Pixels, horror, fairy tales and Bach (★★★★★)
10 year old Hans does not get candy for his birthday, so he leaves home forever to make his fortune, only to end up in a mysterious castle. Things then obviously take a turn for the horribly worse. Despite first appearances, this is a real horror game.
If the premise of The Count Lucanor sounds like a fairy tale, that’s because it’s based on a Spanish book of fables of the same name. Add to that the fact that the soundtrack is chiptuned Bach and you can already see this is a game with an interesting pedigree.
The game opens with an absolutely gorgeous pixel art cutscene of Hans playing with his dog in a sunny field. It’s so good I’d almost like to see an entire animated movie in that style. What is strange, however, is that the actual game has a quite low pixel count, although still serviceable. Why does a horror game put some much effort in an idyllic opening? If anything, this decision makes the game feel even more unnerving. The cartoon portraits during text conversations are very detailed, however. In fact, some of them are terrifying in their own right. Sound effects are also top notch. If you ever wondered what the snapping jaws of a death goat sounds like, you’re in for a treat. Considering the game was made by a handful of people, the overall presentation of the game is excellent.
The actual meat of the game is puzzles, light exploration and inventory management, in the same vein as Yume Nikki or Corpse Party but a little bit more involved. It’s nothing too taxing, just enough to keep you engaged in the tale, which is what The Count Lucanor is all about.
Before reaching the castle, Hans meets several people on the road which can be helped, or not, by sharing the meager provisions you mother gives you and asks you to use wisely. These choices will have consequences and the prologue acts as a little morality tale. In fact, this is one of the game’s greatest strength: The Count Lucanor is a game that gives choices to the player and acknowledges them, even if just in a small way. You may be asked to do terrible things and whether you do them or not the end result will be the same, but seeing how scenes can play out a little bit differently is a reward in itself. I won’t spoil who the characters are, but they’re generally quite interesting. I mean, look at that creepy blue imp thing? What could its deal be? Play the game to find out.
The Count Lucanor is an outstanding short horror game, just long enough to shock and awe, but without any filler. I wish I could’ve gone into more detail, but it’s really better to delve into it without knowing too much. Definitely recommended for horror fans.
Idle Thoughts 