![]() ![]() In a year that’s completely changed the way we live, there’s an almost cathartic feeling while playing The Red Lantern. ![]() I’d have liked to see a little more depth in the backstory, but the moment to moment interactions between you and the dogs are heartwarming. Voice actor Ashley Burch (best known as Aloy of Horizon Zero Dawn) voices the protagonist, lending her exceptional voice talent to the role and really bringing the character to life. With her past put behind her, she looks to start a new one in the Alaskan Bush, surrounded by her pack of loyal dogs. The Red Lantern tells the tale of a young woman looking for something new in her life. Great care has been taken to ensure the game is well-balanced, and it shows as I constantly wanted to just take one more run rather than turning in for the night. The Red Lantern is all about survival and managing your health, but I never felt like those systems got in the way. If you spend too long travelling the wilds, you will end up tired which limits how much food you can eat, and should your or the dogs’ hunger bars deplete, you will find your run ending. It’s during this downtime that you feed them and yourself before getting some sleep and using a med pack should you or your pack be injured. Rather than simply having you travel from A to B, you explore Alaska and live off it.īetween journeys, players can set up camps and rest with the dogs. It makes Alaska feel real and adds purpose to your journey. Anything from being attacked by a wolf to finding an abandoned house can happen during your journey and experiencing these encounters really is a lot of fun. There are apparently close to 100 types of encounters to experience, although I probably saw around 40 of them during my time with the game. Throughout your journey, you will come across many random encounters. It’s a creative way of carrying progress across runs, one that fits both the gameplay and the narrative. Should you find a fishing rod, the protagonist will wake up and now remember that they need to pack a fishing rod for their journey. With each death, progress is reset, the protagonist waking up as though they’ve had a nightmare about their Alaskan journey. Keeping this in mind when choosing your team will improve your chances of making it through the harsh wilderness.įortunately, The Red Lantern makes progress with each subsequent run easier by allowing players to carry over special items found in the world. One dog may be aggressive, while another is nervous around specific animals. Those personalities change the way your journey plays out, as each dog reacts to the game’s random encounters in different ways. There are eight dogs, all with very distinct looks and personalities. Right from the off, The Red Lantern tasks players with choosing their team of dogs to take on the journey through Alaska. It’s a mix that works with spectacular effect, creating an emotional journey that gripped me from start to finish. The Red Lantern is unlike anything else I’ve played this year, mixing the randomly generated elements of roguelites with more traditionally focused narrative beats on top of focus on survival. As the aurora borealis shimmers in the night sky above, you’re the only human for hundreds miles around, all alone but for the adorable pack of huskies protecting you on your journey. ![]()
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