HomeReviews3.5/5 ReviewLunar Axe Review

Lunar Axe Review

-

With the ever-increasing price of travel in the last few years, and the cost of living crisis, it’s becoming ever harder to get out across the world and discover new cultures. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do it virtually. For instance, it’s been nice to explore bits of Japan in the Yakuza and Like A Dragon series, as well as San Francisco in Watch Dogs 2.

With Lunar Axe we head off to the city of São Luís in Brazil as the game allows us the chance to explore some Brazilian folklore. It’s a point-and-click adventure with strong Hidden Object game elements. 

Lunar Axe is a fixed perspective game in which you click on the screen around you, hitting on objects and puzzles, getting involved in some hidden object mini-games. Think of the Artifex Mundi games and you will be on the right track. But Lunar Axe comes with a whole different look to those games, creating an atmosphere that has its own uniqueness. 

Lunar Axe review 1
Ready for the adventures of Lunar Axe?

The game starts in São Luís, a city in Brazil where a huge earthquake has taken place. You get trapped in an old manor house, left to try and escape. Soon the folklore comes to fruition, with rumours about a huge creature that lives under the city being the cause of the earthquakes. The only way to stop it is by using the famous Lunar Axe. The problem is, that’s in pieces, spread over different parts of the city. Off you trot…

I love the setup and story based on Brazilian folklore that is found in Lunar Axe. It also has a creepy and unusual atmosphere; one that evokes a historical era and mystical place. Things are helped by the rare cutscenes you encounter; these are nicely done and visually creepy. 

But the main focus of the game is in the puzzle solving and hidden object finding. The point-and-click adventuring comes in the form of the usual collection of objects, using those with an appropriate device/object/keyhole. Sometimes you have to combine objects and, well, you know the drill. 

Lunar Axe review 2
Puzzling puzzles

The puzzles themselves are fun and varied throughout. You’ll find timed shape puzzles, up to repeating a sound combination and over to the old-fashioned block slider favourite. Some of these can be very tricky to solve. Expect to be found scratching your head and looking online a lot. 

But then there are also the hidden object sections. It’s here where you may have a still image of objects, all jumbled together, needing to pick out certain aspects. This starts off quite well, but some may require the most eagle of eyes, or the requirement to ‘see the code’. I’ll admit, I spent far too long sitting quite close to my TV, examining every detail. 

The biggest criticism I have of Lunar Axe though is in the controls. I feel like I’ve said this a fair bit recently, but using a controller is not the best and moving the cursor around the screen doesn’t ever feel as accurate as it would with a mouse. It’s hard for a game like this, especially when accuracy is so important. 

Visually though, Lunar Axe comes with a nicely hand-drawn animated style. I enjoyed the mini cutscenes and the way they set up the world. Be warned though, it can feel quite dark at times – and I don’t mean in the sections when it was meant to be dark. Thankfully, there is a special quality to the design and look of all the locations you encounter, whilst the audio is pretty simple; atmospheric effects and a bit of soundtrack that is fairly effective. 

Lunar Axe review 3
You’ll also be finding objects…

There are some great puzzles on offer in Lunar Axe. It also has a good story whilst the opportunity to explore a new city in Brazil, as well as its folklore, is appreciated. Don’t expect a huge story with big characterisations, because this is all about solving puzzles and finding objects; whether or not that gets a bit weary will be to personal tests. Unfortunately though, the controls let Lunar Axe down, not helped by dark visuals.

That said, overall, if you like puzzle games and are looking for a cheap option, Lunar Axe is probably worth a piece of your time. 

SUMMARY

Pros:
  • Good puzzles
  • Story set up
  • Visuals are lovely
Cons:
  • Controls
  • Too dark
Info:
  • Massive thanks for the free copy of the game, QUByte Interactive
  • Formats - Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One (review), PS5, PS4, PC, Switch
  • Release date and price - 18 April 2024 | £4.19
Previous article
Next article
Gareth Brierley
Gareth Brierleyhttp://www.garethbrierley.co.uk
I am an actor and a writer. I act quite a bit on stage, a little bit on tv and never on tuesdays. I have had some of my writing published and have written for TV and stage. I have been playing games since they begun and don't seem to be getting any better.
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Follow Us On Socials

24,000FansLike
1,671FollowersFollow
4,922FollowersFollow
7,170SubscribersSubscribe

Our current writing team

2836 POSTS23 COMMENTS
1299 POSTS18 COMMENTS
1080 POSTS46 COMMENTS
1025 POSTS0 COMMENTS
426 POSTS2 COMMENTS
117 POSTS0 COMMENTS
82 POSTS0 COMMENTS
79 POSTS4 COMMENTS
24 POSTS0 COMMENTS

Join the chat

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you

<b>Pros:</b> <ul> <li>Good puzzles</li> <li>Story set up</li> <li>Visuals are lovely</li> </ul> <b>Cons:</b> <ul> <li>Controls</li> <li>Too dark</li> </ul> <b>Info:</b> <ul> <li>Massive thanks for the free copy of the game, QUByte Interactive</li> <li>Formats - Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One (review), PS5, PS4, PC, Switch <li>Release date and price - 18 April 2024 | £4.19</li> </ul>Lunar Axe Review
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x