Laika: Aged Through Blood

Music is beautiful and so is the art style. I've felt like quitting since I couldn't really grasp the controls too well, but figuring out a few tricks made me progress further. I can see this not being everyone's type of game but it truly is enjoyable, even though I've died nearly 50 times before the first boss.

A metroidvania where every "unique" feature falls flat on its face and snowballs into additional issues. - You ride around on a motorcycle. You'd assume this would make traversal faster, but tacked onto that is a mechanic in which the only way to reload your weapons is to do a backflip. This means that you are constantly backtracking to reload your weapons, which you'll be doing a lot because aiming in this game is a complete coin flip. Instead of shooting the enemy directly in front of you, you'll shoot the resource chest 50 feet behind them (or worst of all, the body of the enemy you just killed. Yes, when you kill an enemy, their body remains targetable, and will more often than not block you from shooting the next enemy). Add on top of that the fact that you die in one hit, and it makes for an irritating gameplay loop. - The art style is fine, but it leads to several problems. The background and foreground will often blend together. This makes navigation difficult but also combat, because it's not entirely clear what you can and cannot shoot through. Your character is roughly the same color as the background. This makes it difficult to tell if she is upside down. In a game where falling on your head is an instant death, this is a problem. The camera will at times zoom out extremely far, making the issue even worse. - The map does not fill up as you explore it. However, there is a merchant in every area that will fill the entire map in. This makes exploration annoying, because you do not know where you have vs have not been. Given how often you have to go into the menu to look at the map, a mini map during gameplay should have been included. Overall, it's a frustrating experience that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. With all the great metroidvanias available, there is no reason to play this.

[h1]Absolute Banger*[/h1] *[i]with a few caveats[/i] Laika is an amazing game with a decently high skill floor but feels satisfying once you learn it. Reminds me of a modernized Sonic game with alot more backflips, bullets, and bird viscera. Ambiance and Environment is beautiful with the music complementing the world around it. The stories are heartfelt with some decently good story beats and environmental storytelling. Overall, while not perfect, is a great game to play. [b]Gameplay:[/b] Learning how to do tricks on the Motorcycle is good and feels rewarding once you get the hang of it. It does take a while to learn, I assure you, but once you get into the groove, it feels second nature. The slow introduction of new mechanics and movement options make it feel a little more refreshing as you progress and make you feel like an unstoppable killing machine committing vehicular manslaughter on loop However, [spoiler]unlocking certain abilities trivialize some aspects. The dash makes parrying and airtime management trivial at some areas. The LMG is atrociously busted especially at the ending. The Final Boss was too easy to beat even with a pistol and had no mechanics to play with and no additional phases or attacks to play around with.[/spoiler] Everything else though, spectacular. I had no downtime and every second of the game was enjoyable [b]Story and World:[/b] Writing is great. You get to engage in probably some of the most beautiful backgrounds and environments in an indie title. The world is pretty heartfelt and instead of doing quests for reward, it's good to do just for the experience sometimes. The main quest is fine, I guess, but everything around it makes the world feel a little more alive. I have to admit, there's alot of subtlety going on in the plot so it's recommended you take your time with the world and its atmosphere. As much as I'd love the story, [spoiler]the ending was tragically beautiful, but the lack of build up for the final battle left alot to be desired. I have already discussed the difficulty of the boss being weak but the build up to a finale was not there. The ending was quite sad and wonderfully executed, but I honestly believe it could have done more.[/spoiler] [h1]TLDR: 9/10 Extremely fun gameplay. I guarantee people who enjoy alot of stunts and challenge will find this game right at home. [/h1] (also I'd kill for a DLC or a sequel. Honestly, leaves me begging for more.)

I absolutely love this game, the way it flows.. the world building.. the storyline.. the fact that you play as a jaded mother. Everything about this game hits. I hope to see more of this world in the future, maybe even a push into 3D for extra bad ass biker moves. Incredible game.

It's like Trials X Rollerdrome. It's excellent. Bought it and played 5hours immediately. Very tightly designed, great gamefeel, gorgeous art. Hard to make something that feels genuinely unique these days, everything is a clone of something else, but this feels legitimately fresh and badass.

Brilliant game and the story is very well written. Both dark and emotionally raw, intense and deep. I loved it. [spoiler]Totally had a sob at the end of it... T_T [/spoiler]

This review is a WIP but I just wanted to get some key ideas down as I slowly arrive to the last parts of the game. For once, I'd like to start with the negative. Some gameplay elements -like the parry being linked to the directional change key or the reload mechanic being sometimes either clunky or frustrating in specific scenarios- dampen the overall experience and are a big source of frustration. Fetch quests, especially with how the tp mechanic functions, can be tedious (but I do appreciate that you get almost nothing for most of them, as it ties in well with the story), and bosses -while often fairly interesting can be both frustrating to fight because of their intrinsic design or because of the way the phases are structures (unlike a standard souls-like, each phases are mostly entirely identical, and require you to just redo the same thing every time you die). However, no matter how frustrating some of it is, the game is an absolute must-play. The narrative is phenomenal, and the world building -through music, dialogues, side-quests or cut-scenes- is -while immensly sad and gloomy- truly wonderous. Being shoved in this world of desolation and death -not too much unlike ours, especially in the current worsening political and social climate- and having to cope with tragedies after tragedies is balanced with the soft moments of love and empathy shared with others throughout your journey. This game is so beautiful, and its atmosphere is unlike anything I've seen before. So sit through the bad, cause the good makes it all worth it!

Just for the music and gorgeous visuals alone, worth. And the gameplay being a perfect level of difficult, but rewarding to learn? Chef's kiss.

I did not expect to become so invested in a game like this. I saw riding a motorcycle, with what I assumed was Trials physics, shooting guns, and blood. Seemed like a simple enough and quick fun game. What I didn't expect was an incredibly forgiving, but still engaging tactile challenge and a story that wasn't too in your face, but still offered a lot. From start to finish, this game never felt like a slog. It was always enjoyable to ride the bike everywhere you went, but still a pleasant surprise to have the fast travel points when you didn't want to trek too far. I never felt like I was wasting time searching for resources, nor did I feel like it was a chore to complete tasks for citizens of Where We Live. I truly can not find a complaint for this game, only minor nit-picks, which in the grand scheme of the game, aren't even worth mentioning. I thoroughly enjoyed this game, and am eagerly looking forward to what else the creators come up with next.

Unable to explain how much i love this game. While yeah, the gameplay took me a while to get used to, i almost dropped the game in fact. But im so happy i didn't. Once you get some gear, and get used to the controls its great. But besides the gameplay, im happy i didnt drop it because of the amazing characters, because of the amazing, beautiful artstyle, beacuse of the amazing soundtrack that i listen to often, and most importantly - because of the amazing story, conveyed in one of the few games that actually made me cry. Just play it. Its great.

Fun motorcycle based movement combined with precision shooting, that's the main draw of this game, and a great game it is. I normally play vehicle based games on controller, but the mouse is much easier to shoot with, so I recommend keyboard/mouse controls even though it takes some getting used to. Difficulty is sometimes hard but always fair. The slow motion bullet time when aiming is an extremely helpful and critical mechanic for successfully winning tough engagements. Even after the most frustrating deaths, a save point is never too far away from where you die. The reload mechanic can also be frustrating at times (you will kill yourself plenty of times just trying to reload), but backflipping to reload is just way too cool to fault it that much. Being able to unleash your own spinning bullet hell against a small army of enemies is one of the best parts about this game. Probably the worst part of the game's design is it can be easy to lose track of your bike's orientation while shooting and flipping through the air, and you've got blood and guts everywhere, and parts of the landscape are also getting in the way. I died more than a few times not realizing I was landing on my head. I wish they could've made the bike clearer to see during the more intense moments, but because of the numerous checkpoints, dying is thankfully not that punishing. The juxtaposition of cutesy animal characters with bloody gore and a depressing but touching storyline sure is unique to say the least. I did not go into this game thinking it was going to be dealing with such heavy themes, but the introduction with the brutal crucifixion QUICKLY informed me what I was in for. While thematically heavy, the storytelling is very well done, and the ending will leave you depressed but weirdly hopeful (another juxtaposition). The soundtrack matches the theme of the game: sad, but extremely listenable and oddly relaxing for such a violent game (did I mention juxtapositions?). This game is like a crappy rainy cold day but you're bundled up inside with a good book and hot drink. P.S. The final boss is a huge let down if you use the machine gun. Like they somehow didn't take that gun into account when designing the fight. I'm not sure but I'm guessing the fight is much more challenging and rewarding if you use other guns instead. Oh well, the other 99% of the game and fights still made up for it.

This is a very good game. The story is great, the gameplay is pretty simple but fun, and the music is pretty good too. Only potential downsides are that most of the sidequests are fetch quests and the bosses can feel underwhelming.

Beautiful art and music, level design is well done, mechanics feel for the most part really smooth and fun to play with, and the story/writing + characters will make you cry at least once. The only complaints I have is that the fixed camera angle can be hard to get used to, particularly during regional transitions, and the tilt controls are a bit challenging to manage on keyboard. The negative reviews made me think I was going to have more issues, but honestly I found most of them to be misleading or downright wrong. Truly one of my all-time favorites right next to Spiritfarer.

This game Intimately knows what it means to tether one's self, one's soul, one's praxis around the name "Laika". The story honors a hidden tale few are privy too. The gameplay is clunky at first but satisfying when mastered. the OST will haunt those who hold their ear to the veil for eons to come; a comforting companion during a long journey. A reminder that no matter how hard the struggle: peace will come; someone will pick up the torch and carry on the cause. This game reminded me of the time I picked up that torch and let her rest.

Very very good Metroidvania, the devs really nailed this one. Artwork and cutscenes are superb with really fun gameplay. My only complaint is the bosses leave a little bit more to be desired. Aside from that, I would absolutely recommend this game!

Really tough as nails in some parts, story that im still coping about today, absolutely fantastic.

The Art and OST is absolute toptier. Story is solid. Gameplay can take a bit to become fluent with. It is difficult but is an important aspect of the game, which gets better once one gets more fluent with the gameplay, and recieves upgrades.

I just finished the game's 100%. Absolutely gorgeous artstyle and soundtrack. The story was amazing and the gameplay was really good. This is absolutely one of the most unique metroidvanias I've ever played.

Controls take some getting used to and become fun after a while. The story kept me going and it was worth it

This was a fantastic game that I enjoyed immensely. I can't stop listening to the soundtrack either, which I love.

Quite honestly, be it on sale or not, you need to play this at some point, truly a lovely game.

Banger. This game won't be for everyone but I'm very happy I gave it a chance, this one is going to stick with me for a long time.

I don't enjoy driving in games, and I don't like shooters. So explain to me why I bloody love this game in which you spend the entire time shooting things while riding a motorbike. Nonsense! But oh the click when you've done a flip to reload, makes my brain go brr. Violent as heck, a truly peak soundtrack, and repeated shots directly to the heart. Protect Puppy at all costs. Fuck this game, I love it so much.

Really great game with amazing soundtrack, visuals and story. The soundtrack really complements the gameplay and story. The soundtrack helps on the story narratives while being great to listen to while driving through the 2D open space The visuals helps flesh out the atmosphere and portrays how the world is an entire wasteland while being visually appealing, the only downsides to the visuals is Laika can sometimes blends into the foreground or background, which might get you killed if you aren't paying attention. I 100%'d completed the game and would recommend if you like semi-challenging games that have great music to listen to with great visuals that enriches your gameplay, while learning about the story of Laika.

First things first, this game is great and I recommend it wholeheartedly. It was one of my favorite gaming experiences in the past year or so, and I recommend it to all of my friends. That being said, it does have some glaring issues: - Bosses: The bosses in the game are almost all lacking (Caterpillar Made of Sadness gets a pass). Some of them have cool designs, but none of the game-play for them is particularly good, and a lot of them are outright bad. There are a number of things that cause this, but the biggest imo is that you fight most of them in static rooms. This is fine for a typical metroidvania, but Laika's gameplay is built around the idea that you are moving through the level and keeping momentum while you are fighting. And so, having to stop moving and fight bosses in traditional "boss Arena" style rooms completely kills the momentum of the gameplay. It's no coincidence that the most fun boss is the one that chases you through a course as you dodge it's attacks: that's how [i]all[/i] of the bosses should have been structured. Also, for how amazing the soundtrack in this game is, the boss music is pretty bad. It was always a shame to enter the boss area and have the amazing beicoli soundtrack get replaced by quiet ambient bass with little to no melody. I do get that the game's thematic doesn't match with traditional high energy boss music, but the beicoli soundtrack matches most of the game beautifully and isn't high energy at all. I don't see why they had to take the approach to boss music that they did. - Enemy Variation: The game play is amazing, and super familiar if you've played any of the old 2d flash-motorcycle games that control just like it. However, the enemies themselves get very repetitive. There are different types that have different weapons, and some have their unique quirks that make them more unique to fight, however [b]every single enemy[/b] functionally just stands still, shoots at you when they see you, and dies and one hit. The combat can get pretty difficult and fun in some zones, however this is [i]only[/i] ever achieved by adding more enemies. This works wonders sometimes, but it is the only trick the game throws at you. And so after about 15-20 hours, it doesn't matter if killing a massive group of enemies in one big combo is fun, you've already done it tons of times before. In addition, the fact that the enemies don't move means that you can take it at whatever pace you want. The game-play genuinely is fun if you speed through, doing tricks, spins, and parries to dodge and take out enemies, but a lot of the time there is nothing forcing you to go at that pace. Enemies that could move and chase you, forcing you to move and run would go a long way to help with this. - Side quests: Most of the side quests in this game are perfectly fine and have you explore very interesting narrative themes. But, the annoying side quests are very annoying, the primary issue being figuring out where to go. There are no quest markers, instead relying on relative-location navigation ([i]character[/i] said I could find [i]item[/i] somewhere to the west of [i]location[/i]). Not to mention, you don't get prompted to interact with a quest location unless you are right on top of it. As I said this is usually fine, but occasionally it is waayyyyyy to vague, and the place to go to complete a quest is incredibly hard to find, and it doesn't help that the things you are looking for are usually integrated into the background and are super easy to not see. I eventually gave up for a few of them and had to resort to looking up guides to complete them, which I almost never do with any game. - Ending: I did like the ending in a narrative sense, it fit very well and sticks with you. However, a lot of things add up to make it anticlimactic overall. The boss itself is lackluster and not that fun to face for all of the reasons I mentioned when I was talking about the bosses, and then while the ending [i]is[/i] good, it just ends too abruptly. Big spoiler-y things happen that could use a scene or two of dialogue from various characters, but instead it just shows a quick (albeit very pretty) cut scene and then the game ends. Overall, lackluster end to a very good game. Those things being said, ignore my ranting. This game is hauntingly fantastic, and has stuck with me ever since I played it. Amazing Game-play, amazing characters, Amazing art-style, Amazing-Music (look up beicoli on spotify), amazing story, all wrapped up into one amazing package. If you think you'll like it, play it and you won't regret it.

Absolute masterpiece of a game. After getting 100%, I took a look back on everything this game has to offer. It balances difficult sections with easy ones so perfectly, especially how exploring slowly gets harder over time, while you advance with stronger weapons. Not to forget the story, it is absolutely amazing! Highs, lows, everything was there. The ending was so sad it nearly made me cry, especially because of how everything leads up to that final boss-fight. Then there's the mechanics, which were designed with absolute comfort in mind. Every weapon and movement mechanic piece together perfectly, which makes the game really smooth to play! Also, there is the absolute work of art that is the OST. Beicoli, who produced every song, did an absolutely amazing job with the sound tracks, they're very good, to the point where I would just sit and do nothing in-game to listen to the music in the background. And the fact that the developers managed to connect the music to the story, extraordinary. 10/10, would recommend!

This is one of my favourite Indie games I've played in the last couple years. There was enough in here to make it a fresh take on Metroidvania's I didn't know I needed. I thought driving around a 2D open world would feel weird. Instead, I can't imagine it being done a better way. I also thought the back and front flipping to reload ammo would get annoying after a while, but it's still one of my favourite mechanics. It always gave me something to do and I felt cool ha ha It's story is dark at parts. Really dark. But it's wasteland aesthetic pair wells well with it. And the music brings it all together in a way I will never be able to forget. I can't stress how much the music left me in a trance as I played. I've got the soundtrack for road trips now too. This game isn't perfect. It has a couple quests with vague almost misleading dialogue which almost had me miss one of the final missions because of it. (thank god I went back to double check something otherwise I could have played for hours not understanding why it hadn't started). But everything else ran smoothly. I really appreciate the work that went into this game. I wish I could talk a bunch about the story but I don't want to give away any spoilers. I'll just say that it was really good.

cool game :) you fight on a bike with bird furry things ive never played anything quite like it, and although the boss fights are slightly repetitive, i would highly recommend this game also it has a soundtrack

The game does a pretty good job at teaching you its unique mechanics as you progress. Once you get over the first learning hurdle of navigating the bike controls, it gets really fun. Mastering the bike mechanics, weapons, combos, etc. is really rewarding. Beautiful art style and soundtrack. The story can be a bit too grim for its own good at times, but overall it's really good. Would have loved a longer epilogue, or for some of the really compelling/unique themes to be explored a bit more.

Laika is a good experience, but just fine gameplay wise. What I think are its strong suits are ambience and storytelling. The gameplay while solid, doesn't change much after you're done with the tutorial, so if that doesn't click with you, it might not be a game for you. What I'd personally change in gameplay is tying traversal abilities to weapons instead, like instead of getting a dash you'd use a shotgun to propel yourself forward, but sadly that's not the case, as Shotgun carries no close to zero momentum when you use it, more ammo doesn't change it either. Grappling hook is only used in two sections and then you forget it exists. If it was attached to a gun, perhaps you'd be able to grab and throw enemies/use them as shields, etc. These are some minor gripes, so I'd still recommend it because it's a unique experience, a platformer using a bike and guns is a fun and novel concept, while tackling some sensitive topics with care they require and you can tell the devs made this game with love.

Laika is such a beautifully raw game. All of the characters, especially the ones in Where We Live are fleshed out so well even just with the stories and dialogue that you go through with them, and it makes it feel like you really know them. At first I struggled a lot with the controls, however once they click, its such a fun way to play the game, and honestly, I cant think of a better way that they could have laid out the controls in order for the game to work how it does. The universe setup is amazing, as it relies heavily on showing rather than telling you what is going on, and you are able to piece things together before it starts to explain itself. It is such a messed up area that we explore throughout the game, and you really see how it affects the characters that live within this world in a realistic and impactful way. The first half of the game sets up the idea that the birds are the enemies and they're all horrible, however you get to see that maybe things aren't as black and white as you think they are. My favourite small detail, is how [spoiler] you learn that there is a growing resistance among the birds, and that those who are peaceful wear a white band on their arm. You can find these birds all the way from the beginning, and I noticed they didn't shoot. I just thought they were injured, but learning they were peaceful made me rethink shooting every one I saw. [/spoiler] The music is wonderfully done, fitting into the mood of the story, and I love how there is reasoning for why the cassettes are there in the first place. The story was amazing. Even going in with the end being spoiled I still cried. I highly recommend this game, even if just for the experience of the storyline

It's one of those games where you wish you could wipe your memory just to go through it blind all over again, impeccable storytelling, soundtrack, ambiance, emotional rollercoaster, haven't seen passion sipped into a game like this in years, at the same time it makes you wish a sequel it makes you don't because you're too afraid of it ruining something that is already perfect

I honestly have more problems with this game than positives, but I still recommend you give it a try. If you like brutally difficult games where one mistake will mess you up, you'll love this game, especially the [b][i]artstyle[/i][/b]. I just couldn't get a handle on the bike controls. Also, DO NOT play on steam deck if you hate frame rate drops.

A very touching story and beautiful music. There is some grind but the game still worth playing it. Also when you get additional weapon slots you you can't unequip weapon from them once you equipped it. This is super annoying at the beginning but to have another spare weapon sometimes useful so you forget about this problem once you begin to use all the weapons.

Gorgeous artstyle, a unique movement style for a metroidvania, and a tearjerking story and setting. Would cry again

A great game! The music is very fitting and almost nostalgic feeling. The combat system is also a unique take on shooting and parrying. The world feels real and gritty while still looking adorable. 10/10 fantastic!

Laika: Aged Through Blood is a game that leaves you wanting more in the best way possible. You want to interact with every npc and object to find all the secrets the game has to offer. Laika is a very interesting protagonist with engaging character interactions and backstory. You want to know more about this world before the story inevitably ends. Laika also has very unique gameplay for a metrovania. Riding your motorcycle across the open world while listening the amazing soundtrack by Beícoli. The gameplay is engaging, making you want to master all the mechanics and pull off amazing tricks. The gameplay also ties very closely with the story of the game. Overall, this game has great world-building, story, game-play and music! What's not to love

Artistically gorgeous, fun game play, and neat design. I don't like how you start with little music have to find more of the cassettes to listen to. The game play can be a bit frustrating, but is certainly fun. Its like if someone made the Trials games with a story. The frustration comes from randomly flipping over when I hold one of the directions down, and the navigation. Somewhat trial and error and especially so during the boss fights. Most deaths have usually been by my own hand rather than getting hit. There's a parry I forget to use cause the under side of the bike can block too. Overall 9/10 (Maybe worth 100%?)

About to replay this masterpiece and realised I never wrote a review. This game made me appreciate my mother so much more, and made me ball my eyes out for days after playing it. The storytelling, the art, the music, the themes, while sometimes a bit heavy, are beautiful. And it's a furry game

Aside from personally struggling with the bike movements this game was awesome!! The gameplay is addicting and takes a long time to get tired of. With the unique environments to evolving enemies throughout the waste Lands and small range of weapons to choose from when mostly killing enemies or getting around. The story however, dang gut wrenching with characters you don't know, do know or met within the first 10 minutes end up...well you know. Getting to know Laika, her story and the characters that surround her was a thrilling experience and done in such an amazingly subtle way where it felt like a normal thing through conversations with these characters. This game is not for the faint of heart but if they make another game like this I'm definitely signing up to play more. 10/10 (first time putting effort to write a review too)

This game is SO COOL! Can't praise it enough. It's got good gameplay, fun characters, stunning visuals and a really cute, dark vibe. And the story- oh man, the story... It's dark. Painful. Some of the interactions feel too true to life, in a bad way. And yet, it adds to the feeling that this world exists, brought to life through the vision of its creators and the dedication evident in every corner of its design. Oh, and I haven't encountered a single bug, far as I can tell. If it's on sale, buy it. 10/10.

Fun movement, and pretty unique metroidvania all in all. Could get a bit repetitive after a while. I feel like the story could have went into more interesting directions but overall was okay.

very good, that's not just me telling potential buyers i'm also applauding the devs. very good

THIS GAME IS CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED. -Unique and Challenging Game Play -S Tier Visual Style -S Tier Soundtrack -Really Good Story -Really Good World Design

really unique mechanics with good controls. great story-telling. needs more enemy variety. hope they make a dlc.

Imagine hill climb racing was a really difficult metroidvania and that's this game. Story was really good and the gameplay was also amazing and really unique.

A beautiful game. Distinct art, wonderful soundtrack. But when it comes to gameplay, it's generally too easy. Some harder parts, but only due to large groups of enemies. The combat is one note, enemy variety is lacking. The bosses are some of the worst I've ever seen in a metroidvania, and entirely too easy. The final boss was pitiful and over in about 30 seconds. The story was interesting enough though. So if you're looking for something atmospheric instead of challenging I'd recommend it. But otherwise, save your money.

The Good: Honestly it is really well made artisticily and world design is great. I like the anthro characters, the gameplay was fun and rewarding. Design, gameplay, art, animation are all good. But there is not much substance otherwise. The Bad: I disliked a lot of not skippable dialogues or cutscenes. The topics of death seemed like pseudo-philosophy. I honestly can't say too much due to one big issue... The Ugly: The game is too long for what it is. It is stretching out too thin of content. Its adding quests that mean nothing with little reward. The Bike gameplay and gunfire gets too repetitive. I think this game would've benefited more if it was purely linear. The artstlye is amazing but the gameplay is not a strong point, it was fun to play for a bit till it was just too boring to continue to 100% the game. This game is really stretching out its contents.

Great atmosphere but the gameplay is attrocious. Who does not love to repeat the same stupid boss fight 10 times because you get hit once or tip over slightly with these crap controls. I really think there could be a fun game idea with biking and metroidvania but this aint it.

some of the best written people ive seen 10/10 story would replay every summer