14 DAY TRIAL // 
The small bridges are a problem. Chenxiang is nimble enough to avoid all incoming damage via dash, as long as I make sure to spot incoming attacks in time. But he needs space to dance around enemies, especially when large numbers of them get close. This temple area consists of two halves connected by a bridge, and I’ve already taken damage twice while crossing, mainly because of my poor directional control.
Thankfully, I’ve got a skill that sometimes leaches life when I take down enemies. And my character is an expert with his sword, dealing both direct damage to those he slashes and able to launch blue magic ones that actually track their targets. It takes around two minutes to deal with all the enemies and find the exit, which gives me three potential rooms to choose from. I pick the shop and cautiously decide to get extra healing.
I clear a few more rooms, picking up improved fighting abilities and upgrades along the way before I engage the Tiger boss. He has plenty of health and calls in other monsters to back him up. But the big problem is his fast-spinning attack, which covers enough ground that I struggle to avoid it while also landing hits. The fight isn’t going my way but, in a few runs, this battle will probably be easy to master.
Lotus Lantern: Rescue Mother is developed by Unstable Games, with publishing handled by 663 Games. I played via Steam on the PC, the only platform on which the title is available. The game combines action mechanics and a rogue-lite structure and uses plenty of concepts inspired by Chinese myths.
The story is built around Chenxiang, the son of a goddess and a mortal man. The powers that be don’t look kindly on such unions so his mother, Sanshengmu, is imprisoned beneath magical Mount Hua. Fortunately, Sun Wukong aka the Monkey King, is ready to teach our hero martial arts and gathers a group of other gods who want to help.
Players need to guide Chenxiang on the road to the mountain and his mother, which is a fairly familiar plot and structure, despite the Chinese mythology elements used to build this fantasy universe. The writing is decent but the English translation uses a few weird turns of phrase, but this should not affect a player’s immersion level.
Lotus Lantern: Rescue Mother has familiar and solid action mechanics. Our hero is seen from a fixed perspective and the combat arenas aren’t very large but have varied layouts. The most important move players have is their dash, which covers quite a bit of ground and will allow the character to avoid enemy attacks of both the melee and the ranged variety. Use it as much as possible and try to make sure to avoid spaces where movement can be restricted by the environment.
Chenxiang’s attacks are initially governed by the faction he aligns with, with two open when Lotus Lantern starts and more to unlock. Slash at enemies or strike them from a distance until the last one keels over, a reward drops, and the portal to the next room opens. Stores and shrines break the combat chain and bosses pop up to offer a tougher challenge.
When death comes, the lantern brings the protagonist back to life for another run. Its magic also gives players access to a set of upgrades, unlocked by spending Divine Sensibility acquired from certain rooms. Chenxiang also equips artifacts that determine his secondary combat power but only after he recovers them during a run.
Combat technique manuals add enhancements and players will also get boosts from environmental blessings and seals. Beads will be used to upgrade the Destiny Plate and shards are spent in the store, mainly to get health back but also to push for new powers. It’s a lot to keep track of but means players have a ton of ways to build a fighting style that’s aligned to their approach. I alternated runs focused on playing the hits to make progress with others where I experimented more.
Lotus Lantern is a little traditional in terms of mechanics, both when it comes to combat and its structure. The fighting technique upgrades should have more of an impact on how players engage with enemies. Getting through the arenas again and again, especially when bosses are involved, can feel repetitive in a bad way.
But when everything comes together for a run, the game is exciting and challenging. Dashing around to avoid hits, finding the best way to use weapons and special abilities, and learning patterns to exploit vulnerabilities, all feel fun. Lotus Lantern: Rescue Mother is a colorful game infused with Chinese elements.
The protagonist exists mostly as a blur as players dash around, attack or activate special abilities, while enemies are diverse and have style. Bosses look spectacular and the game does a great job of clearly showing where their attacks will land and when they will be launched. Yes, the screen can get cluttered but dealing with it is one of the genre’s challenges.
The title can be a little confusing when it comes to the choice between powers and upgrades, mostly because it sometimes crowds too much text in too small spaces. I like the music a lot because it matches the fantasy world well, while the combat effects don’t stand out.
The Good
- Solid action mechanics
- Upgrade and boost variety
- Chinese myth inspirations
The Bad
- Classic rogue-lite structure
- Many resources to track
- Combat can become repetitive
Conclusion
The game’s rogue-lite structure isn’t new but manages to create a constant sense of progression. The world-building is less successful, although it’s good to see Chinese mythology serve as the basis for a game universe. Graphics don’t stand out but Lotus Lantern: Rescue Mother is a good mix of action and rogue-like that should please fans while being accessible to newcomers.
Review key provided by the publisher.
