The Lightbringer

The Lightbringer is an action-platformer where slime has taken over the world. I needed to purify the lands and restore them to their prior state. Was removing the slime even worth my time? Find out in this Rapid Review.

Ultimately The Lightbringer isn’t a bad game, it’s just not a particularly noteworthy or interesting one. If retro-styled puzzle-platformers are your thing, and you don’t really care about story beyond the most superficial level, then for the price you could certainly do worse, though if it’s a meatier experience that you’re looking for you may want to look instead to some of the titles that provided its inspiration.

The Lightbringer misses many opportunities. Despite having great core gameplay, it fails to immerse the player in its lore and aura due to its rough, and at times, incomplete edges. If players are willing to look past these shortcomings, the gameplay will keep fans of 2.5D platformers satisfied. That is, if they don't skip a level every time they are met with the slightest of challenges.

The Lightbringer definitely brings some platforming joy to the surface but stumbles with uneven boss encounters. The game is easy to pick up with a gradual increase in platforming difficulty, though the lack of a checkpoint system may be a drawback for those less tried and tested to the ways of platformers. There is depth here if you’re after a challenge but The Lightbringer may end up leaving you a bit wanting.

Nostalgic and engaging from start to finish, The Lightbringer is a solid puzzle platformer with a lot of heart that’s easy to recommend. It’s not perfect—the combat element needs a bit of work—but it’s easier to overlook its weaker elements when everything else is so smartly designed. While The Lightbringer ends sooner than I would have liked, it also feels like the prelude to something grander. After all, is the darkness ever truly vanquished?

Maybe in time, The Lightbringer will get an “illuminated edition” or some kind of redux, where the developer can give the game the extra bit of refinement it needs. If that never happens, for its price, The Lightbringer is still worth a play for its feel-good atmosphere, and engaging platforming.

Overall though, The Lightbringer by Rock Square Thunder is a light hearted and maybe even entry level adventure for those thinking of getting into the style or for veterans needing something low key for an afternoon. Soft and bright colour palettes with an easy to pick up gameplay, it’s a relaxing game if you’ve been needing a break from forty hour adventure or daily grinds.

The Lightbringer is a beautiful game that'll appeal to anyone who enjoys 3D platforming with elaborate puzzle-filled stages. I wish that it was a bit more forgiving with its continue system, though, as playing through a lengthy stage again can be a huge pain in the tuchus.

The Lightbringer draws a lot of inspiration from earlier Zelda games. It is all about invoking that feeling of wanting to explore every nook and cranny of the game, which it succeeds in doing. The game isn’t as difficult as the old classics, so if you liked the old school classic platform games and want to try out a new take on the genre, give The Lightbringer a try.

Certainly there are plenty of 3D action platformers on the Switch, and they take a variety of forms from intense to more casual...