Charming isn’t precisely the word I’d use to describe games that require a decent amount of brain power. But that’s one critical standout difference for a game like Let’s! Revolution!. Many roguelikes can be stressful; they’re often fast-paced, chaotic, flashy, and are loaded with currencies and upgrade points to keep track of. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hades strikes an outstanding balance, as do games like Rogue Legacy 2.
The difference with Let’s! Revolution! is that it simplifies many of these mechanics and meshes them in a way I have never seen or experienced before. Remember Minesweeper? Yes, that game. The one you may have played on your family PC in 1996 seemed cool simply because it had “bombs,” and it wasn’t a card game. Let’s! Revolution! uses that idea and adds character-based abilities and some familiar roguelike mechanics, all wrapped in an incredibly well-animated package.
Let The Revolution Begin!
Stop the King! That’s the goal. It sounds simple, but he’s a tricky bugger! The mustachioed narcissist is just bad news, and it’s up to one of a handful of heroes (that’s you!) to stop him and his minions on the battlefield.
If you’re not familiar with Minesweeper, it goes something like this: if you’re standing on a tile with the number 2 on it. That means that there are two tiles in any direction with a bomb on it you’ll want to avoid. In Let’s! Revolution! those are enemies with health bars and attack windows. The higher that number, the more dangerous you could be, so you need to plan accordingly.
Each run in Let’s! Revolution! begins once you chose one of the six varied characters. Starting with the more straightforward “bruiser” or trooper class, you will move around the battlefield with force. It’s an excellent way for the game to ease you into the mechanics and approach the procedurally generated tiles in a less complex manner.
That’s just the beginning. In my gameplay video above, it takes some getting used to. The Trooper was the first character I completed a run with, but it took some practice, unlocks, and patience to achieve this with the rest of the crew. Each has its own abilities, potential unlocks, unique characterization, and reason for trying to topple the King.
At first, the new selections seem underpowered and tough to understand. But after a few short prompts and a couple of unsuccessful runs, I was off to the races. Variety is the spice of life here. Whether it be who you choose to play or how each stage is laid out, it’s all wonderfully crafted and always kept me guessing and engaged.
As you uncovered gems throughout the game, those will allow you to unlock new active and passive abilities that can be used with your heroes. These are all just as varied and just as interesting to experiment with. The beauty of these isn’t just that they’re rewarding unlockable, but that they allow you to expand your approach every run to take at the King.
I also found how you acquire these skills in Let’s! Revolution! to be a whole lot of fun. It is not just about eliminating all the enemies or revealing each tile. Each character has a way to earn gold that can be spent to expand their repertoire. The Oracle, for example, needs to uncover as many blank tiles as possible, while the Trooper needs to clear the stage of all enemies, and Shadow needs to keep as many tiles hidden as possible to get some extra coins.
Artistic Wonder
Not only is Let’s! Revolution! a whole lot of fun to play; it also looks and sounds incredible. You can tell immediately (see video above) that the art style alone is a labour of love. It’s all here, from the thickened outlines and the eye-popping colour palette to the detailed and exciting backdrops.
It’s all brought to life in a fluid, smooth movement that feels like a great cartoon. Each character, good or bad, is goofy and unique in all the right ways. Some soldiers might have giant horns, or pikes, while your heroes brandish with staffs, large punches, and smoke bombs. No matter what you’re doing or how you’re doing it, Let’s! Revolution! feels alive and so well realized that I hope this universe has a chance to expand in the future.
Verdict
Just hearing and reading Minesweeper may not be the most appealing to some players, but I assure you that this puzzle game is worth digging into. Let’s! Revolution! uses the basis of a classic PC game and adds numerous layers of style and substance.
With a wide variety of characters to choose from and squash, there’s also a ton of choice and variability. And that’s on top of the dozens of weapons and abilities and the procedurally generated stages.
I came into Let’s! Revolution! thinking I’d master decades old mechanics in a couple of hours. Instead, I couldn’t stop playing this excellent puzzle adventure, hoping I’d topple the dreaded King with my next run (or my next… or my next).
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PC
