Last month, Electronic Arts and Zoink Games released Lost in Random; like most EA titles, the game was released on PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. As fans of Halloween, Grimm Fairy Tails, and Tim Burton, we were excited when we first saw the Lost in Random trailer. As an EA Original Programs game, we had high expectations for the game, especially after It Takes Two and Unravel. Upon starting the game, we quickly confirmed our suspicions regarding EA’s latest title. Despite an interesting story, beautiful artwork, and an amazing soundtrack something felt off. So let’s dive into that further in this Lost in Random (PS4) review.
Narrative
Lost is Random is the story of Even and Odd. On her twelfth birthday, Odd is forced to roll the one true dice. Upon rolling a six, Odd is taken by the Evil Queen to live with her. Unhappy with Odd’s abduction, Even sets out to find the queen and rescue her sister. After stowing away on a ship, even is launched out of it during a severe storm. When she awakes she finds herself in ruins where she ultimately meets Dicey. Once the two are united, they set off to visit each of the towns searching for a way to find Even’s sister.
Positive Narrative Aspects
Zoink Games does a great job building the world in Lost in Random. Each city has its own unique feel and theme. Yes, the development team does use a lot of the same character models in each down, but each character has its own unique personality. Each town’s theme plays into which side of the dice is being depicted and the writers stay true to that theme throughout.
Even the minor characters felt important and had their specific role to play in Even’s quest. This typically is due to each character being part of either the main quest or a side quest. Each side quest in the area also follows along with the rules of each town. A quest in Foursburg will have four parts two it while a quest in Threedom will only have three. Even the game’s puns utilize the town’s numerical theme.
Throughout the various levels, you can see the team pay homage to some famous pop culture references; some of the easier Easter Eggs to find revolve around Tim Burton movies such as Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Coraline. Additionally, at times you can get an Adventure Time feeling while playing; this is primarily due to Ryan North writing the story. At the end of Threedom stage, something about the game felt off.
Negative Narrative Aspects
As we were playing through Lost in Random, a feeling of unease came over us. Though the story was enjoyable and each character was interesting, something seemed off. Each time the player was forced to walk through the dream world, things would always end right before you would get an answer. Every time it involved Even’s sister, it felt as if the developer was trying to lead the player in one direction; however, for experienced gamers, it was obvious that it was a misdirection. Additionally, as the game ends, the player is left wondering what will happen next and few questions answered.
Combat
Combat in Lost in Random does take a little bit of time to get used to. The player must hit the blue vital spots on enemies or crystals scattered throughout to charge Dicey. As Dicey is charging, cards will be pulled. As soon as the first card is pulled the player can choose to role Dicey or wait until he is fully charged. Depending on which side Dicey lands on, players can play cards equaling the value of the face of the dice rolled. The game does feature boost cards that allow the player to reduce the cost of cards, speed up the charge rate, increase damage on vital spots, and increase the number of points that can be spent.
Early in the game, the player has limited options on what cards they can use. As the story progresses, the player can spend their points to buy cards from the card shop. After spending enough at the shop, the player can select a new card pack to unlock. The game does feature a limited amount of cards for the player to choose from. At any given point, the player’s deck can only contain 15 cards. The player must use these 15 cards to help take down the robots that stand in their way. Hitting the vital spots will decrease the enemies’ health while freeing charges.
The 15 cards limit feels a little low but with over thirty cards to card from, each player’s deck will be different. The cards levels fall between 0 and 3, which early into the game make sense, however, as the game progresses, you would expect to get higher cost and more powerful cards. Most of the three cost cards can be unlocked before or during the Foursburg level.
Slow Time Mechanic
Whenever the player rolls Dicey, enemies will either come to a halt or move slowly. Combat will not resume until the player attacks an enemy or an object. This slowing of time helps whenever you are having to dodge enemy attacks or just need a second to catch your breath. Throughout certain levels, there are mini-games that require the player to roll Dicey in order to move a piece.
Overall, the combat is easy to understand but can be difficult for less experienced players to master. Later in the game, things can become a bit chaotic.
Players who are struggling with the game’s combat can adjust the game’s difficulty. Players can choose to invert the controls and change the aim sensitivity. Additionally, Lost in Random does feature optional subtitles and the ability to remove camera shake.
Love/Hate
Lost in Random has a lot of positive features that make it a great game but some issues that stop it from being an amazing game. The game features a strong story until the conclusion but slams on the breaks at the end to leave room for a sequel. Different textures on character models would not always render properly, especially during cutscenes. The most common culprit was dots lining Even or Dicey’s models during the cutscene. During cutscenes and character interactions, there would be an occasional overlay of voice lines from neighboring characters that would overpower the current one.
The writers and developers sticking with each towns’ themes draws in the player but at times can be a bit too much. Each boss fight has its own unique style so you never feel like it is repetitive or forced.
Sadly, the game does not allow the player to create multiple saves for their active run-through. If you miss a side quest or storybook page you are out of luck. Once the game is complete, you are unable to go back to a previous town. This is rather infuriating especially since the ending leaves it open for that option. Yes, you can play through the game multiple times with the game featuring three save slots, but it is not the same. Having the ability to choose your save point beyond the autosave is important.
Also, please change the flasher Esq animation for the shopkeeper. Yes, we understand that he is opening up to show you his wares, but it felt more like a flasher.
Overall Thought
If Zoink Games and EA decide to make a sequel to Lost in Random, we will jump at the chance to play it but hopefully, they will fix some of these issues.
The game features strong narratives, interesting characters, and a great mix of voice acting and soundtracks. Each story told or scene felt unique and can drum up a variety of emotions. At times, we would just stop to listen to the music rather than progressing through the game.
Lost in Random is a fun game to play through but falls short of becoming a must-have. Players can easily get 12 hours of gameplay out of Lost in Random so it is easily worth its $29.99 retail price for fans of dark fairy tales. For those who are not, then waiting for it to go on sale or join EA Play is a wise choice.
While playing through the game, we have already recommended it to those we know will like it, but it is not for everyone.
A digital code of Lost in Random was provided for review purposes.
