A stellar metroidvania-style platformer with engaging combat, unique traversal abilities, and a diverse and interesting world to explore.
Difficulty settings are fairly flexible, but dialing up the challenge a bit feels quite rewarding. Some platforming challenges are tough, but none are so brutal that they can't be overcome with a little trial and error (and the hardest ones are optional).
The myriad collectables do sometimes boil down to trivialities, but there are some fairly interesting things to be found hidden in distant corners that keep exploration exciting and worthwhile.
Mapping your way through the world is bolstered by a clever little innovation on the popular "custom map markers" mechanic: map markers can include a screenshot from the world itself, helping you remember exactly what it was you wanted to revisit.
The visual aesthetics are stylish and still manage to read very clearly. Though they can occasionally veer into being a little corny or inconsistent, it's generally nice to look at.
The Lost Crown's major lack is in its storytelling; though its many collectible messages and relics will occasionally have interesting flavor, the broad strokes of the story fall short of the promise that the endearing character designs establish. Most of the women in the story are completely sidelined as the story zeroes in on its least interesting (or at least, most abstract) elements.
There are small character moments I still like a lot, but they're so few and far between that I lost interest after a while. It's a shame, given how stylish and fun the designs tend to be.
Storytelling aside, though, the core experience here is spectacular, and genuinely stands up against the genre's juggernaut fan favorites. If you dig a metroidvania, you really really should check this out.
Difficulty settings are fairly flexible, but dialing up the challenge a bit feels quite rewarding. Some platforming challenges are tough, but none are so brutal that they can't be overcome with a little trial and error (and the hardest ones are optional).
The myriad collectables do sometimes boil down to trivialities, but there are some fairly interesting things to be found hidden in distant corners that keep exploration exciting and worthwhile.
Mapping your way through the world is bolstered by a clever little innovation on the popular "custom map markers" mechanic: map markers can include a screenshot from the world itself, helping you remember exactly what it was you wanted to revisit.
The visual aesthetics are stylish and still manage to read very clearly. Though they can occasionally veer into being a little corny or inconsistent, it's generally nice to look at.
The Lost Crown's major lack is in its storytelling; though its many collectible messages and relics will occasionally have interesting flavor, the broad strokes of the story fall short of the promise that the endearing character designs establish. Most of the women in the story are completely sidelined as the story zeroes in on its least interesting (or at least, most abstract) elements.
There are small character moments I still like a lot, but they're so few and far between that I lost interest after a while. It's a shame, given how stylish and fun the designs tend to be.
Storytelling aside, though, the core experience here is spectacular, and genuinely stands up against the genre's juggernaut fan favorites. If you dig a metroidvania, you really really should check this out.