Lost Ruins is a 2021 action survival metroidvania video game developed by Altari Games and published by DANGEN Entertainment.
| Lost Ruins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Altari Games |
| Publisher(s) | DANGEN Entertainment |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | Windows May 13, 2021 Switch, PS4, Xbox One June 6, 2022 |
| Genre(s) | Action, survival, Metroidvania |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Plot
editIn Lost Ruins, the player controls a young woman (known as "Heroine" throughout the game), with no memories of who she is.[1] Summoned to a dungeon, she is told by the mage Beatrice that she has been recruited to defeat the Dark Lady, who has been sealed away elsewhere in the castle. Beatrice tells the woman that defeating monsters guarding the Dark Lady will help restore her memories.[2]
Development and release
editDeveloped by South Korean[3] studio Altari Games and published by DANGEN Entertainment, the game was released on PC through Steam on May 13, 2021.[4][5] The game's art style is anime-inspired.[6] It is an action survival game, as well as a 2D side-scroller.[7]
On June 6, 2022, the game received a release on the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One platforms.[5][8] The game later received a physical release through Red Art Games, set to ship in Q2 2024.[9] In December 2023, it was included as a free game as part of GOG's winter sale.[4]
Reception
editLost Ruins received mixed reviews from critics, holding an average critic score of 59/100 on the review aggregator Metacritic.[4][10]
In a 7/10 review of the game, Trent Cannon of Nintendo Life wrote that "Between the pixel art style and punishingly difficult combat, this game is a retro love affair. Unfortunately, that isn't always a good thing".[2] He called the game's combat "frustrating" and "a little repetitive", though added "there is enough exploration and weapon variety to ensure that there will be a combat style" to suit the player.[2] Cannon also wrote that "the most appealing part of Lost Ruins is the retro-inspired pixel art, which looks great in both handheld and docked modes on the Switch", but conceded that darker areas were prone to blend together in the background.[2]
Graham Smith of Rock Paper Shotgun was critical of the game's genre-blending, writing "Is there a subgenre or a taxonomy that helps to categorise this separately from Dead Cells, or do we just call this an action-platformer/metroidvania and then start piling on the adjectives? Can we all agree that 'roguelike' has lost all meaning now?"[7] Smith also criticized the game's anime art style, calling it "a bit uncomfortably horny".[7] Alana Hagues of Nintendo Life gave a more positive review of the game's art, writing that its "gorgeously-lit environments" helped "to match the grandeur" of bosses in the game and showcased "the very best of indie pixel art prowess".[5]
References
edit- ^ Jurkovich, Tristan (June 17, 2022). "8 Beginner Tips For Lost Ruins". GameRant. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Cannon, Trent (June 7, 2022). "Lost Ruins Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Kratiuk, Anton (December 18, 2023). "GOG has started giving away colourful action-platformer Lost Ruins". Gagadget. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c Machado Pureza, Gabriel (December 19, 2023). "GOG Reveals Second Free Game of Winter Sale". GameRant. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ a b c Hagues, Alana (June 6, 2022). "'Lost Ruins' Brings Stunning Pixel Art And Survival Action To Switch Today". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Romano, Sal (April 15, 2021). "2D anime-inspired survival action game Lost Ruins launches May 13 for PC, in Q4 2021 for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch". Gematsu. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ a b c Smith, Graham (May 13, 2021). "Lost Ruins has combat, platforming, fancy particle effects, and a terrible idle animation". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Jurkovich, Tristan (June 17, 2022). "The 4 Best Things About Lost Ruins (& The 4 Worst)". GameRant. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Hagues, Alana (September 25, 2023). "Survival Metroidvania 'Lost Ruins' Is Getting A Physical Release On Switch". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ "Lost Ruins". Metacritic. Retrieved June 16, 2024.