I don't know a single person i can recommend this game to, but it's very good and has a lot of charm. Even if you want to rip your head off if you're doing platforming, combat or some totally hogwash puzzles that are basically impossible without a guide. If you are planning to play this game check if you are on the right path with a guide if you make no progress or have no idea where to go even after looking over at your huge paint document with every "clue", but a big part of La-Mulana is pain, you know what they say, beauty is pain, and this game is just ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ painful. Good luck :)

Played the OG, played this one. Its pretty much the best game of all time.

"La-Mulana" is a challenging and rewarding experience that often earns praise from Steam reviewers for its deep, intricate gameplay and nostalgic charm. Players frequently commend its retro-inspired graphics, evocative soundtrack, and complex puzzles.

The game's sprawling world, inspired by classic MSX-era platformers, is filled with secrets to uncover, traps to avoid, and monsters to defeat. Players must navigate through labyrinthine ruins, solving puzzles and collecting artifacts, as they unravel the mysteries of the ancient civilization of La-Mulana.

Moreover, "La-Mulana" impresses with its non-linear structure, which encourages exploration and experimentation. Players have the freedom to tackle dungeons and uncover secrets in any order they choose, adding to the game's sense of discovery and adventure.

The game's difficulty, while punishing at times, is seen as a core part of its appeal, offering a satisfying challenge for players willing to put in the effort. Each victory and discovery feels hard-earned, adding to the sense of accomplishment and progression.

While some players may find certain puzzles or platforming sections frustratingly difficult, the game's rich atmosphere and sense of mystery keep them engaged and eager to press on.

Overall, "La-Mulana" is often praised as a hidden gem on Steam, offering a deep and immersive experience that pays homage to the classic platformers of yesteryear while providing a fresh and modern twist.

The graphics are nice but the game is missing a lot of qol.
I have played many many games in my life and still it took me like 20 minutes to find how to enter the first level. The game and its controls are not very intuitive.

The jump mechanic is rather frustrating, and i really.. really.. hate that you cant grab a ladder while jumping.

I know that the developers are trying to capture the old games feeling, but i think indie games like this should really focus on quality of life in their games.

The obtuse puzzle design wouldn't be that big of an issue if at least the boss hitboxes were sensible. They aren't. The boss in the Mausoleum of Giants requires you to climb up a chain to hit him in the face and you will end up getting hit and knocked back the moment you get near enough to actually hit him.

A great retro metrovania that is focused on cryptic puzzle solving. While this is a great game, it is not for everyone due to the cryptic puzzles. You either hate it or love it. Lots of time will be spent on taking notes, making maps and backtracking.

The interconnected levels are pretty great, and the bosses are pretty tough. i personally believe these bosses to be tougher than those in Sekiro. The dungeon design is also pretty interesting, like a puzzle. Progression in some areas might be limited due to missing items in other areas. Some of which are obscure and could be hidden behind hidden walls or other puzzles.

The main issue that most players would have towards this game is the hard cryptic puzzles. Compare to most puzzle games which all the clues are around a certain the same room or around it. The messages for puzzle hints in this game are scattered across the level (for some puzzles); or even on other levels (mostly previous ones). Furthermore, it is also possible to miss key items such as the one that lets you warp back to home, while progressing hours into the game.

Read all messages, take notes, attempt to walk through all walls, attack all walls (even if you might be zapped...).
Go forth and explore the deadly ruins of La Mulana

Go into this game with the mindset that it's a puzzle game first, platformer second. Solving the riddles the game gives you is where most of the enjoyment is intended to come from however there are some challenging platforming and boss fights.

Taking notes helps out a lot and if it comes down to it theres a hint based guide on steam and the text from the tablets can be found on the wiki. Also go read the manual [la-mulana.com]

Oh boy, Must be one of the hardest reviews I can write...

I do like this game at a very basic level. This game gives you the best dopamine hits ever when you realize something. It's like nibbling the best chocolate of your life every two hours. But the dopamine crash when you start to feel stupid and worthless just wandering around and just randomly stumbling into something or just look for a bit of a hint what to do. Looking at hints makes you feel so bad and you really don't want to continue the game after a while. But ...the little dopamine hits just bring you right back.
I think I looked at hints under 10 times during the game so it's not that bad but I could have saved so many wasted neurons by looking some of the harder ones and not doing them legit.

But the graphics are good, music is awesome and I think apart from the godawful knock back the controls feel solid.

I was torn between Yes and Not recommending this. I think for most of the people I CAN'T recommend this game in any level. The puzzles are just so obscure and cryptic that you will lose any good feeling you felt for the game time after time. But I'll still recommend this game as a very fun platformer. On my playthough I accidentally skipped couple major puzzles and I was stuck for the longest time so experiences about the game may vary.

Get this game if you want to experience something truly special.

cool temple game

Game has influenced games i like that are very good. While the style and stuff is cool, the game seems to be for people with retro-gamer-brain-rot and were probably once accused of "being the person that will shoot up the school/work/ect." at one point in their life.....except for the guy that made Spelunky, that game is cool and he seems cool.