Product Provided by Crunching Koalas

Some games take pride in being serious, with deep, emotional stories. Others, however, try to manifest themselves as the strangest entertainment one will ever consume. Litchtspeer: Double Speer Edition clearly strives for the latter. The game is set in an Ancient Germanic Future(Something that obviously exists), and tries to insert puns and humor in every line. The game even starts with “What you’re about to experience does not make sense”.You control a character who wields the Litchtspeer, a glowing spear that you attack enemies using “A” or “ZL”. But, is Litchtspeer: Double Speer Edition worth it? Read on to find out.

From the beginning, Litchtspeer makes it clear that it is supposed to be hard. When gifted with the Litchtspeer, the player is even told to go die, or else they would fail. At first, this idea seemed to just be hyperbole, but soon it became clear that it was anything but that. Your character is immobile, so one has to attack enemies from the corner of the area. Attacking is simple. You simply change the angle of the Litchtspeer with the left stick, and throw the spear. You can also use various powers with “B” “Y” and “X”, which can all be customized by purchasing powers in the shop. You can purchase the powers with the points you earn, as well as upgrade them. Each power has it’s own cooldown time, so one can not just sporadically use them. When you attack an enemy, you get a varying amount of points. Getting a headshot raises your point multiplier, and instantly defeats the enemy. If the enemy reaches you, death occurs. There is no health bar, just instant death. As the levels progress, the battles become more intense, which is enjoyable, even when you die.Before each level starts, you are given specific tasks. The bronze task is automatically achieved by completing the level, while the bronze and silver are extras. These challenges add a bit of extra replay ability to the game.

One issue I have with the game is the lack of enemy variety. You have your fast enemies who die in one hit, the slower, but tanker enemies, and the Giants. Each area has its own special enemy or gimmick, but the majority of the enemies you fight will be variants of the 3 aforementioned types. While this can make the game a bit tedious and boring at times, you still have plenty of variety in positioning.

Two of my favorite things about Litchtspeer: Double Speer Edition are the music and presentation. Each set of two levels are set in the same area, with the same presentation and music. For example, levels 1 and 2 are set in a forest, while 3 and 4 are set in a tundra. Every time the areas changed, I was always excited to see how the presentation and music would change. The music has a futuristic vibe, which fits a game set in the future. The presentation is a bit minimalistic, but it foreshadows the future parts of the area, with bosses occasionally showing up in the background. While the gameplay is certainly enjoyable, the music and presentation steal the show.

One new addition in Litchtspeer: Double Speer Edition that wasn’t in the original was a multiplayer mode. I didn’t get to test it as much, but from what I did test, it was enjoyable. Multiplayer is implemented in a drop in style. By pausing the game, turning on multiplayer and handing a controller to a friend, you can help turn the tides of battle with the Dachshund. The multiplayer is well implemented, but not necessary to enjoy the game.

Litchtspeer: Double Speer Edition contains the neon shooting fun you would expect from an arcade-like title, but gets repetitive quickly. There isn’t much variety in gameplay, but the multiplayer is an unnecessary but nice addition.While it lasts, Litchtspeer provides an enjoyable experience, and may be worth considering.