The new title of Klei Entertainment, the authors of Don't Starve, turns a child's play into a truly challenging challenge: the review of Hot Lava
The review of Hot Lava, the new title of Klei Entertainment, puts us in front of a series of rather bizarre solutions from the narrative point of view, which mix suggestions and atmospheres from the 90s cartoon to finally present a parkour style platform gameplay , which remembers in a limpid way the mechanics of Mirror's Edge without boasting in any way its refinement and dynamism.
The protagonists of the game are in fact a strange team of heroes for children, real action figures that we can select from a special shelf and control within six different environments, each characterized by the presence of more and more complex paths. The idea starts from a childish pastime, "the floor is lava", and transforms it into a series of challenges in which it is necessary to avoid contact with the ground, on pain of game over.
To succeed in the enterprise we will have to jump from one object to another, take advantage of rods and ropes, perform where possible a little run on the walls and identify the maneuvers necessary from time to time to collect all the crystals and cut the finish line in turn.
The time taken to complete the challenge, the collection of collectibles, the fact of being able to do everything in a single attempt and other variables go to determine the quality of the performance, which rewards us accordingly with one or more stars that serve to unblock the next paths, within a decidedly well-tested progression, which potentially entertains for quite some time. Especially considering that even the scenarios created by users on the PC are beginning to appear: where this should take hold, we would be faced with a virtually inexhaustible source of new missions.
Controls and gameplay
Hot Lava is available both on PC via Steam and on Apple Arcade: the game is exactly the same, although on Apple devices it includes a touch control system that unfortunately does not appear to be at all equal to the readiness and precision needed to play, especially in the more complex levels
The default configuration uses the accelerometer to adjust the view and the ends of the touch screen to go back and forth, with a swipe to the right to jump, but this way it's already so much to be able to take two steps, let alone complete a series of jump to the limit. The completely touch alternative works better, thanks to a virtual stick on the left side of the display and the management of the camera with a touch on the right side, but the jump is carried out with guilty delay and often the controls are activated unintentionally, making it even more frustrating falls in lava.
The use of a Bluetooth controller is therefore mandatory, which also sets a clear limit to the portability of the experience. With a joypad for the Xbox One the game becomes very pleasant: you use the sticks for movement and visual, and the dorsal keys to jump and slide, in a mix of maneuvers that it takes very little to mesh and to produce excellent results. Of course, even with the physical controls the game over is just around the corner and so is the scorching frustration of a stretch to be repeated again and again, which once again underlines how much the touch controls implemented by Klei Entertainment are inadequate for this type of gameplay.
Unfortunately, it is never possible to enter a flow of fluid and spectacular movements, as in the aforementioned Mirror's Edge: in this case the approach is slower and more rational, often cumbersome, and it is a pity because the original idea had a certain potential.
A similar argument can be made for the online sector: different players find themselves sharing the same moments but without actually interacting, and this too is a wasted opportunity.
From a technical point of view, there is a clear stylistic evolution with respect to the first builds, for a project that has matured over a long period in early access on Steam. The idea of action figures and 90s atmospheres, with lots of long cinematic introduction and interludes for each character, is captivating although a little out of place with respect to the experience itself. However, a good job was done: the aesthetics of the game appears fairly recognizable and is accompanied by a good quality sound compartment, with several dialogues spoken in English and subtitled in Italian, assisted by a set of captivating music.
