Lonch Studios describes Exilium as an atmospheric point-and-click game. And let me tell you, they have atmosphere for days. It’s a wonderfully quirky and macabre experience where you play as an exorcist, Detective Adam Wayne, as he tries to save lives and souls from the demons roaming the world.
And after a quick demo, I honestly want to know more. More about the world and its jaded protagonist.
When Demons Are A Good Thing
Exilium’s core themes drive every aspect of this game. Of course, it drives the gameplay but I was immediately floored by the art style and the sound design of this game. It is moody and stylistic, and it works as a wonderful platform for this story.
Exilium tells us its story through beautifully illustrated comic panels that have a clear style and mood. Even though it looks nothing like them, it has a similar feel to graphic novels like Sandman and Hellblazer, or a cartoon like Courage the Cowardly Dog.
In that, there is a clear personality in every single pixel on your screen. This personality is also carried forward into the UI with simple but fun details like Quit being represented by the word Escape.
In a world where we see a lot of designs for the supernatural, I have to give the artists at Lonch a lot of credit for creating a fairly unique take on demons and how the possessed look and behave in this little 2D world. Along with the amazing soundscape and spooky music, it creates a tense atmosphere that sweeps you into the game as you try to figure out a variety of ways to trap and banish the demon from the host.
Where The Fight Is Real
That is where the problems begin to come up for this game. The demo is a very small slice of the final game and it’s pretty clear that there is still a long way to go for this title. So I will ignore the confusion I have around the narrative. Let’s just talk gameplay.
The game started with a well-designed tutorial that taught me how to interact with the world to build my demon-fighting tools. Admittedly, I was initially surprised that the cursor changed to indicate what elements you could interact with. It took away any real need to study the world or ‘to investigate.’
At the end of it, it gives you your goal: Destroy the demon’s rituals to banish him. With one key instruction, Adam cannot be in the same room as the demon, or he will die. This was my second point of confusion. There was nothing about setting up traps or time being of the essence to save the victim’s life. Elements that are promised on the Steam page.
Where The Blood Begins To Spill
At the end of it, the tutorial did nothing to actually prepare me for the level where the demon walked in almost immediately and I died. It was only then that I realized that the enemy was on a patrol path and I had to figure out that path if I wanted to stay out of its way. And the rituals were the same as the tutorial.
Anything new was rudimentary and I could figure it out with no effort. What the game really ended up being was a time management game.
Each level featured the demon on a very fast loop through the house. On his path, he stops for a few seconds to complete different rituals. Since the puzzle elements around the rituals were so simple, the core puzzle became about what action to do and in what order so that you wouldn’t get caught in the same room.
Don’t get me wrong; that was incredibly fun. So much fun that I was almost not bothered by the fact that each level was a variation of the first. At most, some puzzle elements were in different places, or a new room opened up, or the demon took a slightly different loop. It was fun because I didn’t have any time to think if I wanted to stay ahead of the demon. But beyond the 5 levels of the demo, it can and will become repetitive over time.
What Exilium Needs To Win This Battle
For this game to be stellar, there are some things, within the gameplay that they need to get right. The developers need to add more depth into the puzzles around the rites and rituals to build up the stakes. This is the kind of game that could benefit from additional stakes than just character death.
For instance, I would also love for there to be true stakes to saving the victim, in that there is a possibility that they could die. Just so there is a reason to take risks, to solve everything faster. It would also be fascinating if there were different ways to solve the levels and if we could set down traps.
Essentially, this game should become the layered puzzle game it promised to be, because the foundation of a truly cool experience is right there if the developers are willing to take a chance on it. I think with this, Exilium could be as cool as a game like The Cave. So please Lonch… do it.
Verdict: Worth supporting so that we get an amazing game next year.
Despite these hiccups, the Exilium demo is worth checking out. The comic panels tell a compelling story, and I was intrigued by the protagonist and the first victim we are trying to save. Even though it is pretty basic on the puzzle front, the levels were really fun, and it was incredibly satisfying to get the timing right.
Everything being said, it is incredibly clear that this is the demo for a game that is still being developed. Lonch’s take on a pretty common concept is fun, and I honestly look forward to seeing how they will build it out. I am completely invested in learning about Adam Wayne and this world.
I for one have already added it to my wishlist. Trust me, you will see me cover this, for better or worse, when the game is released.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The game has excellent art and sound design | The narrative for the game is a little rocky and confusing at times, within the demo |
| Unique concept with a fun narrative style | Gameplay becomes repetitive |
| The time-based puzzles are challenging and require observation and quick action | Right now, the level seems to have very low stakes for what the concept promises. |
| The game has a fully realized world and style that draws you in |
Rating: 6/10
