Overview – developed by PygmyStudio in collaboration with Lunatan Production Committee and published by Red Art Games, LUNA-3X “Even if the world ends, we will be here”, is a cutesy rhythm action adventure all about saving cute critters from a coming disaster. As Luna and Jonah, work together to save the critters with the power of the rhythm. This title is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Red Art Games for providing the copy of Luna-3X “Even if the world ends, we will be here” that was used for this piece, via the keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductiosn out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting off with the story. I will be referring to this title using the shortened name of Luna-3X, for the sake of brevity.
Story – long ago, in the city of water a mechanical giant lived among the people. One day, the giant discovered a stone that made water burn, called the “Hadouseki”. This stone brought free energy to the city of water, but led to the air becoming polluted. A solution was found, called the “wave of love” to make the air pure again. Through a combination of the two, balance was restored, but this wasn’t to last as a cataclysmic event was on its way.
Gameplay – Luna-3X is a rhythm action adventure, consisting of 8 worlds, split into 3 stages each for players to challenge. The mechanical giant Luna uses a fishing rod to lower Jonah into ravine, where the young boy lures the critters in with his tambourine. To do this, the player controls Luna and Jonah, who must work together to capture and rescue the beasties. But players need to make haste, as there is a time limit applied to all of the stages.
During the stages, Jonah will hang from the line, shown by Luna in the corner of the screen and hit his tambourine to attract the critters. This is achieved by tapping the button in time with an on screen marker, which will drop notes. If the notes touch the critters that have a note bubble, they will jump at Jonah and cling to him ready to be rescued. If the player can chain a combo together, FEVER will activate to rapidly collect critters.
When the player is ready to return to the surface, the player can reel Jonah in with Luna. But great care must be taken to achieve success with each rescue, as the player must navigate hazards as they head back up. As there will be wind that can occur, potentially causing Jonah to swing way too far if the player isn’t careful. If the player hits the sides of the ravine, or ledges that stick out too much the critters can fall off meaning they won’t be counted.
The ravines and ledges aren’t the only obstacle, as different hazards will be featured in each world. One threat a giant fish that jumps out of the water, eating all the critters that Jonah is holding onto. The dangers posed by the stage hazards can make stages more challenging, especially with the stage time limit. Which can leave the player with little time to save more critters, but there are time bonuses that appear to give those a chance if they wish to risk it.
To clear a stage, the player must collect the required critters that appear on the screen before starting. When all five of these beasties have been rescued the stage will be cleared. It is not necessary for all 5 critters to be rescued in the same attempt, as those rescued are added to a check list. This is very helpful, as the appearance rate of creatures is random during each attempt, as well as the risk of losing them while reeling Jonah in.
When a stage is cleared, the player will receive points for successful rescues, with the first time giving a higher point bonus. Alongside the needed critters, there will also be special bonus critters that can be rescued, with some being scarcer than others. Plants can also react to the tambourine and jump out at Jonah, allowing him to capture them. Each stage has 3 bonus critters and plants to check off, adding replay value to stages after clearing them.
During stages, Jonah’s friend Nene can appear to cheer the player on, with the word LUCKY often showing up in tandem with her. When LUCKY appears, the player will be able to activate FEVER mode easier, speeding up the critter rescue. The last part of gameplay to cover is the Dress up system. By completing challenges or by purchasing them in the shop with points, costumes can be unlocked and applied to Jonah, providing a variety of bonuses.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – this title has two distinct modes of play, with the main one being gyro control. When connected to a TV or in table top mode, the player must tilt the controller or left Joy-con to move Luna’s Rod. If playing in handheld mode, the player can use the thumbstick to control the rod. Both control methods use the L shoulder button to raise Jonah and the A button to hit the Tambourine. Both control systems work well, but the Gyro controls are harder to use.
Difficulty – it is difficult to judge the difficulty of this game, as it can be vastly affected by the control type the player is using. It was more difficult with the gyro controls compared to handheld control, but this may be different from player to player. There are difficulty spikes with the hazards, but they can be adapted to fairly quickly. It is also possible to play the game two player, with one controlling Luna and the other Jonah, this may change alter the difficulty.
Presentation – visually the game is adorable, with the designs for the characters and critters having a super cutesy look to them. This style gives the game a whimsical feel, making the challenges feel less daunting than they otherwise may be. The game performs very well, with zero issues in terms of frame rate or lag during play. The sound is very good, with distinct sounds for the critters and a musical number that is quite pleasing to the ear.
Final Thoughts – when I first saw this game, I was not sure what to think but the cutesy look really attracted me to it. At the start, I didn’t quite get the game, but after a while it all just fell into place and I had a lot of fun with it. I found that the difficulty of the game did spike at times, with the hazards in some of the worlds being a little frustrating. However, I found myself wanting to give it one more try and pushing through to the end.
There is a lot of fun to be had with this game, the story is simple yet I found myself wanting to see what happens. Personally, the handheld experience was much more enjoyable than it was when playing on the big screen, which is due to the inability to disable motion controls. But overall this is a fun game, with an enjoyable gameplay loop and cute characters that I can easily recommend, especially for those who enjoy cosy games and family game nights.
In the end, I give Luna-3X “Even if the world ends, we will be here”, a final score of 4/5. This is a fun and enjoyable rhythm action adventure, with a vibrant world, cute sprites and lots of replay value on offer. It isn’t the longest game and it can be a bit difficult in places, but is worth the time and money. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to get it is below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
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