Larva Mortus
Game:
- Verdict: randomness
- Fun Rating: Not Much Fun
- ESRB: n/a
- Players/Mode: Single-player/Campaign
- Game Duration: demo took about 3-4 hours
- System: PC
- Developer: Rake in Grass
- Website: http://larvamortus.rakeingrass.com/index.php
- Cost: $19.95 over at the Rake in Grass site
- In a Nutshell: This is a top-down arcade style adventure game, with a hint of RPG, about a secret global monster hunting organization.
(from the game’s website)
“In the end of XIX. century dark forces shade the world once again. A brave agent experienced in exorcism and combat comes to face the incomming evil and fight loathsome supernatural monsters and horrific spawns of black magic.”
Brain:
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Would I play this again? | X | |
| Would I recommend this game? | X | |
| Was the story good? | X | |
| Was the music good? | X | |
| Were the graphics good? | X | |
| Was this game difficult? | X | |
| Was this game frustrating? | X | |
| Was this game worth your time/money? | X |
Spew:
What the game gets right
The music for this independent game was top-notch. Elements of creepiness and dark deeds afoot kept the atmosphere where, I assume, the designers intended.
What the game gets wrong
In the game everything is random, from the encounters to the maps of the various areas. Even areas, such as mansions, that should have some structure to them never have the same map.
The script and some of the art, the other two elements of atmosphere, were, shall we say, lacking. Maybe something was lost in translation in the script, but it seemed contrived. Add to this an over arching premise (a secret global monster hunting company) that seems to not really be flushed out and you get a game that just really feels unfinished.
While navigating an area, spooky faces and flocks (?) of bats will jump out of the screen at you obscuring what is actually going on. Why? Is my character hallucinating? Is this what he dreams of? Is it just meant to scare me or is it simply there to annoy me?
Sum it up
The top-down brings back memories of Legend of Zelda as I haven’t played many (if any) top-downs in a long time and the game feels like a high-resolution first gen NES game. With some tweaks (read overhaul) to the script and art, and more structure to the side and main quests (maybe make me work through a continent at a time?), I think this game could have been more fun. As it is, though, I would put it in the “casual” category with Zuma or some other online point-based game.
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Larva Mortus
Developer: Rake in Grass
This independent, top-down adventure makes a good effort but just misses the mark of a fun game.">
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