Thursday
Mar042010
Lazy Raiders Review (XBLA)
Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 5:05PM
After only a few levels of Lazy Raiders, one thing will come to mind. This game could have easily come from the fine minds over at Popcap. Mentioning another developer in any instance would normally be degrading and a slap to the face, but this Xbox LIVE Arcade game oozes simplicity and (eventually) depth just right. A feat that is usually achieved by a few choice dev teams.
Don’t think you know the progression of this game. You don’t! You will clear a level by collecting all of the treasure and finally getting the Golden Pick at the end to only be taken to a secret bonus level within that same block on the level select. But wait, it doesn’t stop there. You’ll also run across levels that after have been beaten will warp you back to a level a few rows up on the tomb select that you know you’ve already cleared only to have them be replaced with an entirely different level for you to then conquer. And of course all of this comes just as you think you’ve got this game all figured out. Run level to level all the way up to 75 (actually 80) and bam, game over. If only it were that simple.
The main mechanic in Lazy Raiders is to rotate the level left or right in a 365 degree motion to get Dr.Diggabone
(best name ever, right?) or your avatar to the Golden Pick that’s placed somewhere in the level. Flipping the maze upside down will come into play as well. At the end of each set of five levels you’ll come to a tomb where you have to acquire a treasure chest aka relic (there are 16 in all). Initially, Lazy Raiders feels like its just that, lazy. It comes off ridiculously easy. The first few sets of levels will blow by in no time. That said, thankfully that is not the entire case for very long although the challenge never gets to a point of extreme difficulty. Another foe of sorts will meet you at times to steal your treasure which is most likely to be the most exhilarating points you'll come across. Just as the rest of the game, whether or not you come up with the treasure and not your enemy is up to your manipulation of the maze.
Once you get to the snow and ice levels, little things like giant snow balls that get bigger once they run through more snow are a nice touch. Although, most people will likely never notice that. Additionally, every bit of Lazy Raiders can be played using your Xbox LIVE Avatar. If you're not in the mode to rock the swirling maze tripfest with Mr. Diggabone get ready to watch your avatar slide and bumble around each and every maze. That's when seeing your avatar get hurt
comes in. The only penalty you'll receive during the course of the game besides a bad par time and little bonus's are the so-called traps. Whether it be a boulder, a TNT box, a pit of spikes (or spikes randomly placed about), a bat/birdlike thing, or a swinging platform with more spikes things are ultimately about avoiding danger as a risk reward for getting a gold time or not.
Achievement getters will be pleased with Lazy Raiders. Every achievement couldn't be more straight forward. Progression toward getting all 16 relics found at the end of each set of five mazes will more or less net you a full 200 gamerscore from Lazy Raiders. If you haven't gotten all of the achievements in
a game yet this is a great candidate to be your first.
Lazy Raiders can very much be deemed a casual game. Not that it's the game that's casual, but the impetus to be able to play the game one maze at a time and still get every bit as much out of it can be a huge plus someone just looking for something to pass the time. At 800 MSP, Lazy Raiders won't blow any minds, yet its a fun ride while it last. Unfortunately there is very little in the terms of replay value once you complete each leg of your journey other than to best your time.
Don’t think you know the progression of this game. You don’t! You will clear a level by collecting all of the treasure and finally getting the Golden Pick at the end to only be taken to a secret bonus level within that same block on the level select. But wait, it doesn’t stop there. You’ll also run across levels that after have been beaten will warp you back to a level a few rows up on the tomb select that you know you’ve already cleared only to have them be replaced with an entirely different level for you to then conquer. And of course all of this comes just as you think you’ve got this game all figured out. Run level to level all the way up to 75 (actually 80) and bam, game over. If only it were that simple.
The main mechanic in Lazy Raiders is to rotate the level left or right in a 365 degree motion to get Dr.Diggabone
(best name ever, right?) or your avatar to the Golden Pick that’s placed somewhere in the level. Flipping the maze upside down will come into play as well. At the end of each set of five levels you’ll come to a tomb where you have to acquire a treasure chest aka relic (there are 16 in all). Initially, Lazy Raiders feels like its just that, lazy. It comes off ridiculously easy. The first few sets of levels will blow by in no time. That said, thankfully that is not the entire case for very long although the challenge never gets to a point of extreme difficulty. Another foe of sorts will meet you at times to steal your treasure which is most likely to be the most exhilarating points you'll come across. Just as the rest of the game, whether or not you come up with the treasure and not your enemy is up to your manipulation of the maze.Use the controller to rotate the level, not your TV.
Once you get to the snow and ice levels, little things like giant snow balls that get bigger once they run through more snow are a nice touch. Although, most people will likely never notice that. Additionally, every bit of Lazy Raiders can be played using your Xbox LIVE Avatar. If you're not in the mode to rock the swirling maze tripfest with Mr. Diggabone get ready to watch your avatar slide and bumble around each and every maze. That's when seeing your avatar get hurt
comes in. The only penalty you'll receive during the course of the game besides a bad par time and little bonus's are the so-called traps. Whether it be a boulder, a TNT box, a pit of spikes (or spikes randomly placed about), a bat/birdlike thing, or a swinging platform with more spikes things are ultimately about avoiding danger as a risk reward for getting a gold time or not.Achievement getters will be pleased with Lazy Raiders. Every achievement couldn't be more straight forward. Progression toward getting all 16 relics found at the end of each set of five mazes will more or less net you a full 200 gamerscore from Lazy Raiders. If you haven't gotten all of the achievements in
a game yet this is a great candidate to be your first.Lazy Raiders can very much be deemed a casual game. Not that it's the game that's casual, but the impetus to be able to play the game one maze at a time and still get every bit as much out of it can be a huge plus someone just looking for something to pass the time. At 800 MSP, Lazy Raiders won't blow any minds, yet its a fun ride while it last. Unfortunately there is very little in the terms of replay value once you complete each leg of your journey other than to best your time.
Reader Comments (2)
I'll finish this in the morning.
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