It’s always exciting to see how a Steam Next Fest gem has progressed, and this time it’s Lou’s Lagoon. A cosy open-world life sim set in a vibrant archipelago, Tiny Roar’s newest venture mixes exploring, crafting, and exciting seaplane shenanigans. After receiving a distress call from your Uncle Lou, a legendary airman, you return to his island home to find it in disarray from a monstrous storm. And he is, of course, currently missing. It’s up to you to follow in your uncle’s shoes and help the Limbo Archipelago get back on its feet, while uncovering the ancient mystery surrounding Lou’s disappearance.
♫ OHEEAY! OHEEOH! ♫
As a wee ‘90s kid, one of my favourite Disney TV shows was Talespin. My VHS tapes were played so much, it’s a miracle they didn’t disintegrate. After playing the Lou’s Lagoon demo during Next Fest, it certainly seemed like it could be a cosy spiritual successor. It’s been 30 years, but I’m ready for more tropical island capers and taking to the skies in a cool little plane. “Let’s begin!”
Gameplay
After customising your budding pilot’s appearance, your good friend Hefti bestows upon you a powerful tool: the Swirler! This powerful tool can extract vital materials, and use them to build or repair various structures, or activate natural mechanisms. With this you can help the archipelago’s inhabitants rebuild their livelihoods. And its execution is oodles of fun! You feel the pull and drag of the Swirler’s beam, and a satisfying zip as the materials fly into your backpack – aptly named the Zipper.
With great swirling comes great responsibility. As you become more adept, the townsfolk will enlist your help with errands and quests. You’ll meet a plethora of charming anthropomorphic characters with unique personalities and quirks. These little interactions are heartwarming, funny, inspiring, and some of the real highlights of exploring the world. From a well-meaning yet somewhat puffed up muscle man to a fellow flying ace whose stories may have some tweaked details, they’re a heck of a lot of fun to meet. I could easily binge a Lou’s Lagoon animated show of their adventures.
A key character is resident inventor and tech wiz Fidge. This sassy bionic bunny will kit you out with the latest tools and gadgets to max your gathering and building potential. With these, you can build more advanced machines and structures, even your own island dwelling! No matter how many quests I took on, Fidge’s always took priority. One, because better tools (duh), and two, their little tinkering montage animation has no business being that adorable! I could watch it on a loop.
Come Fly With Me
What kind of budding pilot would you be without your metal bird! Your trusty seaplane does more than take you from A to B. You’ll take on daring flying challenges to show off your skills, keep a fearsome kraken at bay with tasty cargo dropped from above, and outfly the raging moving storm. Floating balloons can also be popped for resources and key items, so gathering continues even when airbound.
It can be difficult to get flying control right, but Lou’s Lagoon manages it with aplomb. Nicely balanced with some trickier manoeuvres that take a little mastery, you’ll feel very at home up in the clouds and ready to duck and weave through rings and hairpin turns. And yes, you can customise your plane too! Engines, paint jobs, wings, all can be modified with unlockable options to put your stamp on your ride. But sometimes the most enjoyable moments come from simply flying across the archipelago, taking in the sights. The world is beautiful to explore with unique biomes and landmarks to draw the eye. Aspects like the sky and weather slowly changing the closer you get to the storm are also neat little touches that immerse you further.
Luggage Limits and Clumsy Coordinates
Refining and selling items to free up inventory space is part and parcel of a life sim, but you’ll certainly feel the pinch to begin with. Zipper upgrades are quite spaced out, so you’ll soon find your bags are stuffed. Selling prices are also on the lower side, so this element of the gameplay loop can start to grate a little. And as certain refinements can take some time, you may need to venture out and return later.
As you explore new islands, they’ll become available for fast-travel (or autopilot, in this case) to speed up your return. However this can be quite clunky to execute on the map screen. Hovering the cursor over an island will enable the autopilot option, but it has a tendency to snap to the nearest point of interest, removing the option. It takes a little experimenting with the zoom on each island to find a snap-free zone. Though you may snap a couple of times doing it.
Graphics & Audio
Tiny Roar’s games are all about vibrancy and cartoon-like animation, and Lou’s Lagoon is a shining example. Vivid colours pop out of the screen with warm hues perfectly befitting a tropical paradise. The stylised 3D models give off both a CGI cartoon and a Nintendo feel, minus the uncanny valley look of games like Animal Crossing. Bright, expressive, and wonderfully endearing!
A chipper island adventure isn’t complete without a catchy ditty or two. The soundtrack pleasantly drifts between catchy, bouncy melodies and soothing luau-channelling vibes, depending on your location. Hop in your plane and the score becomes more sweeping and grandiose for going up diddly up up. The music for the flying challenges is especially sprightly!
Longevity
Given the core gameplay loop, even the most efficient gatherer and crafter will sink well into double figures worth of hours into the main quests alone. Not to mention the townsfolk’s numerous side quests and errands that come in as you open up more areas. And if you’re a completionist, there’s a freight ton of customisation options to buy and unlock for your dwellings, furniture, and plane. So you’ll be kept suitably busy with plenty of play time.
Final Thoughts
It’s rare that a life sim keeps you engrossed as a game and also makes you want to see it turned into a show. Lou’s Lagoon taps into those warm nostalgic fuzzies of simpler times with cosy crafting and exciting adventures. The world is vibrant and enticing, the characters are full of heart, and the gameplay elements have you hooked from the get-go.
It more than earns the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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