We spent some hands-on time with Super Lucky’s Tale at the Xbox E3 Showcase and came away pretty pleased with what we played. If you grew up loving Mario, Sonic and Crash -- and who the hell didn’t -- Lucky’s a thief after your own heart.
The original Lucky’s Tale, also developed by Playful, was published as a launch title for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. But this time around there’s no clunky headset to cramp your neck and no slithering mass of cables to insinuate themselves around your ankles. The controls are nimble and straightforward: no tricks here. You’ve got a jump, a tail-spin attack and the ability to burrow under grass and leap out, catching baddies by surprise. Here and there, you’ll see prompts to make Lucky interact with various items and objects.
The E3 demo included some light puzzle elements: collecting the body parts of some googly-eyed rock monsters to unlock new routes and outrunning a flaming gumdrop while holding the head of one such monster, rendering you unable to jump. It’s reasonable to assume these puzzles will become more elaborate and complex as you progress further into the game. But just like in real life, sometimes whomping into things ass-first isn’t your best option.
If it wasn’t obvious already, Super Lucky’s Tale is one adorable game, and those irresistibly cute aesthetics were a major part of what drew me into the demo. Lucky bops, twirls and burrows amidst sly-faced flowers with fangy underbites, doe-eyed blob ghosts and hayseed earthworms. You’ll encounter a lavender kitty ninja less than five minutes into the game. If this game doesn’t manage to put a smile on your face, you’re a coldhearted monster.
Super Lucky’s Tale will appeal to kids, but that doesn’t mean the challenge is middling. I died during the demo -- several times. Hey, when everything around you is so damn cuddly, sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s friendly and who’s not. However, my repeated untimely demises were a matter of getting used to the controls (and spending too much time gawping around at all the cuteness on offer) than any particularly “cheap” level design. At least in the early stages, Super Lucky’s Tale isn’t aiming to make a chump out of you, so Kaizo Mario enthusiasts need not apply.
Check out the E3 trailer for Super Lucky’s Tale below.
Super Lucky’s Tale comes to Xbox One and Windows 10 Nov. 7. Will you be checking out the game? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check back with Player.One for more E3 2017 coverage!
