LUNA The Shadow Dust

LUNA The Shadow Dust
by Lantern Studio - February, 2020

Available at:
Steam



Inspired by the adventure games of old, LUNA The Shadow Dust is a moving tale of two playable companions drawn together in a hand-animated puzzle adventure, featuring a breathtaking original soundtrack and beautiful 2D cinematics.

To light a candle is to cast a shadow

Behind the shadow of reality, an enchanted world awaits illumination. Experience the magical journey of a young boy and his companion as they solve puzzles and trace back the memories of old, brought to life with visually stunning, wordless cinematics. Enter the ancient tower that stands at the edge of the world and discover the hand-drawn cinematics, intricate puzzles and haunting music of this indie gem.

Traditional frame by frame character animation

12 frames per second, 3 layers per frame. Over 250 animations and 20 minutes of cinematics. A nostalgic and time-consuming process - but really worth the challenge for a small indie team of four.

Single player mode with dual character control

Solve puzzles from different perspectives. Discover a story of true courage with two playable characters drawn together through an inseparable bond.

Think outside of the box

Spark your imagination and solve a wide variety of puzzles, presented in gorgeous hand-drawn environments. Puzzles work standalone, requiring no 'hidden items' or player backtracking.

LESS reading, MORE cinematics

We replaced a dialogue system with a series of beautifully hand-animated cinematics telling a mysterious story.

Engaging Original Soundtrack

Our composer created an original soundtrack, designed to immerse the player in the emotional highs and lows of the story, kindling goose-bumps along the journey.

LUNA The Shadow Dust (Point & Click Puzzle)

Options include separate sliders for music and sound, plus full-screen/windowed.  Cutscenes can be re-watched via the main menu.

Story:

As darkness consumes the land, two friends ascend an ancient tower in their quest to restore their world and banish the shadows.


There is no journal, nor in fact, any dialogue at all. There didn't seem to be much story at first; just short cutscenes... Until you progress to a point where you're familiar with the characters, and then you'll be presented with a scene that lasts probably 7 minutes.  There are two super-long cutscenes during the game, and luckily, you CAN pause if you need to!  I didn't notice a skip button, but I see on the forums that the dev was going to add that option once you've played it through once.  All told there is nearly 30 minutes of animation to enjoy.

Gameplay:

This feels more like an escape-the-room type of puzzle adventure than anything else.  You'll be working with a couple of scenes at a time, and will need to find a way for both of you to progress before you can leave the area. 

Each character has their own skills and weaknesses.  For instance, the boy can flip switches and move objects, whilst his companion can enter small spaces and morph into the shadows as if they were as solid as the real world.


The puzzles themselves are logical and fun to figure out, although there is specific time that you'll have to remember from early in the game... I played through in multiple sittings, so I had to resort to a walkthrough to get that info.  I recommend this one, since it explains where the original solution could be found.

PRO TIP: There is no way to make your characters move faster, BUT, you can click to get one moving, then swap to the other to get them to move at the same time.

Unlocked chapters can be replayed from the main menu, which is super-helpful to get any of the 24 Steam achievements that you might have missed.


Verdict:

If you're looking for action, this is not for you.  This is a charming point and click game for those who would like to relax for a while.  I really enjoyed my time with LUNA, and hope that these devs put out more games soon!  Recommended!