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This game was a revelation for me in terms of a new gaming experience. "Laika: Aged Through Blood" is an atmospheric metroidvania that stands out from others in its genre due to its unique combination of styles and mechanics, as well as its unusual aesthetic. Visually, the game impresses with its hand-drawn graphics, and its brutal violence and frequent scenes of brutality underscore the tense atmosphere of the game world.
The main events take place in a post-apocalyptic world where birds have declared their racial superiority over other species and launched a brutal war of extermination. As a result of constant warfare and the depletion of resources, the land has turned into a desert. The other inhabitants of the wasteland hide, gather in small settlements and try to survive. The story follows Laika, a coyote warrior, as she tries to save her settlement from the invaders.
The majority of the game is spent riding a motorcycle. You can balance the bike, perform various tricks and block enemy bullets. The combat system is implemented in an interesting and unconventional way: a backflip reloads the weapon, while a front flip gives the ability to ricochet bullets back at enemies. Holding down the fire button activates a slow-motion mode, allowing you to better aim and plan your next moves in battle. The one-shot system, where you and your enemies (except bosses) die with a single hit, keeps the tension high and forces you to be more careful. This set of abilities, along with the proper use of the world's terrain, allows for the effective destruction of enemies, even if it may seem a bit challenging at first. As you progress through the game, however, not only does your character improve, but so does your understanding of the game's mechanics.
The game's painterly visual style is very pleasing. Characters, locations and effects are well done and stand out for their originality. The beautiful animated cutscenes are also worth mentioning, although there aren't many of them. The music in the game is wonderful - melancholic and effectively conveys the atmosphere of western post-apocalypse and hopelessness. I particularly enjoyed the mechanic of searching for new music tapes scattered around the world and listening to them on the player while riding a motorbike
Now for the aspects of the game that players may not like. The general description of the quests is well written, but the description of the specific task is often vague, which can make it difficult to complete the quest. For example, a quest may tell you to go to a certain place and find an item, but not give the exact location. This requires careful exploration of the location, which is fine if it is unexplored, but usually these are locations that have been fully explored several times and the item was not there before, or was non-interactive and seen as a decoration. There are also sometimes problems with the detection of interactive items, which can make finding quest items even more difficult. I had a situation where I couldn't find a quest item for a long time, even though I was driving right by it, because it looked like a normal decoration. In addition, quest items can be sold by merchants and are visually indistinguishable from other consumables, making them difficult to find, especially early in the game. The rewards for additional quests are usually small and insignificant.
Bosses are not a strong aspect of the game. In fact, their attacks can be quite monotonous. Some bosses follow a pattern: dodge their attacks until the boss exposes his vulnerable spot for a hit. I expected a lot more from the last boss. In general, the bosses in the game are not bad, but they lack variety and complexity.
As a result, I liked this game, with its beautiful hand-drawn visuals, great music, interesting story and lore, good and unusual gameplay, and was able to get into it and enjoy it. However, due to some of its features, it may not be suitable for everyone, but those who can accept it will get their share of emotion and enjoyment. I recommend trying the demo version first, which will give you a better understanding of the game. Also, if you buy the game, all your progress from the demo will be transferred to the main game.