La Mulana

La Mulana is probably the most “true” Metroidvania out there. By that, I mean that it really is non-linear. You can virtually go anywhere when the game starts, you have to turn every stone to find the abilities required to make progress, and THEN you have to figure out where and how you should use these abilities. This lack of hand holding is what sometimes makes the game frustrating beyond belief, but it’s also what gives it that real sense of exploration and progress, and the uplifting feeling of accomplishment when you figure something out and reach a previously unexplored area. What makes La Mulana really awesome is that every aspect of the game work along these lines. The riddles literally span every possible level of abstraction. They require logical thinking, looking up things (Google even helped me once, and I don’t mean a walkthrough), experimentation, etc. The game does rely heavily on breakable walls, more or less requiring exhaustive search, but the more sophisticated riddles make up for it by far, and the beauty is that if you’re stuck at one place, you can go someplace else for another challenge, due to the non-linear structure of the game. Finally, an action game isn’t good without fun core gameplay, and La Mulana delivers. The game mechanics are clean, responsive, and requires the player to master the different abilities/moves one at a time if he/she wishes to complete the game. First time I played the game, I sometimes couldn’t survive to reach the ruins entrance. Now I’m traversing the ruins like a breeze. Easy to get into, hard to master.

To anyone who likes a game that challenges both mind and dexterity, I recommend playing La Mulana with as little help from walkthroughs as possible. While I did refer to a walkthrough on two weak occasions, everything else I figured out for myself. It took me months to beat it, and sometimes consecutive hours of frustration, but what a ride it was, and I’m glad I took it!

Five stars to one of the best indies ever.

PS. Did I mention it is huge?

After hitting a freeware indie dry spell, I was searching through my games folder and saw La Mulana. “Well, I might as well try it again.” About half an hour later, I was facing the first Guardian of La Mulana, and it instantly sparked a new found love for this game. I played through it in about a month on and off, and am going to attempt the Hell Temple… When I work up the nerve!

Now, I’m going to be honest here. La Mulana is a game that doesn’t pull any punches, it isn’t going to hold your hand, and there are no lengthy tutorials or an abundance of hints. You don’t gather avatar strength, you don’t get weapons upgrades aside from a few stronger whips, and the puzzles are something maddeningly difficult. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I needed a walkthrough to get through about 50% of this game.

If you have a true love for the retro, don’t mind a grand challenge, and have about 20 hours to spare, La Mulana is your new bandwagon. Everybody rants and raves about how AMAZING Cave Story is, and while I’ll admit it’s a really fun game and everyone should check it out, I honestly believe that La Mulana is far, FAR superior. The graphics style is truly reminiscent of old school PC games (the MSX, specifically) and the HUGE labyrinth is colorful and varied. The controls take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of how Lemeza’s jumping works they’re as smooth as butter. The difficulty, as I’ve stated, is absolutely mind-numbing, so don’t be afraid to bring up a walkthrough or a Let’s Play if you’re stuck. The level design is something to behold; some levels require pixel-perfect precision, while some areas require you to swim through water (and lava?!). The music is probably the shining star of the game, though, as each track fits more than perfectly with every area; Inferno is pulse pounding, exciting, and makes you feel like you’re really traversing a volcano, and the song for the battle with Tiamat (Interstice Of The Dimension) may be one of the best boss battle themes ever composed.

All in all, La Mulana is a freakin’ GAME, and it’s highly recommended to retro gamers who don’t mind a little punishment. I know it brought out the masochist in me. Once you realize just how massive this game is, it’ll blow your mind. Even more mind-blowing is the fact that this was made by a very small group of people, and it’s obvious that a lot of love and attention went into the development. It doesn’t get NEARLY the amount of recognition that it deserves, as it is now near the top of my top 10 favorite games of all time list. There is a WiiWare port of the game coming (if Nicalis would kick dragging their damned feet!) and I’m looking forward to it! This game really should set the bar for independent (hell, even MAJOR) developers, and should send a message that even a game that’s made to look, sound, play and FEEL like a game from over two decades ago can be better than most modern blockbusters. Download this, and get ready to have your world rocked. The adventure starts here!