Lode Runner XBLA Review

Written by Linkwick Wednesday, 06 May 2009 09:51

Disclaimers first: I have never played any other game in the extensive “Lode Runner” series. So this review is entirely reminiscing-free.

Now that that’s out the way, onto the good stuff. Lode Runner is (obviously) a rework of an age-old franchise. There’s been many iterations over the years, but all have the same basic gameplay. Your goal is to collect all the gold in a level and then make it to the exit. Sounds simple in theory, but beyond the puzzles of getting to them all there’s the added complication of enemies trying their darnedest to get to you.

Being a cult series with a wealth of history to its name, it’s obvious that Tozai has tried to stay true to previous versions in recreating this one. The graphics are nice for an arcade game – clear, varied, and a lovely mix of 2D movement and 3D visuals. Some of the little effects like weeds swaying after you run past, or debris from explosions falling into the water at the bottom of levels, top off the visuals nicely but unfortunately, the 5 “styles” of maps do seem a little cliché and bland. Tunes and effects are simple and don’t get in the way of the action – precisely what you want.

The controls are rather simple – shooting diagonally left or right destroys the blocks on the floor either side of you, enabling you to drop down levels or trap pursuing enemy creatures. There’s a plethora of means of traversing the levels available, but unfortunately this is let down somewhat by the occasionally imprecise movement using the control stick. Due to the frantic nature of the gameplay, a simple movement mistake can spell death quite easily, and so becomes quite a downer to the game.

For its price, you really do get a plethora of content to work your way through. For a start, there’s the standard campaign mode with 80 levels to complete, as well as an extensive (and at times, maddeningly-hard) puzzle mode to complete set levels. “Hang On” is another iteration – more of a survival mode than a level sequence, and if you thought the action was frantic before, this cranks the dial up to 11!! Through in a level creator and there’s plenty of value for money right there.

On the multiplayer side of things, there’s also a lot of content to explore. On top of a 48-level co-op campaign (and that’s not just a rehash of the single player one), there’s also another 26 puzzle levels to figure out, and the “Last Man” mode (the “battle” mode of sorts), where it’s a case of who can survive the enemies the longest, both round-by-round and overall. These are also playable over the Live network, and you can even use your own levels for Last Man – a great addition.

Despite all this content, though, Lode Runner can begin to grate on you. Sure, the visuals change between locations and the layouts are different for each level, but over time it all just seems like more of the same. Length in a game is good, but a bit more variation would be nice.

One quirk that becomes apparent is that you’re not really punished for dying in a level. Sure, you have the usual quota of lives, but when they run out you can just continue on with a new allotment with only your score reset. All in all it can make the campaign mode seem too much of a set puzzler and less like an action game. Plus, that also means the only real incentive for replaying campaign levels is to try and beat your score – not the best motivation, really.

Ultimately, there’s plenty of value for money in Lode Runner. But whether the gameplay suits your style will depend greatly on how well you like your puzzles, and so should be tried before purchase.

TGV Score: 74/100

The Good: