Stack some heroes, head into the labyrinth and loot to your heart’s content in Lapis X Labyrinth, the latest from Nippon Ichi Software!
Cute chibi characters join forces to battle evil minions in a game that feels like an action RPG crossed with a pachinko machine. In Lapis X Labyrinth you can choose from 8 different character classes ranging from the nimble hunter to the beefy Destroyer and stack 4 of them to head into the depths of the treasure filled Labyrinth. Each character can be equipped with a weapon, armor and a special item or accessory. You collect a contract from the guild that will determine the level you are heading into, difficulty of the enemies and end of level sub-boss, contracts can be completed multiple times but the bonus from completing them is only earned once. Moving through each contract will unlock more and eventually you will be given the opportunity to face the main boss character, defeating whom will open up further areas of the labyrinth.
Lapis X Labyrinth is all about one thing though, Loot. Each level is filled with enemies that have a chance to drop treasure, defeating enemies without being hit will increase your treasure combo which acts as an item chance multiplier. Simply put, the higher your combo score, the more likely you are to find good loot and this mechanic makes Lapis X Labyrinth extremely addictive and fun. In addition to this there is a “Fever” gauge to fill that, once full, will activate “Fever mode” a flashy and thrilling timed event that multiplies and adds to every bit of treasure you gather. Treasure can be spent on upgrades and items back at town but the real thrill comes from finding rare items dropped by enemies and replaying each level to maximise profits and level rank.
Visually Lapis X Labyrinth is both gorgeous and super cute, characters and enemies are adorable while level and background art is vivid and full of detail. Fever mode cranks up the colour as fireworks fill the background, blocks flash and treasure pours from every corner of the screen. There is so much going on at the best of times that it’s easy to lose track in the excitement or get carried away trying to scoop up every bit of treasure but it can become a bit dull if loot grinding isn’t your style. The game audio is exclusively in Japanese which is great for some but could end up sounding a bit repetitive and saccharine for those not overly into this style. Loot will upgrade your stats but won’t affect your character’s look, so no matter how funny it is equipping a destroyer with a “Black Maid’s Outfit” there is no visual change which is a shame but understandable considering the number of items.
Overall though Lapis X Labyrinth is extremely colourful and charming, a wonderful way to waste away some time and have some fun. If you love grinding away for some loot then look no further!
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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.
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Disclosure: Lapis X Labyrinth [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by NIS America Inc. for this review.
