Minimalistic twin-stick arcade shooter
Lumino is a free action game made by an indie dev who goes by the name kladspear. It's a twin-stick arcade-style shooter that features a neon aesthetic and a minimalist design to its gameplay. Players will control a lone ship and fight against waves of enemies.
Similar to PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate or Pixel Galaxy, Lumino takes a more simplistic approach to its graphic design. Instead, the main focus is with fast-paced gameplay utilizing tight controls that challenges players' skill and quick reflexes as they face tougher enemies with each round.
Is it any good?
Lumino's minimalistic approach is evident from the moment you first open it up. It takes place in the seemingly dark and void reaches of space, and you control a turret-like ship. Things start off slowly enough, with a lone comet-like enemy appearing in front of you. It ramps up quickly, though, with various enemy types of varying characteristics spawning all over the map.
Some will wander aimlessly on the map, while others will come directly at you. They also feature different colors that correspond to a specific weapon upgrade that you can receive once you destroy them. You have lasers, missiles, or a gun turret of sorts to choose from. Defeating enemies is also quite a spectacle in Lumino as they blow up in an explosion of colors and sprites.
Your score is dictated by how long you last and how many enemies you can destroy in each playthrough. Your ship's health is represented by the number of weapons you have, with them getting reduced whenever you get hit. Lumino is a bullet hell type of game and as such, it might present a slightly high difficulty curve for some. Also, it's not suitable for those sensitive to bright and flashing lights.
A beautiful and minimalist twin-stick shooter
If you're a fan of twin-stick shooters and looking for a nice challenge, be sure to give Lumino a try. It's a beautifully made game that is as nice to look as it is to play. The controls as solid, explosions are a spectacle, and the difficulty will test even some of the most skilled players. Highly recommended.
