It’s been over a year since I played Lost epic. The last time I played it, which was in June 2021, the game was still in its pre-release stage and I’d had a chance to sit down with a preview build. Long story short, I loved it. Literally, my least favorite thing about the game at the time was the fact that it wasn’t a finished product yet. Of course I wasn’t mad about that, I just liked the game and wanted to play it all the way through. However, I knew I had to wait a while for that to happen, so I waited – until that day And last but not least arrived. It was finally time to play Lost epic fully, and I couldn’t wait.
bluntly said, Lost epic didn’t quite turn out the way I thought it would. I quickly learned that there were a lot of things that I had initially overlooked during my 2021 preview, given the game’s incomplete state. Whenever I came across something that didn’t seem right, I thought to myself, “meh, I’m sure it will be fixed.” However, many of those quirks have never really been resolved. Did it lead to the game being bad? Ps, of course not! I still had a great time with it – just not quite such a great time as I had initially hoped.
The Odd Ones In
I mean, to be honest, the Old God just got up and left…
Lost Epic takes place in a world once guarded by an entity known simply as the ‘Old God’. The Old God’s reign was apparently a peaceful reign, with its inhabitants seeing continued prosperity under her watchful eye. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever – not even gods in this case – and the Old God has simply risen and departed, leaving room for a new divine being to rule – a position that was eventually filled by not one, but six divine entities. These new overseers, collectively known as the New Gods, divided the world into six different sections and ruled over their new domain. This in itself is not necessarily the worst. Unfortunately, these new gods are all quite vicious – bestowing blessings only on their most devoted worshipers and mindlessly sacrificing countless lives to ensure the prosperity of their respective territories. For a while, these diabolical gods were allowed to go unchecked. After some time, however, a group of disaffected people united and formed the first of the “Knights”, a group committed to actively opposing the gods. Many knights have tried, and failed, to defeat the new gods. But now it’s your turn – and there’s something… horrible special to you!
Lost epichis story is fine. That may sound a bit superficial, but I really don’t mean it as an insult. There isn’t much, but it doesn’t have to be: it’s a game mainly focused on action and exploration. All you need in a game like this is a sensible reason for what you do (and sometimes not even that) – something this game definitely provides you from the start. However, what I can’t apologize for is the bad translation. I am aware that this game was developed in a country where English is not the main language. That’s why I’m not going to bother if there’s a little sloppiness here and there when it comes to grammar (after all, everyone makes mistakes). Whatever happens in Lost epic, however, certainly trumps “occasionally”. I won’t go into more detail than that, for you as well as for me, but the English translation of this game is in terrible need a cleaning.
A journey beyond the pale
Peaceful moments are few – catch your breath when you can!
Lost epic is a 2D, side-scrolling action RPG/Metroidvania with Souls-lite mechanics added. Since the whole “need to defeat the new gods that rule the world” is at the heart of the story, a good part of the game revolves around exploration. As mentioned earlier, Lost Epic is partly a Metroidvania, but not quite one that works by the books. This is largely due to the way the game’s map is set up. Like most Metroidvanias out there, the whole of Lost world takes place in one, interconnected world – something that the player can slowly map over time. Instead of being small, blue and grid-like (a-la Castlevania), Lost Epic‘s maps are a bit more minimalistic – a fact I’ve always found a bit ironic, given how detailed and beautiful the game itself is. Why does this matter though? Well, because many of this game’s sections are significantly larger than other Metroidvania’s. That’s why it’s a little easier to get lost (especially in areas you haven’t explored before). It’s nothing game-breaking, but it can get a little frustrating.
It’s not all doom and gloom though (and, really, the card thing is more of a minor inconvenience). One of the nicest things about Lost Epic is that it is only pseudo-linear. Mobility-based skills, such as underwater breathing and triple jumpto do exist in the game, but not having them is not something that will stop your progress immediately. Although the fact that each subsequent area is filled with enemies that more often than not a lot harder than those in the previous area, there’s usually nothing stopping you from skipping a boss for now (note that this isn’t always the case, however). This gives players a greater sense of freedom of choice as to whether they want to play themselves in a more traditional way, whether they want to challenge themselves by battling a higher boss first, or whether they just want to explore the world around them before you dive into important battles.
Point and counterpoint
On the other side of Lost EpicThe proverbial currency is fighting. As mentioned earlier, Lost Epic is a 2D Souls lite—meaning it uses the same basic mechanics as a souls game, but is not as punitive (or intentional in terms of movement). Combat is based fairly quickly – bordering on hack-and-slash at times – although the fact that it requires the player to pay attention to things like stamina means you can’t just mindlessly hack into enemies until they’re dead. Many enemies are also best dealt with by making clever use of dodge and parry, which again causes Lost Epic‘s fight stays away from mindless or trivial.
One of the more unique things about Lost epic is his skill system – a mechanic who works extreme similar to the one you find in, of all things, the modern age Yes spell. Almost every weapon in this game has its own unique ability. While these abilities are initially tied to their particular weapon, the player can eventually master them through repeated use (which can be done by spamming them, FYI). Once mastered, these abilities can then be equipped as long as their respective weapon is used and enhanced through further use, ultimately leading the player to a incredible broad skills as they play.
I remember being impressed with the way skills worked when I first dived into this game, and I have to say I’m even more impressed after playing the full game. Despite the sheer number of different techniques the game offers you, there is little overlap between them, and they all have their uses. While there are certainly instances where some skills outshine others, a lot of it comes down to what you feel comfortable using or what you enjoy. Character customization is always important in Soulslike/lite games, and Lost epic really did a great job when it came to creating a one of a kind mechanic like this.
Epic? Yes I think
So, Lost epic not done quite up to the standards I set for it when I played it last year…but it was still good! flaws aside, Lost Epic is a Metroidvania Souls lite that is as charming as it is challenging. Of course there is still some work to be done here and there, but I am confident that they will be there in time.
Final verdict: 3.5/5
Available on: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, PC; Publisher: One or Eight Inc.; Developer: Team EARTHWARS, One of Eight Inc.; Players: 1 (offline), 1 – 3 (online) ; Released: July 27, 2022; ESRB: M for adult; MSRP: $22.26
Full disclosure: A Lost Epic code has been provided to Hey Poor Player by the publisher.
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