Two years ago, at my first PAX East, myself and some others were shown something really cool at the Apogee booth. It was a recent pickup for the publisher, a one-man indie game that was still early in development, too early for hands-on play. But just from a brief demonstration from Eric of The Matte Black Studio I could tell the game was one to look out for. That game was LUCID, and after finally getting to try it for myself I can easily say I was right. I played a lot of great games at PAX East 2024, but LUCID would win the top prize if I had a prize to give.
Described as a “Celestoidvania,” LUCID has some key inspirations as its foundation. The obvious ones are Celeste and Metroidvanias as a genre of course, but there are other obvious shout outs like Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man X. While it doesn’t simply start and stop at homage, the moments these games are invoked are clear as crystal. Lots of games build on what came before of course, but LUCID takes its bits and pieces of inspiration and perfectly translates what makes those parts foundational. It’s like someone is right there with you holding a controller and effortlessly explaining what they found inspirational about those games. And you can feel it in the gameplay.
My time with LUCID was roughly twenty minutes of open game time, and if there was an end to the demo I didn’t see it. That being said, if a demo doesn’t come out later for public or media access and I don’t get to see it through, I’ll be very sad. Those twenty minutes were tutorial-heavy of course, but even then packed with a ton of examples of what to expect from the full game, and plenty of hints at more. The very much Celeste-inspired puzzle-platforming was the marquee attraction, and the way LUCID weaves combat mechanics and Mega Man X-like air dashing into the wall-jumping, ledge-grabbing and double-jumping was so much fun. Being able to identify the inspiration, then diving into all the stuff added on top and understanding the distinct language LUCID was speaking almost felt organic, a sure sign of clever onboarding and slick mechanical design.
The game’s elaborate and thoughtful mechanics are the star of the show, but that’s not all LUCID has going for it. Its visual style, self-described as “crystal-punk,” is bold and beautiful, with deep colors that evoke a sense of underground fantasy and music that cements that vibe even further. The pixel art is detailed and distinct, once again reinforcing a deliberate mood and style. I’m curious to see how this style is communicated across differing biomes. Another big part I’m looking forward to? One of the Kickstarter stretch goals met was additional music from David Wise of Donkey Kong Country fame. If that doesn’t contribute to the vibe I don’t know what does. Both of those things are a ways off though, and I can only guess what they end up like based on my short time with the game.
At this point, LUCID has captured my attention for more than two years now. That in itself should be a testament to the level of quality we’re dealing with here. Hopefully the team working on seeing the project through gets all the time and resources it needs, and we get the best version of LUCID we can possibly get by the time it reaches the finish line. There’s something special cooking here, and I’m chomping at the bit with anticipation.
LUCID doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s aiming to launch on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Hands-on time with the game was provided by the publisher at PAX East for the purpose of this preview.
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replyLucas White posted a new article, LUCID is a 'Celestoidvania' which is precisely as rad as it sounds
