LONE RUIN
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
LONE RUIN Trailers
Lone Ruin 👁️ Coming to Switch + PC on Jan 12th! 🧙♀️
Lone Ruin 🧙♂️ Super Rare Originals Reveal Trailer
Critic Reviews for LONE RUIN
Those of you who just want a straight, no-nonsense twin-stick shooter will find a lot to love about Lone Ruin, while those looking for a more ambitious project may want to look elsewhere. Tight controls, dark aesthetics, tough-but-fair gameplay, and a diverse collection of weapons and upgrades all come together to make this one a worthwhile purchase, with the caveat that it's also about as basic as a twin-stick shooter can get, which limits its staying power somewhat. We'd give Lone Ruin a light recommendation for anyone who considers themselves a twin-stick fan, though this may perhaps be one to wait for a sale.
Lone Ruin is a solid roguelike twin-stick shooter, though this style and form has been done better elsewhere. There's a decent challenge and some replayability to be found as you repeatedly venture into the ruined city, but its brevity and lack of narrative drive fall short of the genre's greats.
Lone Ruin will test your patience, but let’s all be grateful the arcade action comes without the arcade cost. The “just one more try” gameplay benefits greatly from the snappy load screens and menus, even on the Nintendo Switch version, making it easier to recommend this brutally difficult and magical indie hit from Super Rare Games.
If this review feels shorter than usual, that’s for a good reason. A talented roguelite enthusiast can see the end credits in around an hour. The initial weapon selection is refreshing, yes. I also love the color palette used throughout the game. But beyond that, this is a bog standard roguelite. Random assortments of enemies attack with increasing ferocity. The bosses require practice and experimentation to master. Your success is determined by repetition and fortuitous reward drops at the end of every stage. Honestly, the short runtime might be an upside, depending on what you’re looking for. Roguelite players may find Lone Ruin rather disappointing. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a short, arcade-style experience, maybe give this game a shot.
Lone Ruin is an action roguelike with an intense gameplay loop, the kind of game that you want to keep coming back to. A shame that, even for an indie game, it's not particularly rich content-wise.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, Lone Ruin is a tough twin-stick shooter that hits the spot. The runs are quick and satisfying, with leaderboards and multiple weapons to encourage replay. It looks great and plays smoothly; just don't get too comfortable because it will all be over soon. Until you play again.
Lone Ruin is a stylish good time while it lasts, but players will want more before too long.
Lone Ruin is a hardcore, action-packed roguelike game to its core, and it absolutely shines on the Switch. If more content is added later on, this could be an early front-runner for the top indie game of 2023.
