LUCID climbs its own mountain to both emulate and set itself apart from Celeste

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Over the past six years, I’ve found myself consistently inspired by the game Celeste. It’s not just the tough-as-nails platforming wrapped up in a lower resolution package that draws me in. It’s the crispness and responsiveness of the gameplay, coupled with the need for exceptional precision. Despite being incredibly challenging and frustrating at times, it’s the kind of frustration that keeps me coming back for more.

The solo creator behind Celeste, Eric Manahan, is one of many who have been inspired by this game, as well as other classics. This influence can be seen in the upcoming title LUCID, a game I had the opportunity to preview at the Game Developers Conference. Shacknews was there to get a firsthand look.

Initially, Shacknews played LUCID during PAX East 2024. This unique title earned its name as a “Celestoidvania,” demonstrating Celeste’s significant influence in the independent gaming sector. The game shares similarities with Maddy Thorson’s classic not only in its visual aesthetics but also in its platforming mechanics. However, categorizing it merely as a blend of Celeste, Super Metroid, and Castlevania would be misleading. LUCID is impacted by various other classics, like the Mega Man and Ninja Gaiden series, in how it designs combat, platforming, and challenge.

Last year at PAX East, my gaming experience wasn’t vastly different from Lucas White’s. The gameplay style of LUCID is evidently inspired by other platformers, as it pushes players to perform multiple jumps and air dashes that demand pinpoint accuracy upon landing. More complex jumps leverage the protagonist’s melee weapon, allowing for switch flipping and phasing through certain walls. While LUCID does exhibit some forgiving aspects, it doesn’t feature one-hit fatalities like Celeste. However, a miscalculated series of jumps can lead to landing in a bed of spikes.

LUCID’s experience is significantly shaped by combat encounters. A noteworthy distinction between the PAX East demo and the GDC version lies in the introduction of a novel boss battle, which Manahan acknowledges is still under development. This boss will unleash streams of fire and laser blasts from its colossal form, causing them to streak across the screen. The objective here is to employ your platforming abilities to dodge incoming attacks, finding an opportune moment to counter with the sword. However, due to the sword’s double function as a traversal tool, it was often inadvertently activated during the fight, leading to unwarranted collisions and damage. Despite this minor hiccup, the demonstration presented was quite promising and should serve well in distinguishing LUCID from similar games that have influenced its creation.

Apogee Entertainment is optimistic that they will be able to complete development on LUCID sometime this year. Keep an eye out for its release on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch in the year 2025.

This sneak peek originates from a confidential Steam build demonstrated at a private event during the 2025 Game Developers Conference. Keep in mind that the finished version may undergo modifications.

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2025-03-24 21:27