Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Reviews
The cryptic Lorelei and the Laser Eyes may very well be the greatest puzzle game ever made.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a riveting puzzle game, which uses its eerie visuals and elusive story as an intrinsic element of the experience rather than a mere design affectation. It is a game that asks subtle questions about the nature of creativity and play, and later it takes a breathtakingly meta turn that will thrill those who remember Kojima’s tricks in the Metal Gear Solid series. It is also a meditation on the troubled relationship between art and commerce, and quite frankly, there could not be a more timely concern for a video game to explore.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a rare example of an adventure that grabs attention not with contrived graphics or rivers of blood, but with non-linear structure and well thought-out puzzles.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the masterpieces of the year, a title that stands out in the already large Annapurna stable and the umpteenth confirmation of Simogo as one of the most talented teams around. A puzzle game, a graphic adventure, an investigative game, even a simple dungeon crawler, chameleonic and always surprising, but above all a cursed, engaging, disturbing story, which starts from the psychological thriller to end up thinking about art in the broadest sense of the term. Maniacal level design, extraordinary atmosphere, incredible moments for a work that I am under no illusion can have commercial success but which, perhaps, like certain auteur films, can become cult.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A wonderfully stylish game with puzzles that will have you pondering way beyond the confines of your playtime. The whole mysterious package is nicely wrapped up in a plot that will have you guessing just as much as the varied conundrums.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a twisted puzzle adventure like no other. The high-brow approach to gameplay requires you to read pages from books to learn the fundamentals that enshroud the range of conundrums that you’ll come across. Simogo don’t underestimate your ability, leaving you to ponder clues and work out the solution. While this can halt your progress and lead to cycling around the same puzzles, it makes decryption much more satisfying. The game stubbornly sticks to its principles to the detriment of accessibility, however, losing yourself to the deep layers of intrigue makes this an unforgettable trip.
But it’s a credit to the Simogo team’s incredibly sharp writing that however obtuse the game’s puzzles may seem at times, they never feel unsolvable. As noted in one of the many bits of sumptuous flavor text scattered about the Hotel Letztes Jahr: “Getting stuck is one of the key parts of the process.” And in holding true to the manifestos of the artists at the heart of the story, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes manifests puzzles as art, requiring the proper interpretations of mixed-media sculptures, paintings, and more. It’s all one unexpected thrill after another as you go deeper and deeper into a maze of memories, metaphors, and magic.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is undoubtedly one of the best puzzle games of this generation.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes isn’t a perfect game. It isn’t a game for everyone, and even fans of puzzle games like the Zero Escape series might find that this isn’t their tastes. In a world filled with Michael Bay, this is Luis Bunuel. It’s a game created with a distinct vision that isn’t out to please everyone. This isn't a game that cares about being liked by everyone: it cares about being loved by a smaller group. It’s a puzzle box where any narrative is almost an afterthought. It’s there, if you dig into it, but the greater satisfaction comes from finding a way forward.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes from developer Simogo and publisher Annapurna Interactive is a strange and wonderous new direction for Simogo’s post-Sayonara Wild Hearts success. It’s a beautiful mixture of thick narrative and difficult puzzles that ask a lot of the player but deliver an equal amount by the end. Some players may get frustrated by the beginning of the game as it gives you little direction on what you should be doing, but once they’re on the progression rails, the game rolls and gets better.
Altogether though, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a game with vision. It wraps intriguing puzzles in a digital gothic framic. It makes the most of its chosen medium as it forces us to navigate the tenuous details of this backdrop. Just about every layer of the experience is creatively risky, from its fragmented narrative to its uncompromising barrage of challenges, but these gambles largely pay off to deliver something with purpose and direction. Crafting this kind of maze isn’t easy; it takes a combination of subtle guidance and faith in your audience. But despite these challenges, Simogo never loses sight of how to stoke curiosity about what’s lurking around the next corner, whether it’s a treasure you’ve been seeking or, conversely, something horrible lurking in the dark.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a wonderfully intricate, amazing piece of game design. It's intimidating and challenging, but it rewards all the effort you put into it. One of the best games of 2024 so far.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a unique, distinct, and memorable experience that leverages the strengths of video games as a storytelling medium. It is recommended for anyone who is interested in mystery stories or adventure games.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a wonderful puzzle game shrouded in mistery, with a deep story about lost memories and the complexity of the mind.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes fails to capture its intended mystery-filled story because of having to headbutt against puzzles non-stop and some glaring control issues.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is every Zelda Dungeon, Resident Evil Mansion and Escape Room honed to its finest edge and plays with the player as much as the player plays the game. In a year already stacked with impressive indie games, this will be the one that is going to haunt me for years to come. I could not be more excited about seeing others experience it for themselves.
Perplexing and often pretentious, yet compelling and wonderfully accomplished, it's safe to say you won't have played anything quite like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes before. Filled with puzzles and mystery at every turn, once you step foot inside the intriguing Hotel Letztes Jahr, you won't be able to pull yourself way.
I absolutely loved Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. It may not be for everyone but those who enjoy escape rooms will absolutely adore it.
There’s nothing more exhilarating than having that “eureka” or “a ha” moment after piecing together something that seemed almost impossible at first glance, and there are plenty of those moments to be found in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. If you’re at all a fan of ingenious puzzles, then do yourself a favor and pick up your trusty notepad and pencil, and dive into Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes was fiendishly difficult to put down or stop thinking about. I would load it up even in short 15 minute bursts to try a puzzle solution. If I'd been playing on the Switch it would have accompanied me everywhere. I play a fair few games that have puzzles within them, and if I get stuck for a short time, chances are I'm going to go looking for a solution online. With this game though, I always felt like either the answer was staring me in the face, and I just needed a little more brain time or power to crack it, or that I had other options to progress. I never felt a sense of frustration, my sense of pride never truly threatened. That's a really delicate balance to strike, and I think Simogo have nailed it. I can't recommend giving this game a go enough. I've barely scratched the surface above as I honestly don't want to give anything away. Do yourself a favour, grab a notebook, pencil and cuppa, and go play it.