Lapis x Labyrinth is a visual and auditorial assault on the player and it is freaking glorious. Wrapped in a straightforward 2D action RPG where the main drive is to get further and further into a huge dungeon is this casino-like cacophony of light, sound, and most importantly screen-filling showers of jewels. In a world where games are putting in literal casinos and games are getting micro-transactions post-launch and (sneakily) post-review, it’s exciting to see a game inspired by the colorful design of casino attractions without the cutthroat and often damaging attack on one’s funds. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at what I found in Lapis x Labyrinth.
Developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by NIS America, Lapis x Labyrinth carries the iconic anime stylings found in other games by these teams. Each of the characters are little chibi adventurers with each taking on a particular class and archetype. The twist though is that the player can stack up to four party members in an adorable totem of spell-slinging, weapon-swinging destruction as they dive deeper and deeper into the dungeon.
Now, there is a bit of a narrative driving the game involving a sacred tree but honestly, it didn’t grab me at all. It’s a typical fantasy affair and it adequately sets up the game. Story isn’t really the focus though as this title is all about beating up monsters, taking their stuff, and getting stronger. Players can switch between their heroes in the stack, call for quick assist attacks, use special abilities, and drop large ultimate attacks. This is done through a simple enough control scheme that seems like it would translate really well to handheld play, which is where I first heard about Lapis x Labyrinth as it was making waves with Switch players when it released back in November.
There is one mechanic though that makes Lapis x Labyrinth stand out as a dungeon-crawler, Fever Mode. This is the slot machine (or pachinko machine) style explosion of colors I’ve been referring to. When this activates, players become invincible and each monster defeated explodes into gems. Gems can also be gathered when striking blinking blocks, leading to this maniacal rampage throughout the level. As the music swells, excitement in the player builds and it overall creates this satisfying gameplay loop that I found myself really captivated with.
When it comes to the overall designs of the dungeons though, I found them rather lacking. They end up being just broad mazes and it can be hard to figure out where to go. Plus there is a timer for each stage, which can lead to straight-up quest failure or facing down a really powerful monster, similar to what was done in Spelunky. I never figured out why sometimes I would outright fail versus getting the opportunity to run for my life. Regardless, the levels themselves are forgettable, putting more emphasis on the characters bouncing around the stage.
Characters all have cute designs and some of the monsters are cool with steadily upgrading types. Unfortunately, they end up bunching together in such a way that it feels like just slashing at a blob rather than learning what each enemy is capable of and taking them out effectively depending on the loadout chosen. I assume that mindset becomes more important in much later levels but I felt like my success was entirely determined on my ability to hit Fever Mode and setting up my equipment beforehand.
Item management can be confusing, mostly because hitting back (‘O’ on PS4) doesn’t set the items because they have to be confirmed with the options button, which was annoying and I never got used to it. Lapis x Labyrinth also features the types of items that I despise, randomized loot with lots of additional adjectives and numbers. Nothing ever feels important and I couldn’t tell what was good and what wasn’t. The player’s party also has a set amount of items they can equip which can lead to a lot of empty slots early on.
Overall, I wasn’t a fan of the items in the game but I did enjoy boosting my score with well-executed Fever Modes to get new ones.
I was also a bit surprised at a lack of multiplayer but having that feature also could have negatively impacted the game’s technical performance. For all the colors and sprites on screen, Lapis x Labyrinth surprisingly never skipped a beat.
I found the sound to be fun and bouncy, especially the theme for Fever Mode. I catch myself humming that tune throughout the day. It’s probably a good thing that there are not any micro-transactions as I could have fallen prey with this type of experience.
All in all, Lapis x Labyrinth is a cute dungeon-crawler with an exciting slots-machine-like element that can be a lot of fun. I was able to happily break up my time with games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night with short bursts of jewel-covered screens. Lapis x Labyrinth is an excellent palate cleanser. I think the long haul of trying to actually finish the game could dip more into a mindless march, rather than the frantic energy the first time Fever Mode is activated, but the game overall can be a fun distraction in between more dramatic or demanding titles.
For more information on Lapis x Labyrinth, check out the official website. A digital PS4 copy of the game was provided for the purpose of review. For more cute anime goodness from NIS America, check out our visit with them during E3 or our review of the frightening Yomawari: Night Alone.
