Game Review: Luna-3X

By Manuel

Players: 1-2
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

I'm a big fan of small quirky indie titles, and I knew I had to play Luna-3X once I heard about it. Luna-3X is the latest game from Japanese developer Pygmy Studio, who were the team behind 2014's La-Mulana EX. While La-Mulana EX was an action platformer, Luna-3X is a rhythm action game that also carries with it a very cute aesthetic. It recently released on the Switch eShop in the US, following a Japanese release earlier this year, and we're going to take a look at it today. There's really no need for further intro, so let's dive right in!

I don't even know where to being when discussing Luna-3X's plot, as I truly think that it's far more complicated than it needs to be. I'm going to skip over most of the unnecessary details for brevity's sake, but it's a surprisingly dark story. Basically the world is brought back from the brink of destruction by humanity discovering the power of the Wave of Love. This Wave of Love stopped the poisoning of the world that was brought about when they overused a power source that they thought was infinite. Even though the people found peace again through the Wave of Love, there is a new danger just over the horizon. The Great Tsunami is set to arrive in seven days, and it will most likely destroy all life in its path in an end-of-the-world type event. This is where our heroes enter. Jonah is a young boy who has lived with a giant robot named Luna nearly all his life. His best friend Nene is also by his side, and she helps him keep Luna operational. This trio meets an old man who convinces them that the world is going to end thanks to the aforementioned Great Tsunami, and they have to do something to make sure life goes on. Their task is to rescue as many plants and critters (Critters are what animals are referred to as in this world apparently.) as possible over the course of the next seven days, in what I can only assume is a take on the story of Noah's Ark. The plot never really goes much further than this opening premise until the very end, but then again the gameplay never really needed a plot this involved in the first place. Conservation and environmentalism are clearly underlying themes here, and they're delivered in a way that feels light-hearted rather than heavy-handed. The plot could've simply been "Capture Them Critters!", and I think we would've all been fine with that. Part of me wants to knock the game for laying plot that is far too complicated than was ever needed, but I can't bring myself to do so. Besides, the characters are cool enough on their own to carry the game, so I guess I'll give this strange, oddly cataclysmic, story a pass. With that out of the way, let's move on to gameplay.

Discussing gameplay in Luna-3X is a rather unenviable task, as it is somehow both simple and complicated at the same time. The goal of each level is to capture a specific set of critters, and maybe pick up a bonus critter or plant along the way as well. You do this by taking control of both Luna and Jonah in a human fishing operation that is very reminiscent of those human-sized claw machines one can find at certain malls across the country. Luna lowers Jonah down a cliff ravine via a fishing pole, and Jonah attracts critters to him by way of his tambourine. Hitting his tambourine causes notes to fall, and notes striking a critter may entice them to jump towards Jonah. Jonah can then collect the critters, and carefully bring them back up to the surface once Luna reels him in. Jonah is able to carry a large number of critters and plants at any one time, but you can also lose them all if you're not careful. There are plenty of obstacles in each stage, and they ramp up over the course of the game. Obstacles can be something as simple as an overhanging ledge or a wall, or be as complex as a bigger animal (Not a critter I guess?) trying to outright attack Jonah. Hitting an obstacle of any kind can cause Jonah to drop critters, and you unfortunately have no recourse to actually pick up the same critters you've dropped. To make matters worse, you also have a timer that is constantly ticking down until you get reeled in. You can get power-ups that extend the timer, but it will probably be your biggest enemy. Thankfully you're not required to get all of the required critters in a single run, but doing so nets you the most points. You will have to get all the critters eventually though, as you can't go on to the next level until you complete the one before it. Luna-3X has a total of 8 worlds with three stages each, with each of the worlds acting as their own biome. That pretty much covers the basics, but there's a lot more to go over if you want to truly understand the game.

Even though Luna-3X styles itself as a rhythm game, I never really managed to figure out what beat you were supposed to hit the tambourine to. I tried my hardest, and I am no stranger to rhythm games in general, but I never got above a 2 hit combo. There is also a Fever Mode that triggers whenever Nene shows up to cheer you on, but I literally would trigger that by mashing the tambourine button. Actually, that's how I mostly played the game, smashed the button, had Luna reel me in, and hoped for the best. I assume that the rhythm and combo have something to do with attracting critters, but I couldn't say for sure. I actually don't think that the rhythm aspect of the game even matters in the long run, as I was able to clear every single level without properly figuring it out. That aside, there are some other aspects in the gameplay that I probably should mention before I go on. Frist of all are the controls. Unless you're playing in Handheld Mode, you control the fishing line with motion controls that are based on the gyro sensors on whatever controller you're using. I can't begin to describe how much harder this made the game, and I hated that you had to un-dock your Switch if you wanted to play the game in a non-gimmicky way. The amount of times I was halfway up, only to drop all the critters thanks to hitting a ledge that I was accidentally leaning into, were too many to count. I also mentioned the ability to gather plants earlier, and these are grabbed by hitting your tambourine when you're near them. This sounds very similar to how you gather the critters, but plants mostly grow along the cliff walls or ledges. I never once bothered with plants since it was hard enough keeping the critters in line, and the cliff walls and ledges were the last places I wanted to be near. Dropping all critters essentially ends your run due to the time limit, and I wonder why the game doesn't just end the second you lose whatever you're carrying. It makes no sense to go back down and grab more since you have to start the process from scratch, so you might as well restart the second it happens.

Despite the issues I had with the gameplay, I do have to admit that there were some nuances that I wasn't expecting to find that ultimately kept me in the game. There's an entire Dress Up mechanic which sees you dress up Jonah in clothes and accessories that you unlock through clearing stages. These aren't just for aesthetics either, as they also increase stats. Some outfits attract critters better, some resist wind, others help you lure out plants, and so on. I admittedly didn't mess around with the system too much beyond picking outfits I thought would get me the most critters, but it was a neat addition. There also is a multiplayer mode, which splits up Luna and Jonah's actions. This may sound like a rather simple addition, but it can make the game more fun depending on your partner. There's no better feeling than yelling at a friend who cost you the stage, and then seeing them do it all over again the next time around. Fun with mistakes aside, the game can become considerably easier since the player controlling Jonah can fully focus on the wonky controls. It's not the perfect system, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. There's also the general vibe and humor that draws you in even if you may not like other aspects of the game. There's an undeniable charm to the game's world that got me through the most frustrating sections. Luna-3X offers up a mixed bag of pros and cons when it comes to gameplay, but I think the pros win in the end by a slight margin.

I'm going to cover the sound and visuals together here, as I don't think I have a whole lot to say about either. Graphic-wise, Luna-3X has a cartoon-y 2D look that is surprisingly colorful considering the story's subject matter. The characters and monsters are a nice mix of cute and wacky, and the designs are great all around. The stages themselves can be a bit dull at times, but that's more due to how the setting than anything else. The wacky visuals spill over to the menus and text too, and it makes everything feel fun, even if you're not always experiencing that through gameplay. I should also mention that it runs perfectly on the Nintendo Switch, but that shouldn't be a surprise considering it was specifically developed with the console in mind. While I can't think of any true negatives when it comes to the game's graphics, I unfortunately have far less positive things to say about sound. Simply put, I found the sound design in Luna-3X to be the very definition of mediocre. Part of the reason I was never able to figure out the rhythm aspect of the gameplay was due to the fact that the music always seemed to be barely be there. It was more beat than anything, and I swear the entire game only used a small handful of tracks. It felt like the worst collection of "lo-fi beats to study to" that I ever heard in my life. There wasn't a single track worth singling out, as they were all pretty bad. There's also no voice acting, and all the sound effects feel muted or low in the mix. I was actually surprised how bad the sound design was, and I kept playing the game hoping it would somehow surprise me on the next stage. It never did, and it sadly left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to the game's overall presentation.

Giving Luna-3X a recommendation is tough, as I'm not sure who the game is truly meant for. Its gameplay will most likely upset rhythm game purists, and it doesn't really fit any other genre well enough to attract casual players. I'd have to say that the game feels rather incomplete overall. It's not broken by any means, but the gameplay feels like the developers just gave up partway through and put out a product that had only partly-realized mechanics. That said, this is a cute game that could provide some simple, yet good, fun. It also is priced very reasonably at $9.99, so it won't break the bank if you decide to grab it out of curiosity alone. If you do, be sure to play it in Handheld Mode so you can avoid the horrible motion controls, you can thank me later. Anyway, I'll see you in the next one!

Check Out Luna-3X on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/luna-3x-switch/

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Story: B+
Gameplay: C-
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: C-
Value: B+

Overall: B

Pros:
+ A cute game that has a charm that is sure to draw players in, and keep them invested.
+ The plot may be a bit too deep for this sort of game, but that can also be rather refreshing.
+ Visually, the game is amazing. The characters, critters, and even the stage hazards, are the right mix of quirky and cute.
+ Multiplayer is a nice touch, and you get a decent amount of content for the $9.99 asking price.

+/- This game does not allow you to capture video through the Switch's capture function. This made getting screenshots for this game very difficult.

Cons:
- Though you can use the analog stick in Handheld Mode, the motion controls ruin what may have been a decent game otherwise.
- While the game isn't difficult in the normal sense, it can be very frustrating to lose all your stage progress in a second.
- I'm not sure the rhythm aspect of the gameplay even affects anything. I never got a combo above two, and I beat the game never truly understanding what beat I was supposed to be following.
- The music is just terrible all around. This is made all the worse when you remember that it should be a focus thanks to its supposed rhythm-based gameplay.
- That story is all sorts of random, and it's probably more than a game like this needed.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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I hate when I do that!

#Luna3X