Gamertell

Title: LIT
Price: 800 Wii Points/$8
System(s): Wii via Wiiware
Release Date: February 9, 2008
Publisher (Developer): WayForward Technologies (WayForward Technologies)
ESRB Rating: “Everyone 10+” for Violence
Pros: Simple controls, interesting use of Wii remote speaker, great ambiance, creepy premise and challenging puzzles and boss fights. Also - the soundtrack’s available for free at the LIT site.
Cons: Boss characters can be brutal. Bombs can be hard to aim and throw. Computers/TVs/lamps/phones can sometimes be hard to see.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 90/100, A-, * * * * out of 5

Ordinary high schools can be scary. Not during the day, though I recall certain tests or teachers were more than capable of inspiring fear, back when I was attending. No, I’m talking about after school. Wandering around deserted halls after 7pm. Never knowing what could lurk around the bend of a hallway, in the darkness.

WayForward Technologies builds upon that idea and creates a horrific scenario. A high school is overrun by the darkness, with all sorts of monsters lurking in the shadows. The familiar suddenly becomes foreign, and there’s really no way to fight these unholy creatures. All you can do is try and make your way through, staying in the light.

High school’s hell.

Pity poor Jake. For no apparent reason, his school has been enveloped by darkness, in which dangerous and shadowy creatures lurk. One step out of the light, and he’ll be dragged under to his doom. You must help him navigate 30 different puzzles in the school, to try and make it to his girlfriend Rachael, who’s also trapped inside, and escape with their lives.

If this is what classrooms are like, I’d hate to see detention.

Patience and critical thinking are the secrets to succeeding in LIT. While you can get slingshot pellets to crack windows and allow light in, TV remotes to turn on televisions for light and can turn on certain lights, computers or spotlights, you have to carefully survey the level with your flashlight to double-check every movement. Plus, only items Jake can carry “sparkle”, so you’ll probably want to shift to the first person view a few times to be sure where everything lies in a level.

This is especially true in boss battles. Bosses are damaged by light, but the second a light is cast on them, they will rush forward to destroy the source. If you aren’t careful, your character or safe spots can be compromised.

I found myself tackling certain levels twice. When Rachael calls you on the phone, it isn’t going to ring forever. So I found myself taking my time in levels with phones, first plotting out and finding the proper path, and then restarting the level, zipping through to reach the phone.

Thankfully, Jake is surprisingly durable. There are no time limits and no set number of lives. If you decide you want to redo a level, you can either walk Jake into the darkness and watch him get pulled under, or be humane and choose to restart from the menu.

Controls work fairly well, but there were two shakey areas. Bombs can be hard to aim and successfully throw, and you may need to restart multiple times to properly throw one. Also, be careful when moving Jake. Sometimes the darkness is closer than you think.

A thrilling journey only those with patience and brains will survive.

Aside from being a bit short, LIT is a nice change of pace for a Wiiware game. So far we’ve seen light-hearted, mostly bright games, and LIT is the first dark game. The interesting story and occasional scare factor make it worth checking out for $8.

While the extra Dark Mode difficulty level, and extra unlockable character help add a little extend LIT‘s life, it may not be enough motivation to journey through a second or third playthrough. Despite that, you should be able to get at least five hours of entertainment out of this unique puzzler.

Site [LIT]