UPDATE: The Kickstarter campaign for Lynn and the Spirits of Inao has been canceled after allegations that Bloomylight Studio illegally refused to pay a group of interns who helped develop the game. More information is available in this post on Reddit and in an update to the campaign.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Welcome back, potential crowdfunding donors, to the weekly Kickstart This! This week’s focus is on Lynn and the Spirits of Inao, a magical platformer courtesy of Bloomylight Studio. It had some stiff competition, namely from Pirates of the Polygon Sea by Praxia Entertainment, which is a fast-paced, cartoony version of the sailing sections in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. There’s also 80s arcade space shooter Dystoria, which piqued my interests with its retro style, but also looked like a retread of The Last Starfighter.
So let’s see why Lynn and the Spirits of Inao won me over…
Project: Lynn and the Spirits of Inao
Genre: 2D Platform-Adventure
Platforms: PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One
Funding Target: €53,000 ($60,774)
What Is It?
Just like our last pick, the puzzle-platformer In the Shadows, Lynn and the Spirits of Inao offers a gorgeous 2D canvas for the titular hero to traverse. To solve puzzles and make progress, Lynn and the Spirits of Inao uses a dark/light device that’s very similar to In the Shadows, though Lynn can change the time from day to night at the push of a button. For example, you might need to change the time of day so the sun is shining and a flower blooms to help you progress deeper into the beautiful, hand-drawn world of Inao.
In the game, you control Lynn, who is an apprentice to her village’s High Priestess. When the long-benevolent spirits start attacking the island’s inhabitants, the High Priestess attempts to send them back to the other side. However, the ritual fails, and instead injures the High Priestess, leaving Lynn to uncover the mystery of the spirit attacks, with the help of Aku, a demon-like spirit.
Why Fund It?
The look and tone of the game is heavily influenced by the works of Hayao Miyazaki, but with the world of spirits entwined with men, and the female protagonist, it also draws favourable comparisons to Avatar: The Legend of Korra, especially with its quirky sense of humour.
As well as offering a huge world to explore, Lynn and the Spirits of Inao has many sidequests, almost pushing it into RPG territory, especially as some areas require tools you will discover later on. True perfectionists can also try to rescue the lost souls dotted around Inao, and, while not crucial to completing the game, its scope offers immense replay value.
Game composers do not often get the credit they deserve, but the snippets of tracks that are available from Nicolas Titeux reinforce the game’s world with a classic soundtrack infused with Asian influences, on par with recent great RPG soundtracks like Xenoblade Chronicles X and Ori and the Blind Forest, with its roots firmly in The Legend of Zelda series.
Best Rewards?
- Digital copy of the game, digital wallpapers, and a backer exclusive in-game parasol skin for Lynn – €13/$15 (early bird limited to 800 – €9/$10)
- Previous rewards, plus PDF instruction booklet, and backer-exclusive lantern skin for Aku – €18/$21
- Previous rewards, plus beta access, and name in end credits – €27/$31
- Previous rewards, plus a digital art book, and a digital map of Inao – €44/$50
- Previous rewards, plus a digital copy of the soundtrack – €53/$61
- Previous rewards, plus an exclusive T-shirt – €66/$76
- Previous rewards, plus soft cover printed art book – €88/$101
- Previous rewards, plus receive a limited edition piece of art work, signed by the developers – €175/$201 (limited to 20)
Until Next Time…
Lynn and the Spirits of Inao only has a few weeks to reach its goal, and given how gorgeous it is, can you really turn down the opportunity to get in at the crowdfunding level and reap the rewards?
