Review: La Mulana 2 (PlayStation 4)

by Jim Smale · Published April 2, 2020 · Updated April 21, 2020

The long-awaited sequel to La-Mulana, La-Mulana 2 follows Lumisa Kosugi as she explores the ancient ruins of La-Mulana. Desperate to find the cause of the recent slew of monsters appearing from the ruins, Lumisa discovers the “other” La-Mulana: the ruins known as Eg-Lana.

Pros:

Pixel art graphics in the game with beautifully hand-drawn art interactions.
2.63gb download size.
Platinum trophy.
Rebind controls.
Game text- English, Chinese, and Japanese.
Tutorial/help is drip-fed to you via your tablet.
Tablet- Here you activate/deactivate apps (has a memory limit), Look at the map, Read messages etc.
Fast travel to any discovered save point.
An action platformer with puzzle mechanics gameplay. Very Metroidvania.
A central camp where you can use the shops, Savepoint and Spa to replenish HP.
Game timer.
Seven main weapons and over ten sub-weapons.
Save points all around and you have 15 save slots.
Uncover the map as you explore.
Side art on the borders of the screen.
Really clever level design, No screen feels the same.
Discover shortcuts.
Gold- the currency used for shops.
Glossary- Look at detailed descriptions of everyone/thing in the game. You add to the glossary as you meet/kill people/enemies.
Proper adventure game.
Hidden traps.
Constant on edge feeling topped off with excitement.
Difficult.
Strong risk-reward factor.
Treasure chests around the levels and have a strict, Solve the puzzle to get the loot mechanic.
Well, paced unlocks.
Addictive.
Around 20 apps to install on your tablet like maps, text reading and so much more.
Destroys game time.
Boss fights.
Strong decent story.
Massive game world.
Tombstones- Give clues/lore/random text.
You play screen by screen.
No loading screens.
Default it is just you and your whip.
So much depth.
No hand holding.

Cons:

Lacks any in-depth graphics options.
No tutorial area.
Buttons only show default button 1 button 2 for the controller.
Instructions not always clear.
Difficult.
Slight learning curve like the way jump works, It is bit more spongey than games like Mario.
Instances of broken English.
Bats, in particular, are bad to fight as the path they follow isnt the best and they spend a lot of time out of shot.

9/10
Graphics - 9/10
8/10
Sound - 8/10
8/10
Accessibility - 8/10
9/10
Length - 9/10
9/10
Fun Factor - 9/10

8.6/10

Summary

Ok, so this game captures the true essence of adventuring into the unknown. Hitting switches and not knowing what will happen is so 50/50. It could open a secret passage or it could cause the ceiling to collapse on you, Every step is you freaking out on what could or could not happen. Hidden levers, Switches and enemies are everywhere. The action is tight, The pace of unlocks is balanced with an amazing world to discover. Fast travel coming in early worried me at first but soon you see why that had to happen and thank God that it did! The game is just so much fun to play and one that will have you playing for hours upon hours as you forget to blink, Sweat as you walk past a weird symbol. All this mind and you still have the treasure chests to get, Solve puzzles and all the action using weapons. In short, this game builds upon everything that made the first game a classic. It is a shame that being on a new console you don’t get any extras but I think it stands up well as the actual core gameplay is solid and what people want.