Demo Impressions: Lucidity

This won’t be a proper game review per se, just a rundown of my impressions of the demo.

If, like me, you are fascinated by clever art work and beautiful visuals then you may be tempted into downloading the demo of Lucidity – the newest game from the LucasArts team behind the XBLA release of The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition.

Art alone (and this may be the only time i say this) even great stylised art by itself, can’t make a game worth playing.

The aim of the game is to safely oversee the journey of the main character – a little girl by the name of Sofi across the levels. You do this not by controlling her, throughout the game you have no control over the little scamp, instead you have to see to her safe arrival at the end of the level by placing items (like planks of wood, staircases and spring platforms) in her path to guide her along the safest route.

Where the game truly shines is in the art and music departments. The dreamscapes are perfectly realised and wondrous to look at and I would be more than happy to download this as, and i say this in all due respect, a screensaver for my computer or failing that I would love to sit and just watch and listen to the game being played as I slowly lull myself into a deep sleep.

And therein lies the game’s problem – it presents you with a paradox. There isn’t the sense of urgency that you want it to have. Sofi dawdles through the levels at a snail’s pace which makes playing less frantic and challenging and more of a distraction from the amazing visuals. Having said that the game wouldn’t be as charming as it is if you were rushed through the levels with Sofi sprinting across platforms like the Flash.

Overall the game could be described as a Lemmings style on-rails platformer – and if watching over a small child and throwing random objects in their path as they wander aimlessly into all sorts of danger in a slightly hazy dream world interest you – then this may be just the game you’re looking for… alternatively you could just get drunk and babysit your neighbour’s kids.

Lucidity is available to download now on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points.