Leo's Fortune

 
Developer: 1337 & Senri AB
Steam Release: Sep 2015
Hours Played: 3.5
Similar To: Nightsky / Nyx Quest / Tales from Space / Trine / Unmechanical
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY

If you like the idea of negotiating your way through artfully designed mechanical contraptions and solving rickety puzzles, then the marvellous Leo's Fortune may just be the next platformer for you. Set in a hugely varied world of labyrinthine caves, dangerous mines, mysterious coastal areas, mountainous paths and foundaries full of heavy duty machinery, you take the role of Leopold; a fluffy pom pom with bulbous eyes and a ridiculous handlebar moustache slapped on underneath. Based around a determined quest to retrieve his lost gold, Leo must traverse these highly hazardous environments to collect back what is rightfully his. With the usual left/right movement control, Leo may also perform a small jump, float down gently and use a stomp ability that instantly makes him heavier.  

BALANCE & PACE

Split into five acts of four levels each (with the first four containing an extra bonus level), you'll instantly feel like you're playing a classic from the moment the first level begins. In a side-scrolling motion you'll see beautifully lush environments sweep before you as our hero glides along wooden tracks; leaps onto various platforms and see-saw style contraptions; floats above deadly spikes; swings across bottomless caverns and operates various switches to unlock doors. He'll also often use his puff-out ability, which activates when he jumps, to lift or press crucial levers that activates machinery. It all adds up to a thoroughly enjoyable journey that is satisfying to complete as you bound on through your merry way. 

PRESENTATION & DESIGN 

This is really where Leo's Fortune shines for the presentation is utterly superb. From the tastefully designed start screen with that royal red scarlet curtain blending nicely with the swirling gold lettering of the title to the exquisite fonts and well-chosen colour-scheme of the menus and leaderboards, you can tell the game has been created in the right style. Anyone with half a brain will clock the style and the polish the game has. Machines click and whirr away nicely as you navigate through the menus and, of course, the game itself with its fantastic environments is a treat for the eyes. The voice of Leopold himself guides you through your journey and narrates the story in that thick Eastern European accent of his.
  

PROGRESS SYSTEM

The game is split into five acts represented by five maps each with four or five circles. All have four levels each and an unlockable bonus level apart from the final act which doesn't come with a bonus level. Each can be cleared with an award of up to three stars and the next cannot be unlocked until the previous one is finished. You'll get one star for collecting all gold coins, one for clearing a level with zero fatalities and one for beating the par-time which will definitely take multiple attempts to achieve once you get to the second act. Additionally, there is a very stylishly done online leaderboard that ranks your best time with others from around the world. On average, a level can take around 3-5 minutes to complete. 

CONCLUSION

I believe that Leo's Fortune has enough to put it up there with other popular heavyweights of platform puzzling such as Limbo, Thomas Was Alone and Trine. With very few abilities, your powers may be restricted but it's the fantastic environments that truly absorb the player into its world and that make this such a classy game. This, plus its inventive level designs and creative puzzles, pitched directly at the sweet-spot, make the game-flow so fluid and the overall pace so right for those who crave quality in their platform puzzler. With an Eastern European flair to give it that character, obviously brought to life by Leo's accent, its all-round clarity and sharpness plus its reasonable price tag, Leo's Fortune should definitely be near the centre of your radar.