Lumo Reviews
A love-letter to games gone past and to games in general, Lumo is a delightful if sometimes frustrating little puzzle platformer.
Lumo is an enjoyable love letter to the isometric games that old-school gamers like me remember from their childhood.
You are most likely not going to see Lumo appearing on any “Game of the Year” lists this fall, but it is absolutely a valiant first outing for developer Gareth Noyce. The title shows that he has the chops and creativity to take another shot at a style of game that has been long-abandoned.
Lumo could have easily been another retro inspired title that did little other than revel in old-school visuals. It's actually a lovely trip down memory lane.
Lumo is a charming throwback to the isometric arcade adventure games of the 1980s, but is held back by its short length and some frustrating platforming sections.
Lumo is an isometric puzzle game with beautiful 3D graphics and a lot of intriguing enigmas.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Charming, creative and stubbornly old-school
Overall Lumo did have its fun moments with some puzzles that were really fun, however they seemed to be not nearly enough of them. Some of the fun seemed to be pulled out of the game due to difficult platforming angles.
Lumo is a charming little puzzle and platforming game that older and younger audiences will enjoy, but it does get frustrating at times.
Lumo suffers from some fairly serious shortcomings, but they are shortcomings by design. The isometric jump puzzle genre died a long time ago, as far as I’m concerned, and while Lumo is a very well done homage to this, it just brought back the urge to assume the fetal position and rock myself back to sanity. Despite this, it is a very good, if simple, game that I played through, to completion, in a single sitting. You get a crazy amount of entertainment for your money, and you aren’t bothered with fighting or health mechanics, either.
As a modern-day homage to the Golden Age of Gaming, Lumo manages to put a refreshing and contemporary spin on a number of the wonderful retro games that so many remember fondly.
Lumo had the makings of an instant classic. A retro tribute without the retro graphics, combined with an adorable character make for a very tempting game. It even had pop culture references to yesteryears that some people would recognize. But mechanically, Lumo had critical flaws. Isometric views should never be hindrance to gameplay, but rather a style of presentation that offers a unique experience. And that’s where the game fell short.
Lumo is full of well thought out puzzles, but it lacks certain gameplay touches that could have pushed it into being a great game. My main gripe is that the jumping feels awkward and, coupled with perspective issues, means you can fail a simple puzzle dozens of times. The game does have a certain charm to it, and I would recommend it as a nostalgia trip for players that grew up with similar games, but this will not be for those who aren’t fans of classic titles or puzzles.
An old school adventures that doesn't manage to adapt to modern times and make the same mistakes that this kind of games made 20 years ago.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While mostly fun and enjoyable, Lumo’s loose controls make some puzzles incredibly difficult, and not in a good or fair way.
Lumo has bags of charm, and I’m actually quite impressed with the overall presentation and the variety of puzzles and platforming challenges, but it’s very hard to forgive for those clunky, inaccurate moments. The game became less enjoyable the more I played it, and the knowledge of that destroys any enthusiasm I might have had for playing it again
Lumo takes all of your rose-tinted memories of the isometric adventure genre and manages to faithfully re-create them – whilst making the much-needed changes that make going back to those old games so painful. True, some gamers won’t appreciate the soft touch, but Noyce caters for them too if they want more of a challenge.
I like how the game continually adds new challenges and mechanics up through the campaign. Having to retry various parts pads the length of the game, which is actually relatively short. Lumo has some bright moments with interesting puzzles but it doesn’t have much else.
Gareth Noyce's revival of the British isometric puzzle game offers a deep and amiable dungeon filled with eccentric wonder.
Lumo is a shout back to all those games many of us love and miss. It's frustrating at times, but when you skate this close to the source material it’s to be expected, and is a risk worth taking.