The creative duo of the Studios Team Ladybug and WHY SO SERIOUS has already had the experience of creating an excellent metroidvania based on the famous anime franchise – it’s about Touhou Luna Nights, which is widely known in narrow circles . Now they have released a largely similar game based on the “Chronicle of Wars of the Island of Lodoss” , which they immediately began to compare not only with their previous work, but also with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night . How fair are these comparisons and how much Is Record of Lodoss War : Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth good?
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To remember …
To begin with, let me remind you that the “Chronicle of Wars of the Island of Lodoss” grew out of a board role-playing game created in the 80s according to the rules of Dungeons & Dragons . It was set in a world called Forselia, and the game designer was Ryo Mizuno . He began to actively develop this universe – this is how the anime franchises Legend of Crystania , Rune Soldier and, in fact, Record of Lodoss War were born .
The latter for Japan was in many ways its own analogue of Dungeons & Dragons and “The Lord of the Rings” – a strong Western influence, medieval motives are noticeable, and at the same time, its own flavor is preserved. The plot revolves around the travels and adventures of the young man Parn (later he becomes a knight) and his comrades, who were drawn into a confrontation between the dark army of the island of Marmo and the states of Lodoss. Each of those who join Parn have their own ambitions and motives, but all are united by a desire to stop the war, which threatens the whole world with sad consequences.
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According to the “Chronicle of Wars of the Island of Lodoss” there were mangas, and an OVA-film (cinema exclusively for home viewing), and an anime series that was shown in the early 90s. They did not receive a continuation, but they were remembered by both viewers and critics as a rare combat fantasy in anime at that time with intriguing plot twists and strong characters. So strong that the elf Didlit, Parn’s closest friend, has been, according to critics, “transformed into a template for anime elves for the genre from Berserker to Queen’s Blade .”
Knight Parn and his elf are in the foreground.
It is not surprising that video games were also made according to the Chronicle. There are a dozen of them, including their own Diablo (we are talking about Record of Lodoss War: Advent of Cardice ), browser CCG and even a large MMORPG Record of Lodoss War Online . True, only two of this ten came out in the XXI century, and even then Record of Lodoss War Online closed very quickly (it came out in 2017, two years later the servers were turned off).
Record of Lodoss War: Advent of Cardice was very popular at the time.
And now, quite unexpectedly, Parn and his comrades were recalled in Team Ladybug and WHY SO SERIOUS . And they remembered more even about that exemplary elf Didlit.
About love
Yes, the main heroine of Record of Lodoss War : Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth was an elf – the most striking, in the opinion of many, character in the franchise. The authors of the game, working under the supervision of the creator of the series, Ryo Mizuno , took an interesting approach. On the one hand, the story here leads to the events of the Lodoss War: Diadem of the Covenant arc , and it’s all for the delight of fans.
On the other hand, it is clear that in 2021 there are not many anime fans from the early 90s. Therefore, the story is, as it were, a separate one and you do not need to know the content of the previous episodes in order to feel. There is a girl who woke up in an unknown place and does not really remember anything. There are characters whom she periodically meets and remembers. There is her desire to be with the knight again, whom she loves and with whom they fought together against evil in order to bring peace to the lands of their native Lodoss. But there are those who want to stop her. Everything is romantic, tragic and intriguing, but humanly understandable. What else do you need for a good game?
Yes, this elf loved her knight.
The elf’s best friends are bow, magic …
Didlit wakes up in a place that is perfect for this kind of game – in the vicinity of a Gothic castle full of dark and majestic sculptures, treacherous traps and dangerous enemies. To resist them, you need to pump our heroine on them. Fortunately, as Dr. Bykov from Interns would say , the opponents here have consciousness from boiled fish – three seconds, and again “hello.” In the sense that I left the level, I immediately returned – and everything is in place again.
Fighting here is aesthetically pleasing.
It is clear that we are also looking for, picking up or buying new weapons (swords / axes / maces and bows), potions and other consumable items. That is, Record of Lodoss War : Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is an action RPG spiced with metroidvania elements. And all because there are always places where we still cannot get to – the keys of the desired color have not been found, have not learned to double jump or the ability to slide into narrow cracks while sliding.
You can return and finally get there through the portal system.
Somewhere it is needed according to the plot, somewhere – to get to the next secret, new equipment or magical ability. Yes, in addition to piercing, cutting and shooting weapons, the elf has a charm – more and more new techniques are gradually becoming available to her, such as homing magical projectiles at the enemy or dripping white muck on him.
In this form, magic is clearly not very effective.
By the way, you can’t get to some places without a trusty bow. Didlit with him not only firing at the enemies, as from a machine gun, but also solves puzzles. For example, it shoots an arrow so that it, bouncing off the metal surfaces, breaks the rope and opens the door for us. Or you can, quickly shooting under the chains, raise yourself on platform lifts.
And here it is important not to slow down.
… And spirits, of course
But, perhaps, the spirits of wind and fire become Didlit’s main weapon. They play the role of racks here, switching between which we inflict more damage on those who are vulnerable, for example, to the wind. In addition, when the spirit of the wind is activated, our heroine can soar above the ground, overcoming abysses, water, traps and climbing where you cannot climb with the spirit of fire.
We spend almost most of our time in the air.
On the other hand, the fiery force helps burn the plants that block the path. Finally, there are also the elemental barriers of wind and fire, which can only be passed through in the appropriate form. Moreover, often these barriers are actively moving, replacing each other – you need to react quickly, switching between spirits.
This is not the most difficult moment.
Accordingly, in fights with bosses, the main thing is to find out when and to what form the opponent is vulnerable, and adapt to this. It is also better to pump the spirit to the third level – then it will start to automatically regenerate your health. Levels are reset periodically, and you should always monitor this.
Considering all this, the boss fights in Record of Lodoss War : Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth turned out to be not so difficult – I even “called” one in a couple of minutes with the same spell.
Didlit doesn’t even look towards such a weak boss.
Yes, we can say that Record of Lodoss War : Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is clearly no longer about complex fights with large monsters, but about the plot, characters, riddles, traps and atmosphere. And with this everything is good here – as well as with the style in general. And bosses are not all malleable.
Throughout the passage, new important items, secrets, keys, opponents and obstacles appear. So if you love Touhou Luna Nights , Castlevania : Symphony of the Night and similar metroidvanias (but, perhaps, do not like excessive hardcore), and even more so if you are familiar with the Chronicle of Wars of Lodoss Island series , then Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth simply has to be in your library.
Pros: plot based on the famous anime; addictive gameplay on the verge of action RPG and metroidvania; interesting mechanics of spirits; creative use of the bow to solve problems; many secrets and types of weapons; chic design; atmospheric music.
Cons: Some bosses may seem too weak.
