La-Mulana (2012)

Our analysis

An unashamedly old-school Metroidvania with heavy platforming and puzzle-solving, brutally difficult but mostly fair, rewarding players who embrace its cryptic clues and the deliberate momentum-based MSX-era jumping. The basic map and awkward warp/pause controls are real niggles, and obtuse cause-and-effect puzzles can leave you unsure where to go, yet the exploration of beautiful, varied ruins stays satisfying throughout. A lost relic of a bygone era best approached with the right mindset.