Hello, everyone. Today Id like to talk about what is perhaps my favorite game of all time: LA-MULANA! It has taken me ten years to finally beat this game, and now Im bursting at the seams to talk to people about it.
So what is La-Mulana?
According to the official website, La-Mulana is a Ruins Exploration Archaeological Action Game. What that means in practice is that the game is a mix of Indiana Jones, Maze of Galious (MSX metroidvania), and a bit of FEZ, plus incredibly challenging puzzles that make Shadowgate look like peek-a-boo.
There are two versions of LM:
the first was a 2005 freeware title that looks like an MSX game:
The second was a 2011 paid remake which is available on WiiWare (avoid this version if you can; its missing some cool bonus content), Steam, GOG, and Vita (this version adds a bestiary and some very minor puzzle tweaks. Its technically the best version but by no means essential. The majority of players stick with the PC releases).
The remake changes a lot; lots of puzzles are different, bosses are almost completely different, it has a 16/32-bit pixel art style, and the bonus dungeon is completely redone. The remake looks like this:
If youre curious about the story, heres the basic premise. Lemeza Kosugi, an esteemed archaeology professor, gets a letter from his rival, who happens to be his father, saying that he has finally discovered the ruins of La-Mulana. If the fertile crescent is considered the cradle of civilization in the real world, LM is the cradle of every civilization all the worlds different civilizations were born inside LM before expanding outward due to story reasons. Each area of the game is based on one or two real-world civilizations, such as Mesopotamia or India. Lemeza decides to chase after his father in order to learn the secrets of humanity in these treacherous ruins
Its easy enough to say the game plays like a metroidvania with an Indiana Jones-esque setting, but that really doesnt get at what makes this game so unique. The gameplay is super solid, technical, and challenging, with a strict jump mechanic taken straight out of Maze of Galious. The closest comparison that most people would probably be familiar with is Super Ghouls n Ghosts, though you do not start with a double jump in LM.
The real bread and butter of LM is the impressive amount of areas and puzzles, which make LM, in my opinion, the hardest game I have ever played. The puzzles are obtuse. They are not easily solved, and some of them are downright mean. The first area of the game, the Gate of Guidance, will probably make you feel like a genius before making you feel like an idiot for the rest of the game. The puzzles are everywhere, and you wont even notice a lot of them are there. Most of the hints come from environmental clues as well as stone tablets, which are written in La-Mulanese. The main character, Lemeza Kosugi, carries around an MSX computer and you can buy and find various software for his computer that perform different functions. One provides a rudimentary map, for example. In addition, there are various equippable items that help you solve puzzles. One of the most important ones automatically translates La-Mulanese into readable English its essential. At first, the tablets, which are always vague but never deceitful, are near their respective puzzles. But later on, youll find hints to puzzles in completely different areas, and you will need to write them down. Do it. Dont assume youll remember them. You wont. Write them down.
It is difficult to discuss what the puzzles are like since theyre so different from one another, but you get everything from block puzzles to button combos to breakable walls to using the right item at the right place, as well as many more complex and big-picture puzzles. Some of the hints simultaneously tell you about the ruins while also providing hints for certain puzzles.
The reason that I say the game is a bit like FEZ is that the game has some incredible reveals as you play that will really surprise you, and it has some really big-picture concepts and puzzles that show how incredibly well-crafted the game is. LMs areas may seem self-contained, but you will quickly realize how deeply connected they are on multiple levels.
La-Mulana is not a game that I can recommend for everyone. It revels in the archaic idiosyncrasies of its influences, and it is even harder than you are imagining right now. But it is also the most rewarding game I have ever played. The rush you get when you solve a puzzle after piecing together hints from all over the place is so satisfying and really keeps you going. But I will tell you this: I am 99.9% sure you will get hopelessly stuck at some point and try as you might, you probably wont figure out what to do. There are hints for every single puzzle and it is possible to solve them all without outside help, but some are still so challenging that you will probably need to look them up unless you want to brute force them or put in dozens and dozens of hours. I do not think you should avoid spoilers when you need them. There are hint guides online to help push you in the right direction when you need it. Id say try your best on every puzzle, but when you feel hopeless, look up a hint. The game is too good to just stop playing and assume youll come back later, because that doesnt work. You really need to play through the game within a couple months at most because you really need a good mental map of the world and a solid understanding of its mechanics to begin to work out some of its puzzles, and too much time away will make things too difficult.
If the above does not appeal to you, or if you dont like obtuse puzzles and strict platforming, you should probably pass on this game, or at most try the freeware game to see if it appeals to you. Its not for everyone, and thats totally OK. But for those who are up for an incredible challenge, you will fall in love with La-Mulana. If you are OK with playing a game that doesnt try to be accessible and will deeply challenge you, then please try LM.
Ive had an on-again-off-again relationship with this game. I first tried the original freeware version a decade ago(?) and didnt get very far. Over the years Ive started this game many times and quit before getting too far in the game because I didnt want to look up hints but I got too stuck on my own. Finally, about a month ago, I started the game again with the intention of finally beating it, and I DID, though I had to look up hints here and there. Sometimes I regretted looking up solutions, but other times I was so glad I did. I am thrilled that I finally played through the whole game because its one of those rare pieces of art/media/whatever that feels like it was custom made for me.
If Ive sold you on LM, here are some helpful tips:
-Read the games manual. No really, read it. Theres one for the freeware version and the paid version. Pay close attention, too. Some helpful stuff might be just under your nose
-Write down all the tablet hints and cross them off once youve solved the puzzle they relate to. Theres an in-game feature that lets you record tablet text at some point, but it has its drawbacks. Screencapping or writing them down on your own is much more helpful.
-If you get stuck, move onto another area. The game is surprisingly non-linear, and requires tons of backtracking. Take time away from the puzzle youre stuck on and explore some other areas.
-Figure out all the nuances of the jump mechanic early. Some puzzles require you to really know how to work with it. Once youve got a handle on how it works, you can really use it to your advantage.
-Find the holy grail before you leave the Gate of Guidance. If you cant find it, read the manual again and think outside the box a bit. You can find it before leaving that first area. Getting that item will make your life so much easier.
-Always keep lots of weights on you. There's no salty feeling quite like running out of them during a dais puzzle.
If you have any questions at all, please post them! I'd be happy to talk about this game or explain anything above in more detail. I love this game so much and I would love to talk about it here.
Edit: as SatelliteOfLove points out, LM has an amazing soundtrack. Even if the game doesn't appeal to you, I recommend you check out the OST. Here are some of my favorites:
The theme for the surface.
The Mausoleum of Giants.
The Tower of Ruin.
Edit 2: As some users below have pointed out, La-Mulana 2 is currently in the works! There was a kickstarter a couple years ago, but if you're itching to throw NIGORO some money, you can still pledge on playism's website. The game is supposed to come out this year.
So what is La-Mulana?
According to the official website, La-Mulana is a Ruins Exploration Archaeological Action Game. What that means in practice is that the game is a mix of Indiana Jones, Maze of Galious (MSX metroidvania), and a bit of FEZ, plus incredibly challenging puzzles that make Shadowgate look like peek-a-boo.
There are two versions of LM:
the first was a 2005 freeware title that looks like an MSX game:
The second was a 2011 paid remake which is available on WiiWare (avoid this version if you can; its missing some cool bonus content), Steam, GOG, and Vita (this version adds a bestiary and some very minor puzzle tweaks. Its technically the best version but by no means essential. The majority of players stick with the PC releases).
The remake changes a lot; lots of puzzles are different, bosses are almost completely different, it has a 16/32-bit pixel art style, and the bonus dungeon is completely redone. The remake looks like this:
If youre curious about the story, heres the basic premise. Lemeza Kosugi, an esteemed archaeology professor, gets a letter from his rival, who happens to be his father, saying that he has finally discovered the ruins of La-Mulana. If the fertile crescent is considered the cradle of civilization in the real world, LM is the cradle of every civilization all the worlds different civilizations were born inside LM before expanding outward due to story reasons. Each area of the game is based on one or two real-world civilizations, such as Mesopotamia or India. Lemeza decides to chase after his father in order to learn the secrets of humanity in these treacherous ruins
Its easy enough to say the game plays like a metroidvania with an Indiana Jones-esque setting, but that really doesnt get at what makes this game so unique. The gameplay is super solid, technical, and challenging, with a strict jump mechanic taken straight out of Maze of Galious. The closest comparison that most people would probably be familiar with is Super Ghouls n Ghosts, though you do not start with a double jump in LM.
The real bread and butter of LM is the impressive amount of areas and puzzles, which make LM, in my opinion, the hardest game I have ever played. The puzzles are obtuse. They are not easily solved, and some of them are downright mean. The first area of the game, the Gate of Guidance, will probably make you feel like a genius before making you feel like an idiot for the rest of the game. The puzzles are everywhere, and you wont even notice a lot of them are there. Most of the hints come from environmental clues as well as stone tablets, which are written in La-Mulanese. The main character, Lemeza Kosugi, carries around an MSX computer and you can buy and find various software for his computer that perform different functions. One provides a rudimentary map, for example. In addition, there are various equippable items that help you solve puzzles. One of the most important ones automatically translates La-Mulanese into readable English its essential. At first, the tablets, which are always vague but never deceitful, are near their respective puzzles. But later on, youll find hints to puzzles in completely different areas, and you will need to write them down. Do it. Dont assume youll remember them. You wont. Write them down.
It is difficult to discuss what the puzzles are like since theyre so different from one another, but you get everything from block puzzles to button combos to breakable walls to using the right item at the right place, as well as many more complex and big-picture puzzles. Some of the hints simultaneously tell you about the ruins while also providing hints for certain puzzles.
The reason that I say the game is a bit like FEZ is that the game has some incredible reveals as you play that will really surprise you, and it has some really big-picture concepts and puzzles that show how incredibly well-crafted the game is. LMs areas may seem self-contained, but you will quickly realize how deeply connected they are on multiple levels.
La-Mulana is not a game that I can recommend for everyone. It revels in the archaic idiosyncrasies of its influences, and it is even harder than you are imagining right now. But it is also the most rewarding game I have ever played. The rush you get when you solve a puzzle after piecing together hints from all over the place is so satisfying and really keeps you going. But I will tell you this: I am 99.9% sure you will get hopelessly stuck at some point and try as you might, you probably wont figure out what to do. There are hints for every single puzzle and it is possible to solve them all without outside help, but some are still so challenging that you will probably need to look them up unless you want to brute force them or put in dozens and dozens of hours. I do not think you should avoid spoilers when you need them. There are hint guides online to help push you in the right direction when you need it. Id say try your best on every puzzle, but when you feel hopeless, look up a hint. The game is too good to just stop playing and assume youll come back later, because that doesnt work. You really need to play through the game within a couple months at most because you really need a good mental map of the world and a solid understanding of its mechanics to begin to work out some of its puzzles, and too much time away will make things too difficult.
If the above does not appeal to you, or if you dont like obtuse puzzles and strict platforming, you should probably pass on this game, or at most try the freeware game to see if it appeals to you. Its not for everyone, and thats totally OK. But for those who are up for an incredible challenge, you will fall in love with La-Mulana. If you are OK with playing a game that doesnt try to be accessible and will deeply challenge you, then please try LM.
Ive had an on-again-off-again relationship with this game. I first tried the original freeware version a decade ago(?) and didnt get very far. Over the years Ive started this game many times and quit before getting too far in the game because I didnt want to look up hints but I got too stuck on my own. Finally, about a month ago, I started the game again with the intention of finally beating it, and I DID, though I had to look up hints here and there. Sometimes I regretted looking up solutions, but other times I was so glad I did. I am thrilled that I finally played through the whole game because its one of those rare pieces of art/media/whatever that feels like it was custom made for me.
If Ive sold you on LM, here are some helpful tips:
-Read the games manual. No really, read it. Theres one for the freeware version and the paid version. Pay close attention, too. Some helpful stuff might be just under your nose
-Write down all the tablet hints and cross them off once youve solved the puzzle they relate to. Theres an in-game feature that lets you record tablet text at some point, but it has its drawbacks. Screencapping or writing them down on your own is much more helpful.
-If you get stuck, move onto another area. The game is surprisingly non-linear, and requires tons of backtracking. Take time away from the puzzle youre stuck on and explore some other areas.
-Figure out all the nuances of the jump mechanic early. Some puzzles require you to really know how to work with it. Once youve got a handle on how it works, you can really use it to your advantage.
-Find the holy grail before you leave the Gate of Guidance. If you cant find it, read the manual again and think outside the box a bit. You can find it before leaving that first area. Getting that item will make your life so much easier.
-Always keep lots of weights on you. There's no salty feeling quite like running out of them during a dais puzzle.
If you have any questions at all, please post them! I'd be happy to talk about this game or explain anything above in more detail. I love this game so much and I would love to talk about it here.
Edit: as SatelliteOfLove points out, LM has an amazing soundtrack. Even if the game doesn't appeal to you, I recommend you check out the OST. Here are some of my favorites:
The theme for the surface.
The Mausoleum of Giants.
The Tower of Ruin.
Edit 2: As some users below have pointed out, La-Mulana 2 is currently in the works! There was a kickstarter a couple years ago, but if you're itching to throw NIGORO some money, you can still pledge on playism's website. The game is supposed to come out this year.
