Reviews from

in the past


Game 700!

Kind of weird that a game with so much emphasis in platforming has no shadow when a similarly isometric game like Light Crusader on the same system didn't have that much emphasis in jumping around yet it did have shadows, it makes difficult to judge perspectives gameplay-wise and graphically wise it can make things look odd, like an amateurish landscape painting with no shading.

While it can become a little reiterative compared to Light Crusader because of its large lenght, the game features a charming script and more thought out locales, so I think it balances out with the short but sweet adventure of Treasure's posterior game

Thanks Gsar for the recommendation!

This was the first isometric action game I'd played back when it came out. It was a brilliantly designed game then, and revisiting it with a new perspective only made it shine brighter.

Landstalker is an isometric action-RPG that strikes a perfect balance of exploration, action, platforming and puzzle solving, with a great story and set of characters. It's not afraid to be quite difficult at times, and to use its isometric viewpoint to up the challenge: hidden paths, difficulty aligning platforms, many a secret right at your feet if only you could see them. It's also unafraid to punish missteps with backtracking, sending you past a missed platform an onto the level below for the hajillionth time. But a zippy pace mean another shot at that jump is just a few moments away, and the tight controls with full air control are never at fault. Patience and perseverance are required, and this type of challenge may frustrate some.

The only notable flaw is in the sound: I do wish the enemies had at least a few more sound effects for getting hurt and defeated; the same few over and over is unfortunate. But repetitive yelps aside, the other effects are solid and the OST is very strong and catchy.

Landstalker's dungeons are a good illustration of how to leverage a handful of tools in an array of creative ways. Nigel can jump, swing his sword, carry objects and chuck them across a room. The steadily increasing complexity and creativity in how you have to deploy these abilities ramps up throughout the game in ways that constantly surprise and challenge, in dungeons that are sprawling and varied.

This is a masterclass of an isometric action-RPG.

Played on Genesis Mini.