Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth Review (Switch)

We all handle tragedies differently. For some, moving on swiftly is the best course of action. Others may grieve for a time before getting back on their feet. But there are also those that simply cannot find a means to move past the thing which seemingly forever haunts them. This all too relatable, internal dilemma forms the basis of Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth: a Metroidvania in the vein of the subgenre classics, like Symphony of the Night. There’s stiff competition in the realm of Nintendo Switch Metroidvanias, however, so let’s see just how well this one stacks up to the rest!

Story

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is based on a collection of media – fantasy novels, anime, and more – of the same name, conceptualized by Ryo Mizuno – but one does not have to be familiar with any of it to grasp the narrative. Six adventurers once banded together to defeat a great darkness. Among the party was the high elf Deedlit and the human knight Parn. They would fall deeply in love with each other as a result of the adventure. Some time after these events, Deedlit would wake up in an eerily familiar place and, upon gaining her bearings, would see her beloved running ever-deeper into the ruins. After a brief, peculiar exchange with another familiar face, Deedlit would then set off after Parn to ultimately discover how and why she’d come to this mysterious place.

While Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth does assume the player is privy to the backstories and relationships amongst the wide array of cast – no doubt via the various forms of accompanying media generated over the years – the story is easy enough to follow that the potential missing context isn’t a great concern. It is clear that something is very wrong, and the brief exchanges made between the various characters at different points do more than enough to keep both the air of mystery afloat as well as the player’s engagement. At worst, it could be considered a relatively simple, basic narrative, but it certainly hearkens back to the days of its Symphony of the Night inspiration quite well in that regard. And the relatability to the game’s primary theme is sure to leave a splash with many players.

Gameplay

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a 2D sidescrolling Metroidvania with some RPG elements. Deedlit will slowly explore the island of Lodoss while unlocking new abilities that will increase her combat prowess, expand her traversal toolkit, or both. While the main path is relatively linear, there are numerous opportunities to go back and revisit previous areas with new powerups in order to fill out that map completion and find more goodies. On that note, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is easily completable in 10 hours with 100% map completion (I was at 98%). This relatively short length is just about the only flaw in an otherwise impressive package, however.

Deedlit has a diverse combat toolkit at her disposal. She can equip various melee and ranged weapons, spells, and can powerup two separate elemental spirits to improve her base attacks and restore health over time. Discovered explorative abilities also help Deedlit evade or otherwise get out of sticky combat situations, and some of these can even deal a little damage on their own. Melee weapons can vary between short-bladed types, such as daggers and katars, to javelins and hammers that have increased range at the expense of slower swing rates – there is even the occasional mid-ranged weapon (chakrams, etc.) to be discovered.

Deedlit can hold both a melee and ranged weapon at once, and the latter can also be used to overcome the vast majority of puzzles and traps found in Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. There are many mechanisms that can be manipulated through precise arrow strikes, with increasingly complex ones showing up as the game progresses. Bows do share a resource with spells – MP – however, but both can be equally effective at dealing with enemies from afar. Spells consume far more MP at a time than the bow does, but they can dish out extreme levels of punishment in a very short period of time.

The most important factor to Deedlit’s survival in the labyrinth are the two elements she befriends – one of wind, the other of fire. She can freely swap between the two elements at any time in order to absorb incoming attacks or traps of the same type (for MP), while also adding additional elemental damage to her attacks. Naturally, some enemies are strong or weak to certain elements, so juggling the elements is key to downing opponents and overcoming obstacles efficiently.

But the elemental nuance doesn’t stop there. Defeating enemies will power up the opposing element currently equipped by Deedlit, and both elements can increase up to level three. Equipping any level three element will not only substantially increase the damage dealt by Deedlit, but also provide her with health regeneration over time. But there is a caveat: any damage incurred will reduce the equipped element’s level by one, which will require additional defeated enemies before it levels back up. Fortunately, boss encounters work a bit differently as they provide a little elemental experience with each blow rather than having to be killed for it.

Speaking of bosses, there are tons of them in Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, all of which range in scale and complexity. While the game overall is on the easier side of Metroidvanias, there are still a handful of bosses that are sure to keep the player on their toes. There are even moments where trivial enemies may make for a hard time, especially when having to shift between the two elements to optimize offense and defense. And when the going gets tough, Deedlit can rely on purchasable consumables to ensure the battle rages on. Alas, should the unthinkable happen and Deedlit suffer defeat, she’ll be whisked away at the last save point – of which there are many – and can then give it another shot.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth has all the parts necessary to make for a compelling adventure, with the only unfortunate bits stemming from a short campaign length and perhaps not enough difficulty for avid fans of the genre. Even still, the game is well worth the journey.

Presentation

In order to fully appreciate the aesthetical beauty of Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, one must look back at its inspiration. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night came out during the initial boom of fully-3D graphics and game worlds in the ‘90s, and yet made a name for itself with impressive 2D pixel art despite that. Although pixel art never really fell completely out of favor, and has actually seen a massive resurgence in popularity thanks to both quality indie and triple-A endeavors, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth remains a highly polished, visually impressive world to behold even amongst extremely stiff competition these days.

Deedlit, her allies, and her foes are all highly detailed and animated, and the entire cosmetic pane is masterfully crafted via a minimalistic color palette. Each weapon, ability, and spell has its own look and feel, and the “ghosting” effect of Deedlit, reminiscent of Alucard from Symphony of the Night, is just the icing on the cake. The soundtrack is also well done, with every piece matching the overall feel of its accompanying zone, with certain ones standing out far above the rest. And fortunately, the game runs exceptionally well save for a few slowdowns in certain areas.

Conclusion

The real tragedy of Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is not its relatable theme, but the fact that it’s simply over too soon. This short, but sweet trek across Lodoss island is full of action, mystery, and breathtaking locales, and even though the exploration portion is not as robust as other offerings in the genre, it’s adequate enough. All things considered, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth may not be the absolute best Metroidvania on the Nintendo Switch, but it is certainly among the best.