I won’t go into too much detail here for fear of spoilers – discovering the dungeons’ tricks is a huge part of the game’s charm – but you’ll quickly realize that each new test can be extremely varied. Some are combat gauntlets, others filled with mechanical puzzles, and some bring entire perspective shifts, briefly turning the game into a side-scroller or an isometric adventure. This variety is helped along by the game’s magic system – each biome offers new spells, but they can only be used in that biome, meaning you’re effectively relearning how to use your abilities in each new place, and allowing Microbird to create fresh experiences in each location. That each spell can be used for exploration and combat only adds to the pleasure.
Combat is snappy and action-oriented, offering you a variety of moves, unlockable abilities, and a precious dodge roll, and you’ll quickly help Luisa turn from a tourist into a bona fide slayer. Couple that with RPG-inspired gear systems, and a web of mechanics created and expanded in an order that you help choose, and you have a truly compulsive cocktail.