With the “1080” and “720” numbers constantly being scrutinised throughout the gaming community, it’s even more refreshing when a developer steps out of the ordinary and creates something visually pleasing. Reverting back to paper and cardboard structures, which you may have created when you were a child, State of Play Games has once again created a stunning and memorable environment with the sequel to their 2011 release Lumi. Their latest release and sequel to Lumi, Lumino City, takes on the exact same art style as every environment featured in the game was captured from real-life structures which State of Play Games had created in their offices.

The story of Lumino City revolves around a young girl, Lumi, who is visiting her grandfather one afternoon when he asks her to make him a cup of tea. As she is downstairs preparing a ‘delicious brew’, there is an eruption of noise from upstairs and when she goes to check on her grandfather, she realises that he is gone without a trace. Lumi then takes it upon herself to make her way into the big city to see if anyone knows where her grandfather is. This soon unravels a mystery which her grandfather is embroiled in and she ends up learning a side to him that she never knew existed.

While I never played Lumi in 2011, I was blown away by what State of Play Games had created even from previewing videos, screenshots and coverage from EGX and other gaming expos. Lumino City seems to once again, capture the vibrant charm of something which you would be proud to see both as a child and an adult. Although the game has a mysterious and peculiar tone throughout, the colour and quality of the environments make Lumino City a pleasure to experience. As you climb into the sky and interact with people in the strangest of places, it all seems to add to the charm and mystery contained within the city. In addition to the graphics being wonderful, the soundtrack also adds to the overall charm of the game. The relaxing guitar-filled soft riffs play on a loop, but never seem to become over-repetitive as it all fits in perfectly with the location which Lumi finds herself in. As much as the game is a treat for the eyes and ears, the sense of achievement should be felt by the player as well as the developers.

Lumino City is a point and click game which solely relies on the player using the mouse to tell Lumi where to go and which objects to interact with. Though this is not your standard point and click adventure, however as Lumino City doesn’t hold your hand in the slightest and requires the player to be patient almost all the way through the game. The patience comes into it as you have to work out what to do by yourself: there are no hints or tips displayed on the screen and you are forced to either use your wits or spend minute after minute attempting to solve a puzzle the wrong way. There is one saving grace for those who are really stuck however and this comes in the form of a handy book: a book of more than 800 pages that is!

The book, which was given to Lumi by her grandfather, contains plenty of technical information about numerous objects you can find throughout the city. While this may seem like a load of work itself, most of the pages aren’t related to puzzles which are required to be solved, but the puzzles you are faced with do require a great deal of patience. Of the relevant pages, Lumi can use the book to figure out how certain electricity puzzles, photographic chemicals and rotary machines work to name but a few. This does feel really rewarding as you literally have to look through a book and come to the correct conclusion, much like you would in real life.

This may be a problem to some people, however, as there are many who would rather have instant satisfaction when playing a game. Whether it’s down to time constraints or the immediate feeling of achievement when you reach a 3-person kill streak, Lumino City could infuriate players who are looking for instant gratification or those who don’t have long to play games. In saying that, I do believe there is a great sense of achievement when you manage to overcome a puzzle or even complete the first step into completing a puzzle. As much as the game is slow at times, the puzzles are very well thought out, but it should be played when you have the time as the constant head scratching moments will devour the hours in no time.

In the version of Lumino City I played, there were 14 levels available to play and more have already been promised for the near future. In terms of a singleplayer experience, the lack of voice narration does affect the game slightly as it would help to elevate the interaction with the characters somewhat. I do see why State of Play Games have kept it as a text-only adventure, as if you are playing it with a co-op partner (it’s only a singleplayer game) then it is easier to just read the dialogue rather than hear it. Although I didn’t play the game that way myself, Lumino City conducts itself very well and is paced well enough to allow for more than one player to assist as the puzzles steadily increase in difficulty.

Lumino City is a wonderful experience which I would recommend to any PC owner. With phenomenal environments and a charming soundtrack, the game is a real accomplishment for State of Play Games. While I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lumino City, I don’t think it will appeal to everyone, as there isn’t instant gratification, but the more patient player will certainly feel a terrific amount of achievement as they progress. If you do get stuck, don’t worry, there’s always the Handy Manual. Lumino City is available on PC, Mac and Linux from tomorrow (December 3^rd).

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