Lumini

 Switch
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 1 Critic Review

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 1 out of 1
  1. NintendoWorldReport
    Jan 21, 2020
    35
    It is clear that there was ambition behind Lumini’s development. A living, breathing world, combined with an effective soundtrack was certainly impressive, but the boring gameplay and abundance of performance issues ruin any sort of enjoyment of the game. If you are looking for a game that scratches that Journey or Pikmin itch, there are many stronger and more interesting options on the Switch eShop.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Addictedgmr
    Jan 29, 2020
    6
    Finally after 5 years console versions of Lumini, an indie game that was initially released through Steams Greenlight program, are out. ThisFinally after 5 years console versions of Lumini, an indie game that was initially released through Steams Greenlight program, are out. This game is certainly better compared to most of the garbage that came out of Greenlight, but unfortunately has not aged well.

    Gameplay
    Gameplay revolves around controlling a swarm of little Lumini flying them through a area avoiding or destroying obstacles and enemies, and collecting little spheres. The more spheres you collect in a given area seems to increase the number of Lumini that spawn at the next checkpoint. There are also a few very simple puzzles to move on to the next area or enter a secret area with a hidden gem that you can collect, some of which require you to split your swam in two with the two control sticks (more on this later).

    Every time a Lumini gets hurt it instantly dies meaning that you do have to be careful with how many you let die. Fortunately, I never ran out of Lumini so I don't know what happens if they all die, I assume game over, but I also don't know what happens if you get to a puzzle that requires you to split your swarm if you only have one left.

    In total there are 4 different colours of Lumini red, blue, yellow, and purple. Each colour has a different special ability, but I only really know what red and blue do because that is all I used. Hell, I didn't even get another purple after starting to get other colours so I don't really know what it does. Anyways red deals damage in a small area around the Lumini, blue gives you a speed boost, and yellow gives off useless electricity that does not seem to effect enemies or impact any puzzles I encountered. Supposedly they are supposed to grow in strength the longer they are in your swam but the only time I noticed improvements/changes in Lumini is when I came across a few coloured gems, that change colour based on your currently selected Lumini colour, you could collect. Of course I always collected these with my Red Lumini, so the second half of the game was me literally just boosting then switching to damage when running into enemies or obstacles.

    Graphics/Execution
    My playthrough was riddled with lag due to loading between different areas of the game, but hey there aren't any actual load screens so thumbs up for the effort. The graphics are sufficient, but they resemble modern mobile phone graphics. Visual transitions between areas are done well and are interesting to see, but after the transition the background quickly becomes boring and repetitive.

    The controls are sufficient and feel pretty decent when in one swarm, but as soon as you split into two swarms they completely fall apart. At least on Switch you really notice that there is a slight delay between moving the control stick and the swarms responding. This gets exaggerated when you have to control two separate swarms and have them doing loops to open a door.

    Sound Design
    What can I say except the soundtrack is absolutely mesmerizing. In the end, I kept playing until the end because of the new music in each zone.

    Final Verdict
    While Lumini does have an interesting concept and a fantastic soundtrack it lacks good execution and solid gameplay. My recommendation would to either buy the soundtrack or wait for it to go on sale on Steam and play it on PC as even a moderately powerful PC by today's standards should be able to run it.

    Final Score: 6/10    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »