Super Lucky’s Tale | Xbox One | Review

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They say foxes are cunning (if you believe 90's sitcoms at any rate), and the decision to ditch VR for this fox-themed follow up to exclusive Oculus Rift title Lucky’s Tale was certainly that if the aim was to reach a wider audience. Whether the move to a more traditional presentation makes it a more compelling game is another matter.

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by James
Michael
​Parry

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@James_Parry

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Developer: Playful Corp.
Publisher: Microsoft
Studios
Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Players: 1

Super Lucky’s Tale follows a young fox named Lucky as he collects four-leafed clovers in a variety of colourful worlds, in order to save (and escape from) a mystical text known as the Ultimate Book of Spells...wait...sorry, back in the 1990’s again, we mean the Book of Ages. As you may expect from a 3D platformer with a cartoonish art style, story takes a back seat to make the game more accessible.

This accessible design philosophy applies equally to gameplay, resulting in a difficulty level that’s pedestrian for the most part, even coming off the already generous Super Mario Odyssey. The approach doesn’t come as a surprise however, given the heads of developer Playful are responsible for the once mobile craze Words with Friends.

A couple of rounds through a single level should be more than enough to pick up all of the collectables, such as the letters of Lucky’s name, in true Donkey Kong Country fashion. The inspirations from platformers of old don’t stop there, with the Super Mario series in general serving as a loose template and namesake, while visual similarities remind us of fellow nostalg-‘em-up Yooka-Laylee. At its core though, there’s actually more of Spyro the Dragon in here; something about the tone sits just on that slightly sarcastic edge without tipping into self-parody.

There are 99 clovers to gather in the game, which is the overall goal, and many simply sit at the end of fairly short and standard 3D or 2.5D levels that contain a few platforming challenges, a few enemies and some spikes. The 2.5D sections perhaps feel strongest, though don’t reach the level of stylised brilliance we’ve been spoiled with by Rayman Origins and Legends in recent years.

The accessible design philosophy results in a difficulty level that’s pedestrian for the most part, even coming off the already generous Super Mario Odyssey.

Four clovers are available in each individual stage, with the additional three awarded for hoarding 300 coins, collecting all of the Lucky letters and unearthing a secret. The hidden clovers offer up the most fun, such as requiring you to round up chickens into a pen.

While amusing distractions, these objectives don’t do enough to alter the fact that the game overall is fairly average. If the aim were specifically to please children, then it’s mission accomplished - with only a few moves to learn and basic mechanics to master, this is a decent stab at “My First 3D Platformer” - but beyond that there’s little in the way of compelling character, and with that, not much staying power.

There’s a suggestion from Lucky’s sister, Lyra, that “if only” Lucky wasn’t stuck in a book, she’d be able to help. Perhaps if she had been drawn into the story and the game acted as a drop-in/drop-out couch co-op adventure, it would not only help differentiate from the game’s predecessor, but fill a niche in the genre in need of filling - particularly around Christmas.

You’ll face boss encounters throughout Lucky’s adventure, which register a blip on the challenge-o-meter, but don’t change up the gameplay enough to stand out. ‘Unexpected’ visits from Jinx, the mastermind of the Kitty Litter (an equivalent to Mario Odyssey’s Broodals), are also more a distraction than compelling turns in the narrative.

If the aim were specifically to please children, then it’s mission accomplished, but beyond that there’s little in the way of compelling character.

Similarly, the locations in Super Lucky’s Tale are pretty uninspiring across the board, which, admittedly, stems from their relative proximity to the boundless creativity on display in Odyssey. Though nice and colourful, locales also fail to take any major advantage of the 4K upgrade which the Xbox One X offers - a particularly disappointing fact given the game is the X’s only official launch title.

With all that said, ultimately, the game is fine. Not offensive, not broken (though we have gotten stuck in the floor) and certainly not filled with egregious microtransactions. It’s just fine. Even though Super Lucky’s Tale will only set you back £20 (or £14 on sale at the time of writing), it’s a stretch to heartily recommend in such close proximity to Super Mario Odyssey, which just evolved the genre and left Lucky in its shadow.

Pros

• Easy to pick up & play, whatever your age or skill level
• Bright & cheery cartoon art style
• Fun to dip in & out of

Cons

• Extremely easy & lacking in depth
• Wears its influences as a onesie, rather than on its sleeve
• Fails to make notable use of Xbox One X

6/10

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