Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals
Common Sense says
- Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
- $39.99
- 2010
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals is an action role-playing game with fairly mild fantastical combat and a heaping helping of puzzles; all suitable for the late tweens and early teens for which this game has been designed. It’s also a good bet for players of all skill levels, thanks to a feature that allows less experienced players to bump up their characters’ levels should they happen to run into trouble, ensuring they never become stuck and frustrated.
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What's it about?
The world is under attack by a being bent on world destruction in LUFIA: CURSE OF THE SINISTRALS, a retelling of the second chapter in the long-running Lufia series of role-playing games. The story begins with a single adventurer named Maxim but soon expands to include five more characters; three men and two women. Each has his or her own special attacks and abilities, and players can choose their equipment. Outside of combat, players will explore towns, chat with non-player characters, and figure out environmental puzzles that will require them to make use of their characters’ special abilities to progress, like latching a hookshot onto a post to cross a gap.
Is it any good?
This may be a remake of a sequel that came out 15 years ago but that’s no reason for younger players to avoid it; there are no vital connections to other entries in the franchise. Plus, it’s a good game. Polished polygonal graphics give depth to the game’s world, characters engage in intelligent and emotional dialogue, and a neat level boosting feature ensures less experienced players won’t get stuck on harder battles.
The sole weak spot may be combat. Simply jamming on buttons to repeatedly attack foes can get a little repetitive. However, the game’s frequent environmental puzzles serve as a nice break between fights, forcing players to stop and think rather than just constantly attack. Much of what’s here will probably feel a bit derivative to genre veterans, but that doesn’t mean it’s not well executed. Action RPG lovers will be well served.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about fantasy violence. Why is it generally less scary and disturbing to fight and dispatch amorphous blobs, floating insects, and horned beasts in a game like this than it is to fight human foes in other games? What does it mean to kill a monster in a game as opposed to a person?
Families can also discuss game difficulty. Do you feel more satisfied if you beat a really hard game? Or would you prefer to be able to ramp down the level of challenge if you get stuck? Do you feel like games should be about overcoming hunkering-down adversity or just kicking back and relaxing?
Game details
- Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi
- Price: $39.99
- Available online? Not available online
- Developer: Natsume
- Release date: October 12, 2010
- Genre: Role-Playing
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
For kids who love role playing games
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.