While this generation has done a good job at reproducing that arcade-like quality that's been missing for so long, it's still important to recognize that coin-op inspired titles aren't without fault. Cabinets were designed with short bursts of gameplay and coin draining difficulty in mind. For a day out at the arcade, where multiple cabinets are ready for play at any moment's notice, this isn't a bad thing. For an individual game that has to be purchased, however, the arcade design philosophy doesn't exactly translate outside of its designated venue. Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition certainly captures that arcade feeling, but is that all it does?
Whenever price is a talking point in regards to a video game, quantity versus quality is sure to come up. Some may argue that pricier titles should have more content, others claim that it's better for developers to create a consistently good experience even if it's short. It's a tired debate, to say the least, but it does pave the way for a more interesting one: quantity versus variety.
Variety in video gaming isn't minigames or random side quests; it's how naturally gameplay can be catered to different playstyles. A two-hour campaign can easily be a twenty-hour with enough variety. If the designers provide the means for freedom in gameplay, quantity shouldn't matter at all.
Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition is caught somewhere between prioritizing quantity and variety. There are quirks that can be purchased to throw some flavour into the campaign, but the main goal, and the means of achieving said goal, are static from start to finish.
In an attempt to appease the perpetually bored Lichtgods, two Germonauts are summoned to wield the legendary Lichtspeer and kill everything in their path. The opening is full of charm and goes on just long enough where it doesn't exhaust its humour, but all that setup goes to waste once the first stage properly begins.
In true arcade fashion, every main mechanic is introduced immediately. The Germonaut can aim their Lichtspeer, they can throw it, headshots drop enemies in one hit, and skills have cooldowns. They're all simple mechanics that allows the Germonaut to get through the first stage reliably, if a bit easily, but they don't offer much in the way of experimentation.
The lack of variety in gameplay is sorely felt by the end of the first stage when tedium starts to rear its ugly head. Standing in place and tossing spears is fun in very short bursts, but it doesn't have a natural lasting power.
This isn't to say Lichtspeer is without high points, however. Bosses challenge reflexes and promote a fast level of play. Unlike the main missions, the level design present in each boss fight feels very deliberate and less copy and pasted.
There are some stages that play around with the base idea of standing on the left and throwing spears by tilting the stage or playing around with enemy variety, but that tedium always wriggles its way back into the ether somehow.
For what it's worth, while they don't add too much to the experience, the ability to buy items from a shop with points does incentivize constant playthroughs and experimentation with different skills. Co-op multiplayer is also available, which does alleviate some of the monotony, though a lack of online is a massive disappointment.
If nothing else, Lichtspeer's art and sound design is nothing short of brilliant. Sharp angles bring the Germanic influences to life, and the tecnocumbian soundtrack only helps the aesthetic of the world thrive. The game design pays perhaps too much homage to the halcyon days of the arcade, but it's hard to dislike an experience that, nonetheless, bursts with charm.
For an additional review, read our Lichtspeer – second opinion review.
