This game is very similar to the earlier fire emblem titles due to being produced by fire emblems original creator Shōzō Kaga, who left early into the series longlasting lifetime. While it might lack some of the polish of the newer fire emblem titles, it also lacks the fanservice and dating aspects of the post GBA titles, focusing instead on a more political and (arguably) classical fire emblem story. There is also no self-insert or playermade avatar. You can save at the start of every 5th turn, which you will want to utilize since the maps tend to have some plot twists along the way, which might catch you offguard. There are also several secrets and special interactions to discover, so you might need a guide if you don't want to miss anything on your first playthrough. While my controller works somehow, I've found that the setup using keyboard and mouse plays surprisingly well. If you feel that the newer fire emblem titles lost some of the fun of the earlier titles during their recent evolution, you might find some of the missing spark in this game. That being said, the game has a fair difficulty (just as the old titles), so you shouldn't expect an easy ride.
La-Mulana 2 is a classic metroidvania with a focus on puzzles and high difficulty. Unlike many newer entries in the genre, this one is purely upgrade based, so there are no experience points or levels. The upgrades you can find in this game fall into several categories: - Health - Weapons - Subweapons - Plotitems - Movement / Dealing with the environment - Programms (Quality of Life / Hints / Plot) This game is hard in its puzzles, bosses and map design as well. In particular, there are several traps that will hinder your progress, either by outright yielding a game-over or sending you several screens back, with little means to predict them most of the time; however, you develop some kind of feeling for them after a while, which is satisfying in its own right. If you have problems with the bosses (like I do), there is always the option to grind for the pistol and its ammunition, which can help greatly with beating them, but is so expensive that it's never your first option. The puzzles are less cryptic than in the first game, but you'll still need to make notes and your own maps in order to not lose track of what is going on; in particular, the hints you need to solve puzzles may very well be located in a totally unrelated area. There is no clear progression throughout the game, as you can tackle many different areas shortly into the game (given that you actually find them), so you can expect to be stuck regularly. All that being said, the game can make for a very compelling experience, as advancing on your own feels very satisfying after you're stuck for a while, and there is something mesmerizing about unraveling all the mysteries that make up the game. It's a hard game you'll need to put a lot of work into if you want so succeed, but the payoff is fantastic. Thankfully, there is very engaged community on reddit that can help you when you are stuck. The game has a very specific audience in mind, but it's the best experience you can get in its niche.
