Should You Play Luma Island?
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Ok, let’s be honest here.
The classic gaming premise behind many cozy games is an old one but a good one. You usually play as the main character (surprise surprise) who has decided they are done with the grind of city life and are ready to trade it for the grind of country life. Upon your arrival to your new life you’re greeted by the townsfolk who are elated that someone has taken up shop in the plot of land that used to be owned by old-man-what’s-his-name.
However, you soon discover that a tragedy has befallen your new home and it’s up to you to restore the land to the beauty it once had.
This is a very common premise in this genre as it resonates with people on a personal level where we often dream of throwing off the shackles of normal society life to go on a cozy adventure. Despite this being a common backstory for cozy games I often find it interesting to how each individual title adds its own twist to the genre with whatever means is at the developers’ disposal.
And this is where Luma Island comes in.
The game incorporates the same premise described above but once again with its own spin. You have just moved to Luma Island to start a new life tilling the land and living in your totally cool camper van. But as soon as you arrive there is a natural disaster that harms the island, leaves many who are relying on you for help. Meanwhile the ancient creatures known as the Luma who used to inhabit the island have started to cross your path and you soon discover that they are often a very helpful bunch. Still wondering whether this game is the one for you? This article is here to help you decide whether this game is up to your taste or not, so if you’re in need of a little insider information then keep on reading to see if you should play Luma Island.
Story
In this game you play as the newest tenant of Luma Island who has journeyed to this charming isle to restart your life tending to the land. After your arrival an earthquake shakes the island causing quite a bit of damage and a lot of heartache. You are tasked with rebuilding the town, venturing through its landscape, and all the while building up your farm into a nice little plot of land for you to live on.
This game is full of exploration and a ton of interesting nooks and crannies to explore. As you go through your adventure the game creates a relaxing atmosphere (although those caves can be creepy) that makes the game soothing to play. The story will not stress you out and you will leave each play through feeling calm and collect.
Obviously, this wouldn’t be much of an article if I didn’t bring up the Luma of Luma Island, right? The Luma are an ancient race that lived on the island long before humans did. I use the term “race” loosely as these creatures can vary from each other quite a bit in overall composition. When humans finally came to the island the Luma embraced them and helped the humans to survive by becoming their companions.
Through building up your farm and venturing into temples you start to acquire these mysterious eggs that you can hatch to become your own Luma companions. These little friends are useful creatures that can even help you to find treasure. They function more like pets than anything, but they are nice to have following you around all the time due to their help in finding resources. While these creatures aren’t a HUGE aspect of the game, especially early on despite the island being named after them, they just fun to have around you as you play.
Venturing through the story brings about new experiences, characters, and of course Luma that you can hatch to be your new companions. I will say while there is a substantial story and does follow a plot it doesn’t play as major of a role as you would think. It’s somewhat of a backdrop for all the tasks that you have to complete rather than the entire crux of the game. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing this could turn off some players who are looking for more of a narrative within their gaming experience
Gameplay
The came play is pretty standard for the cozy farming genre with a few added things to shake it up a bit. You have many basic aspects such as fishing, big catching, growing crops owning livestock, and spelunking. If you’ve ever wanted to live out your dream of being Indiana Jones then this game might scratch that itch for you as instead of a sword to fight monsters with you are given a whip. This has been VERY fun for me and been a nice switch up from the traditional sword (although I do love a sword). While farming and tending to animals is a part of the game it’s not as mandatory as it is in other titles like it.
Personally, I’ve only had four crops on my plot of land through my gameplay so far and haven’t even gotten any animals. Despite this I’ve easily acquired a good bit of money and resources already without having to keep livestock or tend to crops. This leaves you with a bunch more time to dedicate to exploring, crafting resources, and completing quests. I loved this because there is a lot to explore in the game and I was happy to not feel pressured into to doing anything one thing particular. I will say one aspect that may be a turn off for some is the fact that there is a profession system in which you do have to choose your job class fairly early in the game.
Now this isn’t a terribly big issue given that the game does allow you to pick multiple professions at once. This is to the point where you could technically have every profession provided you have the coin to pay for it. However, this is an aspect you might want to keep in mind as there is a story quest for each profession that does need to be leveled up for you to get anything out of it.
If this doesn’t bother you and you don’t really care much about what profession you take then I would advise you to just take whatever looks fun to you as none of them are very hardcore in terms of completion. Just to give you an idea of difficulty I picked the hardest profession on my first day in the game and the hardest aspect about it was just trying to collect everything I needed to create the item that I was tasked with. Of which was actually quite fun.
Luma Island also does an amazing job of adding exploration into the mix with lots of caves, temples, puzzles, and places to find treasure in the game. There are many temples to venture through and lot of treasure to be found so if you’re someone who likes to heighten their hunter-gatherer sense, in the coziest way possible, then you might really enjoy this aspect of the game.
Who Will Like This Game?
Those looking for a cozy title that takes magical pets and temple exploration with a calming farming sim then you will love this game. If you’re also someone who loves a good cozy game that will relax you while also being fun to play then you will also enjoy Luma Island. The overall music, graphics, and design over very soothing. I hardly felt stressed out while playing this game and it was very enjoyable getting to accomplish each task throughout the island.
Who Won’t Like This Game?
People who need more narrative in their games, who like to put an emphasis on farming, or dislike having to choose a profession early might struggle a bit with this game. Luma Island puts more of an emphasis on what you do rather than the plot while going through the story, and while this doesn’t take away from the game per se it may not fit to your taste if that’s an aspect you like to have in the gaming titles you prefer.
Pros
- Soothing gameplay
- Cute Lumas as pets
- A lot of exploration and treasure hunting.
- You can pet the Lumas AND the stray cats in this game.
Cons
- The story is front and center which might be a draw back for some players.
- Lack of farming intensity might be a turn off for some as well.
- You do have to pick a profession fairly early in the game.
Conclusion
Luma island is a fun and interactive game full of treasure, exploration, and cool pets. This game is a lovely new addition to the cozy gaming space that marries exploration with a fun farming sim. Though there are some players who may not be interested in a game that doesn’t necessarily have the narrative front and center others will love the relaxing vibes mixed with fun task completion. If this sounds like you then consider checking out this title if you feel like you should play Luma Island.
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