‘Last Inua’ Review (PC)

Not long ago I reviewed Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) so it only seemed right that when Last Inua was available on the PC I should move onto that game and give it a try.  Described as an “immersive and emotional” platform game like Never Alone it featured platform style gameplay and a two player structure so it of course caught my interest, though it is less of a learning experience that Never Alone was, this is more about just being a platform game.

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The storyline for Last Inua centres around a boy, Hiko who is a physically weak character but is protected by his father Ataataq who provides the brute strength to help the boy continue on his journey.  Hiko and Ataataq’s quest is to defeat the Tonrar, a demonic trickster that has awaken in the Arctic.  Spreading darkness that takes over the ice, snow and caved Tonrar is also a threat to the Inuit gods which are the Ice Bear, the Raven and the Narwhal and as Tonrar gains strength they become weaker.  It’s up to you as the two main characters to stop the darkness.

Last Inua is a basic platform puzzle game that uses two characters with different abilities to progress through the levels.  As the player progresses through the game Hiko strengthens with his spiritual ability, giving him the power to call spirits to create bridges and also teleportation orbs that can be used to quickly move through the level.  Ataataq though is still needed for the brute force and to help his son through the levels so using both characters is essential.

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One of the weaknesses of Last Inua is in the actual controls for the characters, which can be quite slow to respond.  I do get the feeling this is a design choice though to add a little challenge to the game.  An example of this is the danger of the Yeti characters who stalk the player through levels.  If they get too close to Hiko or Ataataq then death is inevitable, the characters need each other and death is instant.

Last Inua is a game that offers more visually though than just the gameplay, and it is a beautiful game.  With cartoon like visuals a lot of the story telling is put into the gameplay and you do pick up the emotions of the father and son duo, and there are plenty of hints as to the danger they are in.  If I was to compare this to Never Alone though, Never Alone is the prettier of the two.  Last Inua has some nice touches though, especially the icing over of the screen when the characters are getting too cold and need to find fire to warm up.

Last Inua may be a short game but while it lasts it is an engrossing tale of the relationship between father and son.  The characters are fully formed and you do care for them, the way they call out to each other, and the cut scenes used to progress the story line keeps the gamer interested and makes them want to see the conclusion of the story.  The gameplay isn’t too challenging so it’s not hard to get to the end but I’m not sure there is much that will bring the gamer back once they have completed it, unless they want to pick up a few of those missed achievements.  While it lasts though it is a fun little 2D platform game that is well worth the cheap asking price.

Last Inua is available on PC and Mac now.

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