't enough, La-Mulana 2 carries a tradition of weird and bizarre thinking. Your whole experience is in the application of this, as you travel across the heavens and the globe in search of invisible paths and try to do some more. the idea of a goddamned nested for the remaining information you have. Given the uneven set-up of La-Mulana 2, this can lead to some weird moments. Is that bizarre message valid, or won't you need that for many hours? How did you get to the room you're in? Do you? you should be at this point?
The answers are always there, but La-Mulana 2 sure won't just give it to you, and it's so easy to ignore things and not realize their value until you spend hours wasting a circle. It is a real sign in the construction of La-Mulana 2, therefore, that it is completely unrelated. A very small feeling can chase players with this level of difficulty, but somehow La-Mulana 2 is able to provide it out it is enough of a sense of progress that you cannot make yourself clear. There are a few games that can give you a sense of satisfaction when you finally Discover the secret, and even though you struggle to do so in La-Mulana 2, it does it is it is possible.
We feel special attention should be paid to better controls at this time, too. Unlike her father, Lumisa has discovered the secret of centralized spiritual change, giving him more control over the many difficult parts of the arena that he will endure. Or you still sink like a stone in case you have Lumisa and go off the ridge rather than skipping over it, this small change in the control scheme goes a long way in making the La-Mulana 2 a higher experience depending on the minute-by-minute game. The same can be said for the general sense of development, too. It sounds like you're getting upgrades and secrets a slightly far more often than you did in the original La-Mulana, you made yourself a better footy or rewarding experience that always wished you the promise of a challenge.
The presentation remains largely unchanged from the original, down to 16 goodness itself based on the classic MSX software. The main thing here, however, is that a lot of attention has been paid to focusing more detail on other areas. More encounters with NPCs will result in cheaper screen where you look at the detailed art of that character as they speak to you, sometimes with surprising results being thrown in. And as Lumisa works his way through the ruins, little things like his way of curling hair after a jump or how his arms bloom when he falls down a slope show the high quality of the photos. Kings are one of the highlights here, with large, detailed scenes of monsters proving to watch and watch. Usually, not much of a change, then, from the original La Mulana, but the important areas where it has developed have evolved in a very good way.
Conclusion
The original La-Mulana was a masterpiece in itself, but we argue that it was set by a sequel. What we have here is a game with a busy, hard-hitting, and fun-loving technology that always requires you to delve deeper and get acquainted with its unique charms. La-Mulana 2 without fail not everyone – if you consider yourself an impatient or impulsive player, clearly – but those who put in the time and effort to crack the nut will be deeply satisfied that they did. We give La-Mulana 2 a high recommendation for anyone looking for a new and challenging Metroidaniya with their switch; it is a acquired taste, but one you will get to taste.
