Not all video games need to be about bloodshed and carnage, as there’s plenty of fun to be had on adventures that involve colorful characters and exploring exotic locations. This encapsulates Lou’s Lagoon onSteamto a tee, as it’s all about havingcozy and relaxing adventuresthat aren’t too taxing on the thumbs or your personal time.
The titular Lou of Lou’s Lagoon is the protagonist’s uncle and the owner of Lou’s Delivery, a seaplane delivery service that operates in the Limbo Archipelago, providing goods to the people of the various islands.
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The player is Lou’s unnamed niece, who is searching for her missing relative, while also single-handedly running the business. Luckily, she’s prepared for the job, wielding The Swirler 2000, a vacuum cleaner-like device that can be used to harvest resources and construct buildings. She also has a seaplane, which is necessary for traveling the archipelago.
DualShockers recently had the chance to play Lou’s Lagoon, exploring its islands and experiencing the strange and charming people who reside in its world.
Home Is Where The Hub Is
The main island in Lou’s Lagoon is Tanglebloom Town, and it acts as the main gameplay hub, with a handful of shops and quest-givers that get the ball rolling. This includes Jane’s Lab, where the player can purchase upgrades for their gear.
The protagonist starts with pilot gear & googles, but this can quickly be changed, as the Button Bliss store lets you change outfits. These don’t have a material effect on the gameplay and are simply there for the player to choose the look they prefer the most.
Once you’re ready to depart, the player can take a small boat to Norleaf Island, as it’s close enough not to require the plane. Norfleaf is a colorful place that’s bursting with wildlife, with plants of all shades dotting the landscape. Soon enough, you’ll encounter massive water spouts that can’t be interacted with. However, there’s a way to make them solid, andit involves gathering resources.
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One of the most enjoyable aspects of Lou’s Lagoon is its characters. The world is inhabited by cute animal characters who are always helpful and eager to be friendly. They make the world an exciting place to visit.
Tanglebloom Town has animal people who mostly act as quest-givers and shopkeepers. There are those who want to hang out and chat, fitting with the game’s almost vacation-like feel, as the quest to find your uncle isn’t treated as a serious rescue mission.
Hoovering is The Ideal Way To Pick Up Plants
This is where The Swirler 2000 comes into play, as it will be your main ally on your Lou’s Lagoon adventure. The Swirler 3000 is kind of like a mix between Luigi’s hoover and Mario’s F.L.U.D.D. in terms of design, but in function, it’s used to grab resources from the overworld.
The Swirler 2000 can also be used to interact with animals. This is where the Beevers come into play, as she Bee/Beaver abominations against god produce Beever Sap. The Swirler 2000 extracts it from them harmlessly, giving you even more gear in the process.you’re able to also craft itemsto make new pieces as necessary.
Once the player has gathered some Waterberries from the nearby pond, they can use it on the water spouts (via The Swirler 2000) to turn them into plants, which can then be used as platforms to reach new areas. This allows you to reach Bobster, a Hulk Hogan-style lobster, who acts as the next quest giver. He needs help fixing the radio towers on the island, so it’s time to explore some more.
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And therein lies the main gameplay loop of Lou’s Lagoon. The player explores locations, gathers resources using The Swirler 2000, then build stuff, get new tasks, rinse, repeat. The protagonist has a double jump and a glide action to make traversal easier, so there isn’t too much fruitless running around.
There’sno combat in Lou’s Lagoon, though the developer did mention enemies later on that can steal your loot, but you can get it back off them. This is a game all about adventures that are just taxing enough to keep prodding you forward, without even causing you to get anxious or have a heart attack from being whacked repeatedly over the head.
The Skies & Beaches Of Lou’s Lagoon Are Important
Once the tutorial areas have been finished, the player can repair the seaplane and use it totravel between the different islandsof the archipelago. Rather than just fast-traveling to each location, the player gets to fly and explore the region.
Much like with the main islands, you shouldn’t expect vicious dog fights or waves of alien ships to shoot. The most challenging aspect of the plane section is the optional ring flying challenges. Compared to the rest of the game, these can be quite difficult, as accurately turning the plane is quite hard in the current build.
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It’s possible for the player to customize the plane, but this is purely for cosmetic reasons. Don’t expect some enhanced engines to make the ring challenge any easier. Instead, it’s all about making the plane look good while you fly around.
Some of the areas in Lou’s Lagoon allow you to create stuff on them in a free build mode, including beach houses and decorations. As of the time of writing, this is a purely cosmetic feature, but the team told me that they’re considering making it a more concrete part of the game, where the player has to build stuff to proceed.
Lou’s Lagoon is designed as a single-player experience, so these cosmetic elements are just for the solo player’s edification at the moment. Hopefully, they’ll become more integrated into the core experience, as being rewarded for building a fancy beach house gives you way more incentive to actually do it.
Closing Comments
Lou’s Lagoon is still early in development, but what’s here shows a lot of promise. Those looking for a relaxing game to play while listening to a podcast will find this the perfect companion piece. The Lou’s Lagoon world looks like a fine place to visit, and we can’t wait to spend more time there when it finally launches on Steam.
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