Game:

Cult of the Lamb (2022)

Duration: 2:08:19

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Cult of the Lamb is a game that needs little introduction. This indie hit ticks a lot of boxes, and does it all in an excellently meshed and beautifully polished package. It has been several months since launch, and a major content update (that supposedly filled a few holes in the initial release) so my first experience may be significantly better than other player’s.

The cute visuals are easy on the eyes with wonderful, and sometimes creepy, designs. Almost every gameplay queue also includes a visual element which is helpful to a variety of gamers and playing environments. There are very few scenes that are excessively bright and they are well used in the story. There are even fewer effects that I personally found to be annoying or felt in my motion sickness prone stomach. This game is a visual treat!

The audio may be a little less noticeable then the visuals but that itself is a testament to its masterful execution. The music is mostly a mix of gentle percussion, choir voices and other vocals, with some acoustic guitar in areas where the player is likely more concentrated or to fill in less visually complex scenes. The soundtrack is fantastic, and yet seems to spend its time trying not to distract the player. Lofi beats to slaughter your enemies to - a rare balance. Now that I think about it, I should add the soundtrack to my chill working playlist.

The gameplay is broken up into two well designed sections, a rogue-like action dungeon crawler, and a base building and time management game. A player might end up spending in-game days making base improvements, but the game does squarely encourage a more balanced loop between the two game sections.

The dungeon crawling encourages speed, but can be taken at a leisurely pace on normal and lower difficulties. A variety of weapons, skills, tarot cards, and items enables a surprisingly large number of playstyles. Don't be surprised if other players dislike your preferred styles and vice versa. Finding and getting comfortable in various niche builds really illustrates the depth of the systems. Fair warning that some rooms will feel cramped and chaotic - a strong contrast to the audio and visual style.

The base building and cultist management side of the game is a (mostly) relaxing experience, but I wouldn't get too attached to your cultists. The visuals and audio beguile the player into a false sense of peace within their cult compound. A somewhat unique mechanic to this side of the gameplay is that cultists don't live forever. They are perishable resources, and it is often best to expend them before they expire.

Cult of the Lamb isn't the first game to mix colony/settlement building and combat, but it is the most masterfully executed blend I've encountered. In my opinion, If not for some game breaking bugs forcing me to relaunch the game and replay some parts, it would have been the perfect gaming experience. I highly recommend this game to everyone.

Streamed on 2023-08-09
https://www.twitch.tv/kruge

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