I’ve always been a fan of puzzle platformers that tell an interesting story. Sometimes, I don’t want to have to bother with intense narratives or fast-paced combat. There are times where I just want to sit back, relax, and solve some puzzles. The Lightbringer scratches that itch pretty nicely, though there are moments where I wonder if it questions what exactly it wants to be.

The Lightbringer puts you in the role of an unnamed protagonist, whose sister was the previous “Lightbringer” meant to purge corruption from the world. You are guided by your sister’s spirit, after she has failed her mission, thus becoming the Lightbringer in her place. You must explore each level in the game’s five chapters, collecting green light shards to purge the corruptive slime at the exit gate.

In each level, there are a certain number of green shards, as well as red crystals and health potions that increase your max health for that level. If you run out of health while fighting slimes with your trusty boomerang, or succumb to various hazards, you’ll have to start the level over.

Some puzzles involve platforming while others involve hitting switches with your boomerang or pushing blocks around. The puzzles are fun, and in each level, you can hit bells that give you bits of lore and story too. However, I find the combat sections to be tedious since you simply use your boomerang to hit different types of slimes.

Some slimes have armor, so you may have to hit them from behind or the side. Other slimes fly on balloons, requiring you to cut the rope holding them to the balloon. It can be clever, but it can also just be annoying in some areas. Overall though, I really like the way that the levels were designed. Each chapter has a unique visual style, and each level presents new challenges.

However, I wish there were more incentives to collect everything in a level. There are no skins or unlockables, no upgrades for your boomerang or jumps, and there isn’t much reason that I can see beyond bragging rights to complete the levels fully. The boss encounters are interesting, but the difficulty on them spikes pretty harshly too, so your mileage may vary there.

The story for The Lightbringer is somewhat interesting, but really it is just a reason for you to continue to do the puzzles. The environments are well designed and I would say they are pretty, but it feels like The Lightbringer is caught between two sets of inspiration. It has its Zelda-esque moments, but never quite commits to it. At the same time, it has puzzle elements that are simple, with no real reason to fully explore and collect everything.

If you like calm, laid-back puzzle games with a chaser of Zelda-esque gameplay, then I think The Lightbringer is for you. It isn’t as deep or involved as it could be, but the gameplay is smooth, and the puzzles are enjoyable. Kids might enjoy The Lightbringer as a casual puzzle experience, and it is fun to kill some time. I just wouldn’t say that it is the best indie puzzler I’ve played this year.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of The Lightbringer was provided by Zordix Publishing for this review.

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The Lightbringer

$14.99 USD

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Fun Puzzles
• Pretty Environments
• Smooth Controls

Cons

• Story isn't Super Interesting
• Combat is Kind of Tedious
• Doesn't Commit to Zelda Elements
• No Real Incentive to Collect Everything