As Steam Next Fest is on the horizon, I’ve found a desire to check out more demos for games releasing far into the future. I’ve been blown away by many of the games I’ve seen highlighted, whether they’re a horror game, a platformer, or something else entirely. In terms of that second category, the most recent game that I played a demo for was LUCID, an upcoming title from The Matte Black Studio and Apogee Entertainment. So far, this is easily my favorite demo I’ve played in the prelude to Steam Next Fest.
LUCID focuses on a “crystal-punk world” where you play as Oenn, a young boy part of an order known as the Sentinels. As part of the order, he will need to resurrect a giant to uphold the balance, but before then, he needs to go through a ritual that completes his ascension into the role of a true Sentinel. This is the scenario that the demo thrusts you into, as you take control of Oenn, making his way to the temple and completing the ritual before it comes to an end.
LUCID‘s story is more of a means to motivate your progression, especially in the context of this demo, but the little that is there is compelling. That’s mostly due to the world that the game introduces, titled Aedyn. The demo takes place in mostly underground caves that are teeming with crystals and mysterious inhabitants, some friendly, some neutral, and some extremely dangerous. The atmosphere is immaculate because of how energetic yet beautiful the soundtrack is, and partly because of the stunning pixelated visual style.
The gameplay is, of course, the main attraction, and what an attraction it is. It takes a lot of influence from games like Celeste and Mega Man, with fast-paced action where you’re jumping between platforms in quick succession. You’ll need to have quick reaction time and think on your feet in order to adapt to the game’s challenges. Thankfully, the controls feel as smooth as butter, making its demands feel manageable.
There are a lot of different mechanics that LUCID throws in your direction. You’ll need to dash back and forth, use momentum to your advantage, fire small projectiles, use a melee weapon, and this doesn’t account for the unique level mechanics that each section of the world provides. Yet, due to the responsive feel of the control and how fun the actual act of jumping around is, I never found myself overwhelmed.
This applies even to the exploration. I’ve never been a huge fan of the metroidvania genre, so I was admittedly a little cautious when I first discovered that LUCID fit into this category. Yet, due to just how interesting the world was and how fun the gameplay is, I never had any issues with backtracking in order to find the way forward. While I definitely missed a ton of collectibles in my first run through the demo, I definitely want to go deeper into its many secrets at a later time.
Further, even though its not a major feature of the gameplay, the combat is really fun too. There are only a few moments where you’ll find yourself needing to fight enemies, but the few you do feel great. This applies to the two boss fights you encounter throughout the demo, which manage to be both challenging and enjoyable at the same time. I think my only issue with the demo is that the frame rate, particularly in the demo’s final boss, stuttered quite a bit. However, this was a minor issue compared to just how good the overall demo was.
After playing the demo, LUCID went from being a game that I’d never heard of to being one that I am eagerly awaiting. I cannot wait to hear more details about this game in the future, and to see how its many areas are brought to life in the full release when it eventually comes to PC via Steam. For now, though, I definitely recommend trying the demo out for yourself, even if you’re not a huge fan of platformers or metroidvanias.
