There’s one thing consummate and devoted about One-Eyed Likho – it’s a sport adaptation of a Slavic folktale whereas additionally serving as a type of mini-encyclopedia about that folktale and its many variations. Having spent some 5 and a half hours with it, enjoying the sport to conclusion, I can’t assist however really feel like I’ve lived by way of a musty, however fascinating library tome.
In Slavic mythology, Likho is the embodiment of misfortunedepicted as a scary previous girl with one eye (therefore, One-Eyed Likho). The tales that characteristic her cling to sure set motifs, that are illustrated each figuratively and actually within the sport.
A drunk smith in some distant nook of Russia decides he desires to see ‘evil’ on this planet – you understand, the evil everybody talks about. He’s joined by a tailor who has the identical thought, and collectively they set out on an evening journey by way of a forest. They arrive throughout a cottage, and on entering into it, their surreal journey into the area of Likho begins.
One-Eyed Likho is perhaps described as a strolling simulator with puzzles, nevertheless it additionally revolves round a matchbox that you could use to light up your surroundings and in addition fritter away obstacles. The crisp sound of a match being lighted by no means will get previous, nor does the rhythm of ready for the match for use up after which tossing it away. As I explored the weird environments of the sport, the straightforward matchstick was typically my solely tether to actuality.
Because the smith goes deeper and deeper into Likho’s world, he additionally comes throughout locked chests with easy visible puzzles. These chests include a web page detailing one variation of the Likho story, going all the way in which again to Homer’s Odyssey and Polyphemus the cyclops, whereas additionally passing by way of Sinbad the Sailor from the Arabian Nights.
I discovered these people story variations fascinating reads, all of which had been sourced from actual literature, and unfurled as a exceptional comparative research of 1 story advised throughout many cultures.
Coming again to the principle sport itself, nonetheless – the enchantment begins to empty as you realise that very like another people story, there’s loads that doesn’t make sense, doubtless as a result of the context has been misplaced to time.
The smith goes by way of one puzzling trial after one other, witnesses baffling and ominous sights, and naturally, undergoes the very story he has been studying again and again by way of the sport. Maybe the lesson is that when you go in search of misfortune, you possibly can by no means escape it, regardless of how well-informed you’re.
The sport options some very hanging black-and-white visuals in its boxy facet ratio cutscenes. A wheel rolls over a heap of corpses, a grave retains descending to the mantra of despair, the very moon modifications phases at your whim. The presentation is all very arthouse in really feel, and I might not have it another method.
One-Eyed Likho does effectively to reveal the aptitude of indie video games in furthering people tradition, and I believe it makes a strong entry in any strolling sim assortment because of this. Additionally it is, nonetheless, fairly indirect and its sheen wears off as its surreal order of occasions goes on. As soon as all is alleged and completed, it received’t linger in your reminiscence as something apart from an odd Slavic people story.
Developer: Morteshka
Nation of Origin: Russia
Writer: Morteshka
Launch Date: July 28, 2025 (PC)
The PC model of the sport was performed for this evaluation of One-Eyed Likho (official web site, Steam).
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