Developer: Eddy Games
Publisher: Eddy Games
Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
Tested on: PC
The Land of Lamia – Review
When a developer promises a story rich puzzle game, it is an exciting day indeed. When said puzzle game is also based in a fantastical fairytale land, it is even harder to stay away. The Land of Lamia, whilst also offering these two elements, brings forth a beautiful environment that just made us want to dive straight in and find out about this strange place.
Story
Sleeping soundly in their beds, Lily and Thomas are completely unsuspecting of what’s happening around them. One moment, they are in their bedroom at home. The next, their beds are transported to a different world, one they have only read about in a book – the Land of Lamia. It’s far from sunshine and smiles, though. You ought to be careful, or you might just end up petrified…
For a game that has been described as story rich, we weren’t sure at this point whether this description fits. The puzzles are certainly driven by some sort of story, but as to why Lily and Thomas have been transported to Lamia; why they have to complete these puzzles; and who the dark force is that we see hidden in the corners of the paintings, these are all questions we hope to find out the answer to with later updates. We would really love to see the story as the star of the show!
Graphics
In terms of graphics, The Land of Lamia is really attractive. Each environment looks as if it has been lovingly crafted, and all three current levels create a very different atmosphere because of this. For example, the swirling mist and dark grey-blues of Gimbels Maze gives off a creepy feeling, making you feel like you might be trapped there forever. In contrast, the Machine Island of Helona makes you feel like you have just stepped into a futuristic world full of old robot parts and metal. The characters themselves also have a unique design that emphasises and reminds you how young they are, although the big, blinking eyes are sometimes a little unnerving.
The storybook element has also been done wonderfully. It really has the style of an old book of fairytales that parents might read to their children to scare them into behaving, and looks utterly gorgeous with the combination illustrations and illuminated lettering. We can only hope that this feature might also make more of an appearance if more levels become available, maybe even perhaps as something we can flick through in game to read more about the lore of Lamia.
Sound
Although music doesn’t play a huge part within The Land of Lamia, what sounds currently exist are nicely executed. Every so often, especially in the second level (The Gate of Lamia), we can hear a minimalistic piano theme which despite its lack of usage within the game, would be a good theme if it were to recur more often. The level of sound effects available however is great. The sound of being petrified in the first level is really creepy and atmospheric, putting the player a little bit on edge as they hope to complete the level in one piece.
There is no voice acting in the game, but this feels like a wise choice made by the developer, as the sound of children shouting and whining would quickly ruin the atmosphere created by the title. It might be a nice addition though if there was an increase in the use of an underscore in order to combat the lack of dialogue, as the game can sometimes feel rather quiet.
Gameplay
The Land of Lamia features the standard controls of WSAD for movement and spacebar to jump. This is where the simplicity ends, as you must control both Lily and Thomas at once- with one other catch. Lily always likes to walk faster than Thomas, unless you press shift to get Thomas to go faster, and then it becomes a battle of getting them to go the same speed without putting one or the other in danger. This can become frustrating at times, but it is a good way of making the puzzles just that little bit more difficult.
The puzzles themselves are terribly clever. As soon as you open the book, the first part of the puzzle starts- so pay close attention to the writing as it gives you the clues to each challenge. We hope that more of these are added in the future, as they were enjoyable and allow you to get those little cogs whirring in your brain. However, the only thing that makes these puzzles fairly difficult sometimes is the camera angles. As they take time to adjust to the position of Thomas and Lily, trying to control them both whilst also staying along the path particularly in Gimbels Maze is made ten times harder, and might leave you wanting to give up completely. Don’t, though, because you’ll be missing out!
Conclusion
The Land of Lamia is a charming title, with many promising elements such as the beautiful storybook, attractive environments, and challenging but enjoyable puzzles. Our only true concerns at this moment in time are that the game itself is fairly short, music hasn’t been properly utilised, and too much is left unsaid by the story in its current state. However, these will hopefully be rectified with time, and considering this is the product of a one-man band, what exists currently is impressive indeed.
The Land of Lamia - Review,
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