While I’m used to reviewing games that have come from a variety of older handheld systems, it’s a little more unusual to check out ones that have come from a modern modest handheld, in this case the Playdate. Befitting the DX placed at the end of the name, this isn’t just a straight-up conversion since this is in color and looks a little more appropriate on the Switch, but I’m guessing that for the most part the play is fully intact. There’s absolutely a bit of an old-school vibe to this experience, even outside of the retro look, but that’s mixed with a few surprising elements that feel more modern. The results though? A matter of interpretation.

Played out in the style of a top-down action adventure, you’ll take control of an apprentice mechanic who’s going to have to do their part to save the post-Apocalyptic remnants of humanity that are living underground… or something like that. The main thing to walk away with is the fact that everything is set beneath the surface, so light will always be something you’ll be contending with. You’ll thankfully be armed with a lantern, helping you to see in the area immediately around you, though it’s nice that you’ll generally see silhouettes of things outside of that radius of light as well. Not so unlike the classic games from the Legend of Zelda series and others, while you’ll start with a humble ratchet that works as both a weapon and a tool, you will get others and be faced with challenges that will demand you make proper use of them as well. It’s a pretty familiar formula, but it’s nice that it’s well-implemented here, and it does help each small dungeon-type area and boss feel more fresh as a result.

While it is pretty ripe with decent ideas for play, and the combat is a little more diverse than I was expecting, there are still some shortcomings though. The first is that unlike many of its indie brethren it simply lacks much in the way of personality. You’ll talk to people who’ll enlist your help, and you’ll then go out into the world to try to help get them what they need, but I’ve gotten used to NPCs having some quirks or there being something to give interactions a little bit of flavor. Not so much here, and though it isn’t necessarily a big deal a little added effort could have made it all a bit more memorable. 

To the game’s credit, the use of light in particular can be smart at times when dealing with puzzles and even some bosses, so if you get stuck remember that it can be a weapon or tool in itself in a world of darkness. That said, you also for some reason have an item you can use to highlight things in the environment you can interact with, which just feels outright weird when you could have had an icon pop up contextually when you get close to them, or some other common method like mapping it as an option to an otherwise unused button. That could be more an after effect of coming from the much more constrained Playdate, but it’s just a little odd. Still, despite it perhaps not fully meeting its potential, this is still a pretty distinctive adventure, and certainly worth a look if you don’t mind its more humble appearance and setup.