Laika: Aged Through Blood

Our analysis

Laika: Aged Through Blood is a hidden gem with inventive motorcycle combat, striking art and a lovely soundtrack. Its demanding challenges are engaging, though repeating difficult rooms and unclear teleportation instructions frustrate the hosts.

Our analysis

A refreshing "motorvania" that fuses Metroidvania exploration with motorbike traversal and combat, where you fight, deflect bullets and reload via flips without ever leaving the bike. After a steep initial learning curve the controls become genuinely rewarding, and tightly designed boss fights, a crafting-based upgrade system and a striking hand-painted, graphic-novel art style stand out. Minor frame drops in big firefights and unskippable repeated tutorials are small blemishes on a strong package.