Noitu Love

3 Consider this a prequel
To preface, Joakim Sandberg is one of my favorite developers in the industry, but given his critical and commercial success with Noitu Love 2: Devolution, I can feel a bit more comfortable about my honesty.

Noitu Love is simply…tedious. Granted, there’s nothing explicitly broken about the mechanics – the platforming and combat are quite competent, if uninspired – but there’s a lack of excitement throughout, especially in comparison to the manic gameplay of its sequel. And for those who prefer to judge a game by its own merits, it’s easy to explain why Noitu Love is flawed on its own, as well.

With the exception of the tutorial, each level is a linear screen-by-screen arena of robotic Darns interspersed by simple platform puzzles. Noitu can dispatch his enemies with a grand total of two different attacks, neither of which requires the least bit of dexterity. As a consequence, battles involve mashing a single button and watching enemies flash until they explode; it’s certainly not difficult, but feels more like fluff than actual gameplay. If combat is so unexciting and unrewarding, why incorporate it?

The platforming puzzles fare a bit better; in contrast to most games, Noitu Love’s puzzles span multiple screens, rewarding attentive players with extra lives and collectibles. The game’s primary conceit – transforming into different wild animals, each with their own powers – lend a bit of variety to these puzzles, though thankfully none involve too much backtracking. However, the main problem stems from Noitu himself; he moves too fast for his own good, often sliding off edges or far overshooting his jumps. These vertical obstacles are the most difficult in the game, and require a lot more reflex – and patience – to conquer. It’s a shame there aren’t more levels designed around them, as they are the game’s primary strength.

Whoops, got a bus to catch – in conclusion, Noitu Love is far overshadowed by its successor, but despite its often monotonous gameplay, it earns its place as a quasi-classic in the pantheon of indie gaming. Much like Studio Pixel’s Ikachan, Noitu Love is an entertaining prelude more than a great game – just keep that in mind, and you shouldn’t be disappointed.